Review #939: Speedway (1968)

Title: Speedway
Year: 1968
Director: Normal Taurog
Country: US
Language: English

Speedway would be Elvis Presley's 27th film, one in a long line of happy-go-lucky machismo musicals starring the King himself. By this time Hollywood was getting sit of the typical formula, so studio execs were debating about how to change his image. Their willingness to abandon the tried-and-true Presley format was based on declining grosses turned in by recent Elvis movies. Speedway, surprising to many, turned out to be a big hit at the box office. 

Poor bookkeeping saddles stock car driver Steve Grayson (Elvis Presley) with a huge bill for back taxes which hampers his ability to continue racing competitively. 

Fans of this picture might be surprised to find out that the script was originally given to Sonny Bono and Cher, who graciously turned it down. They missed out, as the combination of Nancy Sinatra, a combination of catchy songs, and the abundance of stock cars (this is the first film in history to credit acrual NASCAR drivers) proved to be a driving force in the amount of revenue it received.  

Presley's vocals are a notch above average in Speedway. It also helps that his aggressive dance moves made audiences reminisce about the good ol' young Elvis. By coupling Nancy Sinatra with Elvis, MGM hoped to create a screen chemistry between the two similar to that of Ann-Margret and Presley in Viva Las Vegas. Overall the story is flimsy at best, but the film makes up for it by inserting a much needed dose of comedy throughout. 

Norman Taurog's direction is satisfactory, although his picture is certainly saved by Sinatra's sexiness and Presley's charm. The two stars have a remarkable charisma that pulls audiences in and keeps them on their toes. Sonny and Cher couldn't have made this picture any better.