Silver Dream Racer * (1980, David Essex, Beau Bridges, Cristina Raines) – Classic Movie Review 10,216

Director David Wickes’s 1980 British sport action drama Silver Dream Racer stars David Essex and re-tells the oft-told and unconvincing tale of a garage mechanic called Nick Freeman (Essex) aiming to realise his dream by winning the big motorbike race at the world championship at Silverstone with the revolutionary bike his brother leaves him.

Beau Bridges is cast as Bruce McBride, the American competing against him.

Essex writes and performs the music, including Silver Dream Machine (Sung by David Essex), Looking for Someone (Sung by David Essex) and I Think I’ll Always Love You (Sung by Victi Silva).

Silver Dream Racer is hollow, contrived and muddled film-making, with nobody emerging very well out of it, though the direction and scripting are worse than the game acting from a decent cast.

Also in the cast are Harry H Corbett, Lee Montague, Clarke Peters, Diane Keen, Lee Montague, Sheila White, Ed Bishop, David Baxt, Nick Brimble, Stephen Hoye, T P McKenna, Richard Parmentier, Barrie Rutter, Doyle Richmond and Patrick Rycart.

David Wickes’s screenplay is based on the original story by Michael Billington.

The US theatrical release and the version on DVD released n the UK in 2003 have an alternate ending.

It is shot at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,216

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