The Fast and the Furious **½ (1955, John Ireland, Dorothy Malone, Bruce Carlisle) – Classic Movie Review 5292

Producer Roger Corman said: ‘John Ireland appeared in The Fast and the Furious (1955) only on the condition he could direct it. He did a fine job directing on a nine-day shoot with a budget of $50,000. Dorothy Malone had no work and accepted a part for next to nothing’.

The interesting 1955 fast-cars crime thriller oddity The Fast and the Furious has the good sense to keep it in the family, with a story by producer Roger Corman, direction by star John Ireland, and co-script by actress Jean Howell (with Jerome Odlum).

Ireland stars as innocent Frank Webster, on the lam from the cops after breaking out of jail, where he was wrongly banged up for murder. Frank is forced to abduct beautiful young Connie Adair (Dorothy Malone), who is driving a driving a fast sports car.

They join a cross-border sports car race to try to make a break for Mexico. But, along the road, they find they love each other, and he sets out to show that he is innocent.

It should have been called The Cheap and the Cheerful because that is exactly what the movie is. Given its humble, fast filmed, low-budget status (estimated from $50,000 to $66,000), it is not too bad at all, still quite watchable and entertaining. Ireland and Malone are quite good company.

Jean Howell plays Sally Phillips and also in the cast are Bruce Carlisle as Faber, Marshall Bradford as Mr Hillman, Iris Adrian as as Wilma Belding, Snub Pollard as a park caretaker, Bruno VeSota, Byrd Holland, Larry Thor and Lou Place.

It was shot by Floyd Crosby in nine days in April 1954 under the title Crashout (later used by another film, the 1955 film noir crime thriller Crashout), and is scored by Alexander Gerens.

It is notable as the first film released by the American Releasing Corporation, which became American International Pictures. It is Corman’s second film as producer, after Monster from the Ocean Floor.

The title The Fast and the Furious was famously re-used in 2001, starting a series that has reached Fast & Furious 8 by 2017, followed by F9, and Fast X, after the producers bought the title rights to this film. The Fast and the Furious producer Neal H Moritz traded the use of some stock footage to Corman for the use of the title.

Corman doubled as one of the race drivers and accidentally beat Ireland across the finishing line, resulting in a second take when Ireland won.

They mix stock footage of road races from the Southern California area in with new racing scenes filmed for the movie.

The Fast and the Furious runs 73 minutes, and is made by Corman’s production company Palo Alto Productions,

It was popular, costing from $50,000 to $66,000 and earning $250,000, allowing Corman to repay his 12 main investors quickly and secure a three-movie deal.

John Ireland appeared in the film only on the condition he could direct it. Corman said: ‘John did a fine job directing on a nine-day shoot with a budget of $50,000. He added that Dorothy Malone ‘had left her agent and, having no work, accepted a part for next to nothing’.

The Fast and the Furious main series: The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, Fast & Furious 8 [The Fate of the Furious], F9, Fast X.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5292

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