I was not familiar with this film at all – it was the announcement of the death of Dorothy Malone a few days ago that led me to read about her and this film cropped up.

Now I am familiar with the more recent Fast  and Furious films which my son really likes – he has seen them all – and to be fair they have been extremely successful and very popular.

However this 1955 version did not regfister with me – either at the time or since – but I do remember another racing car picture at the same tine which was Johnny Dark with Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie – that was in colour and I remember seeing it at the time.

The Fast and the Furious is an interesting 1955 fast-cars crime thriller oddity 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).

John Ireland stars as innocent Frank Webster, on the run from the police after breaking out of jail, where he was wrongly put 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.  However, along the road, they fall in Love, and he sets out to show that he is innocent.

It should have been call The Cheap and the Cheerful because that is exactly what the film should be given its humble, fast filmed, low-budget ($66,000) status, but  it is quite good, still quite watchable and entertaining.   John Ireland and Dorothy Malone are quite good company.

Jean Howell plays Sally Phillips and also in the cast are Bruce Carlisle, Marshall Bradford, Iris Adrian, Snub Pollard, Bruno VeSota, Byrd Holland, Larry Thor and Lou Place.

It was shot in nine days by Floyd Crosby and is scored by Alexander Gerens.

It is notable as the first film released by the American Releasing Corporation, which became American International Pictures.

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

The film mixes  stock footage of road races from the Southern California area in with new racing scenes filmed here. In Nine days filming they couldn’t afford to hang about and took advantage of anything they could.

Don’t forget the wonderful Steven Spielberg film Duel 1971 was made in 13 days ( they had planned 10 days )m and then edited in the next 10 days then shown on Television in the USA quickly after that  – and that was – and is – a Cracker !!!