Speedway - MGM 1968
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By: For Elvis Fans Only
Source: EPE
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Speedway |
Elvis' twenty-seventh movie was the 1968
MGM car racing film "Speedway". On June
19, 1967 Elvis reported to MGM to begin
work. The day began with a music meeting
at 10:00 AM and at 2:00 PM he had
wardrobe fittings. Elvis and his manager
Colonel Tom Parker then gave the leading
lady, Elvis' friend, Nancy
Sinatra a car that had
"Speedway" painted on one door and
"Starring Nancy & Elvis" on the other.
Sometimes Elvis' movies were released
out of sequence with the order in which
they were filmed. Such was the case with
his twenty-seventh movie, the 1968 MGM
film "Speedway." It was actually filmed
in June of 1967 prior to filming movie
number 26,
"Stay
Away Joe". However, "Stay
Away Joe" beat "Speedway" to release by
three months.
On July 12, 1967 on the set of
"Speedway" Elvis announced that his wife
Priscilla was pregnant. He told a
reporter, "This is the greatest thing
that has ever happened to me." Soon
after, his co-star Nancy Sinatra gave a
baby shower for Priscilla.
Elvis Presley sings
his way around the race circuit as
successful speedway driver Steve
Grayson. All is fine and dandy until the
tax return submitted by Steve's manager
(played by Bill Bixby) is audited by the
IRS. Too bad the manager has already
blown all their money on horse races.
Enter curvaceous IRS agent Nancy
Sinatra, whose boots are walking toward
a hefty tax assessment. Will Elvis be
able to raise the $145,000 to pay his
tax bill? Will he succeed in charming
Nancy right out of her boots? It's your
guess!
Actor
Bill Bixby
co-starred with Elvis as his character
Steve Grayson's friend and business
manager Kenny Donford. Kenny's lack of
bookkeeping skills lands them both in
trouble with the IRS. Mr. Bixby had
previously worked with Elvis in the film
"Clambake." The only child of a
department store owner, Mr. Bixby grew
up in the San Francisco area. He made
his TV debut on the show "The Many Loves
of Dobie Gillis." After acting in
several successful TV series of his own
including "My Favourite Martian, "The
Courtship of Eddie's Father," "The
Magician," "The Incredible Hulk" and
"Goodnight Beantown," he concentrated on
directing. He directed both TV movies
and TV series including the series
"Blossom," which he worked on up until
just six days before his death of cancer
in 1993. He is buried at his widow's
estate in Hawaii.
Nancy Sinatra's role of
Susan Jacks first had been offered to
the popular 1960s English singer Petula
Clark. Ms. Clark turned the part down
and it then was given to Sinatra, who
also enjoyed popularity as a singer with
her #1 songs "These Boots Were Made For
Walking," "Sugar Town" and "Something
Stupid." Nancy, the daughter of Frank
Sinatra, had met Elvis in 1960, when he
returned from serving in the U.S. Army.
She was on hand to welcome Elvis at
McGuire Air Force Base upon his arrival
back to America from Germany. She also
appeared with Elvis on her father's
"Frank Sinatra--Timex Show," which was
themed "Welcome Home, Elvis." Today Ms.
Sinatra is still busy recording and
performing, especially for one of her
favourite causes - support of U.S.
troops, American veterans and the USO.
It was also her voice heard singing the
song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"
in the 2003 movie "Kill Bill, Volume I."
The producer was Douglas Laurence,
who also produced the Elvis movies "Stay
Away Joe" and "Live A Little, Love A
Little." Mr. Laurence was at one time
the director of entertainment for the
Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
This was the last film for
multi-award-winning cinematographer
Joseph Ruttenberg who had also worked on
Elvis's film "It Happened At The World's
Fair." From from 1939 to 1961, Mr.
Ruttenberg was nominated ten times for
Academy Awards. His foru wins were for
his work in the films "The Great Waltz,"
"Mrs. Miniver," "Somebody Up There Likes
Me" and "Gigi."
Gale Gordon played the IRS agent R.
W. Hepworth. Known for his stuffy
characters such as Osgood Conklin of the
"Our Miss Brooks" and Mr. Wilson of the
"Dennis The Menace" TV series, he might
be best remembered as Lucille Ball's
nemesis on "The Lucy Show," "The
Lucille Ball Comedy Hour" and "Here's
Lucy" among other projects he did with
her. Mr. Gordon got his first big
break in radio on the "Fibber McGee &
Molly" show. He was inducted into the
Radio Hall of Fame in 1999. He also
received four Emmy Award nominations for
his work in television.
William Schallert's role of Abel
Esterlake was only one of the hundreds
of roles this actor has had in film and
TV. The son of "Los Angeles Times"
drama editor and critic Edwin Schallert,
William Schallert began acting in the
early 1940s. Among his credits is
playing the father on the "Patty Duke
Show," which garnered him the #39 spot
in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest
TV Dads of All Time." He played another
father, Carson Drew, on the "Nancy Drew
Mysteries" and he was Genreral Robert E.
Lee in the "North and South" television
mini-series. Also, his voice-over work
can be heard on many projects. He
believes people most recognize him for
his role in the "Star Trek" episode "The
Trouble With Tribbles." He is a former
president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Victoria Paige Meyerink played
precocious Ellie Esterlake. The tiny
tot who played Ellie's little sister
Annie Esterlake was Patti Jean Keith,
the granddaughter of director Norman
Taurog. This was one of many films for
Mr. Taurog (his eighth one with Elvis),
however, this was Patti's only movie
role.
Charlotte Stewart played the oft weepy
Lori. She then went on to her roles as
the much loved teacher Ms. Beadle in the
TV series "Little House on the Prairie"
and Betty Briggs in the series "Twin
Peaks."
Ross Hagen played rival race car driver
Paul Dado. He might be best remembered
for his role of Bart Jason on the TV
series "Daktari." His credits also
include writing, directing and
producing.
Carl Ballantine was Birdie Kebner, the
host of the Hangout club. Actually an
accomplished magician, he specialized in
his magic act as an inept magician whose
tricks usually flopped.
Actor Poncie Ponce played pit crew
member Juan. He had previously been a
regular on the "Hawaiian Eye" TV series.
Kathy Nelson's one and only movie role
was as an uncredited waitress in
"Speedway." She changed course and went
on to become the music supervisor for
many films including "Thelma & Louise,"
"Pulp Fiction," "Apollo 13," "Runaway
Bride," "The Sixth Sense," "Hannibal,"
"Pearl Harbor," "A Beautiful Mind," "Big
Fat Liar" and "The Bourne Identity"
among others.
This Elvis movie was about stock car
racing at the famed Charolotte Speedway
in Charlotte, North Carolina, where
location race scenes were
filmed. Participating in the movie were
several champion professional NASCAR
racers including: Richard Petty, Buddy
Baker, Cale Yarborough, Tiny Lund, Dick
Hutcherson, G. C. Spencer, and Roy Mayne
who played themselves. Sandy Reed, a
professional race announcer, played the
announcer for "Speedway." Christopher
West, who played Billie Jo, was the
reigning Queen of Laguna-Seca Sport Car
Races at the time.
Among the many stunt drivers used for
this film were: Bob Harris, whose
credits include "Bonnie and Clyde",
"Bullitt", "Magnum Force" and "The
Gumball Rally." Courtney Brown, who
worked on such films as "Thunderball,"
"Porky's" and "Ace Ventura- Pet
Detective." Bud Ekins, who
specialized in motorcycle stunts
including some for "The Great Escape,"
"Then Came Bronson" and "CHiPs." Max
Balchowsky who also provided stunt work
for "Viva Las Vegas," "Grand Prix,"
"Bullit" and "The Deer Hunter."
Bob Herron, a Navy boxing champion who
has done stunts in hundreds of TV shows
and movies. Carey Loftin whose stunt
credits range in movies from the 1940s
to the 1990s.
Ross Hagen played rival race car driver
Paul Dado. He might be best remembered
for his role of Bart Jason on the TV
series "Daktari." His credits also
include writing, directing and
producing.
Burt Mustin who played the janitor at
the Coffee Shop, had been a salesman
until he got involved in radio and
barbershop harmony in mid-life. He was
68 when he had his first movie role in
the 1951, "The Last Outpost." Acting
roles in movies and TV began to roll in
and he became much in demand. A
notable role is that of Gus the Fireman
o the "Leave It to Beaver" television
series. He was 86 by the time he acted
in "Speedway." Having just retired
from his role of Arthur on the "Phyllis"
TV series, Mustin died at age 95.
Soundtrack recording sessions were
held on June 20 - 21, 1967 at the MGM
studio. During the sessions Elvis was
visited by his father Vernon, Vernon's
wife Dee and Dee's three sons, Ricky,
David and Billy Stanley. They, along
with Elvis and Nancy Sinatra, met Nelson
Rockefeller, then governor of New York,
who had come to the recording studio to
record an album of patriotic
recitations.
Principal photography for "Speedway"
ended on August 18, 1967. Elvis was
finished with looping by August 21 and
immediately went into makeup tests for
"Stay Away, Joe." "Speedway" premiered
in Charlotte, North Carolina on June
12, 1968. It was #40 on Variety's movie
list for the year of 1968.
Soundtrack
- Speedway
- Let Yourself Go
- Your Time Hasn't Come Yet Baby
- He's Your Uncle, Not Your Dad
- Who Are You? (Who Am I?)
- There Ain't Nothing Like A Song
- Five Sleepy Heads - Suppose
Written by Marty Dee & Billy
Goehring, Performed by Elvis Presley,
Suppose was cut from the
final print of the film.
Recorded at:
MGM
Studios, Culver City, Los Angeles. June
1967.
Musicians:
Elvis Presley (vocals), Tiny
Timbrell, Donald Owens, Alwin Casey,
Tommy Tedesco (guitars), Pete Drake
(steel guitar), Bob Moore (bass), Hal
Blaine, Buddy Harman (drums), Larry
Knechtal, Don Randi, George Cast
(pianos), Boots Randolph (sax),Roy
Caton, Virgil Evans, Oliver Mitchell
(trumpets), the Jordanaires (vocals)
Speedway - MGM 1968
Directed Norman
Taurog
Writing Credits Phillip Shuke
Producer Douglas Laurence
Panavision and Metrocolor
Cast Overview
Elvis Presley .... Steve Grayson, Nancy
Sinatra .... Susan Jacks, Bill Bixby
.... Kenny Donford, Gale Gordon ....
R.W. Hepworth, William Schallert....
Abel Esterlake, Victoria Meyerink....
Ellie Esterlake, Ross Hagen .... Paul
Dado, Carl Ballantine .... Birdie
Kebner, Poncie Ponce .... Juan Medala,
Harry Hickox .... The Cook, Christopher
West.... Billie Jo, Beverly Hills ....
Mary Ann, Harper Carter .... Ted
Simmons, Bob Harris .... Lloyd Meadows,
Michele Newman .... Debbie.
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