The Racers * (1955, Kirk Douglas, Bella Darvi, Gilbert Roland) – Classic Movie Review 9524

Director Henry Hathaway’s 1955 sporting drama The Racers [Such Men Are Dangerous] stars Kirk Douglas as Gino Borgesa, who dashes around the picturesque roads of Europe in his quest to win the Monaco Grand Prix, supported both sexually and emotionally as well as financially by his lady luck Nicole (Bella Darvi).

Clichés abound in this not very racy or inspired adaptation of Hans Ruesch’s novel.

Alas, the film is a loser, despite the watchable work on the track, the CinemaScope and Color by Deluxe images, and the game turns from the experienced players, also including Gilbert Roland, Cesar Romero, Lee J Cobb and Katy Jurado.

The Racers [Such Men Are Dangerous] is directed by Henry Hathaway, runs 112 minutes, is released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Charles Kaufman, based on Hans Ruesch’s novel, is shot in CinemaScope and Color by Deluxe by Joe MacDonald, is produced by Julian Blaustein and is scored by Alex North.

Also in the cast are Charles Goldner, George Dolenz, John Hudson, Agnès Laury, John Wengraf, Richard Allan, Norbert Schiller, Mel Welles and Stephen Bekassy.

It is the third of Polish star Bella Darvi’s three Hollywood films, following Hell and High Water and The Egyptian, after which she continued her career in Europe, where she made a few inconsequential films. She committed suicide on 11 September 1971, aged 42. Bayla Wegier was discovered by movie mogul Darryl F Zanuck and his wife Virginia Fox, with a new name Darvi derived from their first names. A sex scandal involving Zanuck had his wife sending Darvi home.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9524

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