Red Line 7000

Last updated
Red Line 7000
Poster of the movie Red Line 7000.jpg
Directed by Howard Hawks
Screenplay by George Kirgo
Story by Howard Hawks
Produced by Howard Hawks
Starring
Cinematography Milton R. Krasner
Edited by
Music by Nelson Riddle
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • November 9, 1965 (1965-11-09)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2,500,000 [1]

Red Line 7000 is a 1965 American action sports film released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Howard Hawks, who also wrote the story. It stars James Caan, Laura Devon and Marianna Hill in a story about young stock-car racers trying to establish themselves and about the complicated romantic relationships in their lives. The title refers to the red line on the RPM meter which was then placed at 7000 rpm, beyond which the engine was in danger of blowing. The film features multiple sections of real life racing and crashes interspersed with the plot.

Contents

Plot

A racing team run by Pat Kazarian starts out with two drivers, Mike Marsh and Jim Loomis, but a crash at Daytona results in Jim's death. His girlfriend Holly McGregor arrives too late for the race and feels guilty for not being there.

A young driver, Ned Arp, joins the team and also makes a play for Kazarian's sister, Julie. A third driver, Dan McCall, arrives from France and brings along girlfriend Gabrielle Queneau, but soon he develops a romantic interest in Holly.

Arp is seriously hurt in a crash, losing a hand. Mike, meanwhile, doesn't care for Dan's ways with women and tries to run him off the track in a race, but Dan survives. He and Holly end up together, but Mike is consoled by Gabrielle.

The movie is distinguished by the appearance of a 1965 Shelby GT-350 racing on the track, and one of the characters drives a Cobra Daytona Coupe as his street car. For Shelby enthusiasts, this is one of the few movies they appeared in. The car used in the movie is chassis no. CSX2287, the first of the six coupes built. In real life this car competed in seven FIA races in 1964 (Daytona, Sebring, Spa, LeMans, Reims, Goodwood, Tour de France) and one race in 1965 (LeMans), and scored the Daytona Coupe’s first GT Class victory at Sebring 1964. In November 1965, this car set 23 national and international speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Shelby American sold the prototype coupe to Jim Russell of the American Russkit model company.

Cast

Production

Script

The film was based on an original idea by Howard Hawks though the script was written by George Kirgo. Hawks said the film would feature "three old fashioned hot love stories about these racers and their girls. They have their own code. They kid about danger. They aren't tough guys but they talk awful rough. The picture will have something of a wartime feeling: on Friday night a girl doesn't know if a boy will still be alive on Saturday night." [2]

Hawks said he originally wanted to tell just the one story but then "suddenly it hit me. 'This is a lot of padding'. Today audiences are way ahead of us. So I added two more stories and now we tell so much more in a few scenes without having to lead up to them step by step. In other words, stripped of all the non essentials." [2] Hawks said that in his film "you don't care who wins the race; it's the people who count." [2]

Casting

Howard Hawks had enjoyed success discovering stars in the past (Lauren Bacall, Carole Lombard, George Raft) and decided to cast the film with six newcomers plus Charlene Holt and Norman Alden. He said it took five months to cast them. The six newcomers were Gail Hire, Mariana Hill, Laura Devon, James Ward, John Crawford and James Caan (though Caan had been in Lady in a Cage). [2] Howard Hawks considered casting Paul Mantee, who had done Paramount's Robinson Crusoe on Mars , in the lead role, but chose another Paramount star, James Caan. [3]

Carol Connors was a singer who had sold over 8 million records. She wrote two songs for the movie: "Wildcat Jones" and "Prudence Pim of the PTA". [4]

George Takei appears in a supporting role one year before his performance on Star Trek . Teri Garr appears uncredited as a go-go dancer in a nightclub.

Filming

Filming started January 1965. [5]

NASCAR driver Larry Frank helped to film the movie by allowing the film crew to mount cameras on his car. Frank later drove the camera-car in a NASCAR race.

The film features tracks like Daytona International Speedway, Darlington Raceway, and Atlanta Motor Speedway. In this film, it features many crashes from the season, including A. J. Foyt's violent crash at Riverside International Raceway earlier in the year. The camera cars were provided by the Ford company and entered in a regular race with a regular driver. "We're trying to give the sensation of what it means to go that fast - 170 mph - in a car." [2]

Haskell Boggs replaced Milton Krasner as cinematographer during production. [6]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times called it "rapid, exciting entertainment." [7]

In 1967 Hawks said it was a mistake to cast so many newcomers in the film. "Newcomers are good when you have some competent people to hold them up," he said. "That's why I wouldn't try Red Line 7000 again. It's always been a habit of mine to put new people with pros. It holds them together, gives them a key to tempo. There was nobody for them to take a cue from in Red Line." [8] Filmink magazine later noted of the cast "Caan was the only one to make it and watching Red Line 7000 today it’s not hard to see why: he’s terrific, a believable jock (something which made him a rarity among Hollywood stars, along with Burt Reynolds), sensitive, tormented, sympathetic despite playing a character who when you analyse it is rape-y and loathsome." [9]

The director later said he did not like the movie, feeling it was a problem cutting between stories. "When I got people interested in two people I cut over and started to work with two more and when the audience got interested in them I went over to two others and pretty soon the audience got disgusted and I got disgusted too," said Hawks. "To be serious I think there were some pretty good things in it but as a piece of entertainment I don't think I did a good job. I think there were some individual scenes that were pretty good and there were a lot of great race scenes. But I'm not proud of the picture as a whole." [10]

Caan later called the film "a joke". [11]

Quentin Tarantino is a fan of the film:

If I were to direct a racing movie I would look to mimic a lot of that Sixties AIP flavour. I would probably draw inspiration from Howard Hawks' Red Line 7000 ... It's not pretentious, like Grand Prix and stuff, but the story isn't dissimilar. It's got soap opera with everyone trying to sleep with everyone else, but it's done in a fun way. It actually plays like a really great Elvis Presley movie. Elvis' racing movies were good but not this good. I like the way that Red Line 7000 has a community of characters all staying in this Holiday Inn together and hanging out. That's a cool platform. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Petty</span> American racing driver

Richard Lee Petty, nicknamed "The King", is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the No. 43 Plymouth/Pontiac for Petty Enterprises. He was the first driver to win the Cup Series championship seven times, while also winning a record 200 races during his career. This included winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times and winning a record 27 races in one season (1967).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytona 500</span> Auto race held in Daytona, Florida, United States

The Daytona 500 is a 500-mile-long (805 km) NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three held in Florida, with the annual fall showdown Dixie Vodka 400 being held at Homestead south of Miami. From 1988 to 2019, it was one of the four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule. The inaugural Daytona 500 was held in 1959 coinciding with the opening of the speedway and since 1982, it has been the season-opening race of the Cup series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Caan</span> American actor (1940–2022)

James Edmund Caan was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He reprised his role in The Godfather Part II (1974). He received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Allison</span> American racecar driver

Robert Arthur Allison is a former American professional stock car racing driver and owner. Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant short tracks with high purses. Allison raced competitively in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1961 to 1988, while regularly competing in short track events throughout his career. He also raced in IndyCar, Trans-Am, and Can-Am. Named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers and a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, he was the 1983 Winston Cup champion and won the Daytona 500 in 1978, 1982, and 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Bonnett</span> American racing driver

Lawrence Neil Bonnett was an American NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. Bonnett was a member of the Alabama Gang, and started his career with the help of Bobby and Donnie Allison. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s with his performances in cars owned by Jim Stacy and Wood Brothers Racing, becoming one of the top competitors in the 1980s. The Alabama native currently ranks 47th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder. Bonnett hosted the TV show Winners for TNN from 1991 to 1994. He was a color commentator for CBS, TBS, and TNN in the years until his death. Bonnett's driving career was interrupted by a severe brain injury from a crash in 1990. He was killed while practicing for the 1994 Daytona 500 for a much-anticipated comeback.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Stewart</span> American racing driver and team owner

Anthony Wayne Stewart, nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, winning two as a driver, one as owner/driver (2011), and one as an owner (2015).

<i>Days of Thunder</i> 1990 film by Tony Scott

Days of Thunder is a 1990 American sports action drama film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances by real life NASCAR racers, such as Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett, and Harry Gant. Commentator Dr. Jerry Punch, of ESPN, has a cameo appearance, as does co-producer Don Simpson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">24 Hours of Daytona</span> Sports car endurance race held in Daytona, FL, US

The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layout, a 3.56-mile (5.73 km) combined road course that uses most of the tri-oval plus an infield road course. Held on the last weekend of January or first weekend of February as part of Speedweeks, it is the first major automobile race of the year in North America. The race is sanctioned by IMSA and is the first race of the season for the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelby Daytona</span> Motor vehicle

The Shelby Daytona Coupe is an American sports-coupé. It is related to the Shelby Cobra roadster, loosely based on its chassis and drive-train developed and built as an advanced evolution. It was engineered and purpose built for auto racing, specifically to take on Ferrari and its 250 GTO in the GT class. The original project had six Shelby Daytona Coupes built for racing purposes between 1964 and 1965, as Carroll Shelby was reassigned to the Ford GT40 project to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, again to beat Ferrari in the highest level prototype class. With the Shelby Daytona, Shelby became the first American constructor to win a title on the international scene in the FIA International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1965. The Shelby Daytona has recently been chosen for historic preservation as a significant vehicle in the history of auto racing.

Bruce Kessler is an American racing driver and film and television director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Miles</span> British racing driver (1918–1966)

Kenneth Henry Jarvis Miles was a British-American sports car racing engineer and driver best known for his motorsport career in the US and with American teams on the international scene. He is an inductee to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Daytona 500</span> First race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series

The 2006 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The 48th running of the event, it was held on February 19, 2006, in Daytona Beach, Florida, at Daytona International Speedway before a crowd of 200,000 spectators. Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson won the 203-lap race starting from the ninth position. Casey Mears of Chip Ganassi Racing finished second and Ryan Newman took third for Penske Racing South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coke Zero Sugar 400</span> Auto race held in Daytona, United States

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, 400-mile (640 km), and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series circuit, the other being the Daytona 500. From its inception through 2019, it was traditionally held on or around the United States' Independence Day. From 1988 until 2019, the race was scheduled for the first Saturday of July – that closest to July 4. In 1998, it became the first stock car race at Daytona to be held at night under-the-lights. In 2020, the race was moved to late August and currently serves as the final race of the Cup Series regular season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Daytona 500</span>

The 2009 Daytona 500, the 51st running of the event, was held on February 15, 2009, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida as the first points-paying race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and the last 500 of the 2000s decade. The race was won by Matt Kenseth, making a car numbered 17 winning the race for the first time in 20 years since Darrell Waltrip's win back in 1989 and the first Daytona 500 win for Roush Fenway Racing. The race was called off with 48 laps to go after a severe rainstorm that had been lingering throughout the area hit the track.

<i>Fireball 500</i> 1966 film by William Asher

Fireball 500 is a 1966 stock car racing film, blended with the beach party film genre. A vehicle for stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, and Fabian, it was one of a string of similar racing films from the 1960s. Written by William Asher and Leo Townsend, and directed by William Asher, it tells the story of Dave Owens (Avalon), a stock car racer forced to run moonshine.

This article documents historical records, statistics, and race recaps of the Daytona 500, held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Coke Zero 400</span> Motor car race

The 2016 Coke Zero 400 powered by Cola-Cola was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race that was held on July 2, 2016 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 161 laps - extended from 160 laps due to overtime, on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) superspeedway, it was the 17th race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Daytona 500</span> Auto race held in 2017

The 2017 Daytona 500, the 59th running of the event, was held on February 26, 2017, and was won by Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing after Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson ran out of fuel over the final laps of the race. This was Busch's first Daytona 500 win, and his first career win on a restrictor plate track. Ryan Blaney finished second, and A. J. Allmendinger finished third. This race was contested for 200 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) asphalt superspeedway. It was the first race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, and also marked the first race for Monster Energy as the new title sponsor for NASCAR's top series, replacing Sprint. Jeffrey Earnhardt made NASCAR history when he became the first ever fourth generation driver to compete in the Daytona 500.

The 2017 Advance Auto Parts Clash was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was to be held on February 18, 2017 but was postponed to the following day because of rain. Contested over 75 laps, it was the first exhibition race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Coke Zero 400</span> Auto race held at Daytona in 2017

The 2017 Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on July 1, 2017 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 163 laps extended from 160 laps due to overtime, on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) superspeedway, it was the 17th race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

References

  1. ↑ Anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Top Grossers of 1965", Variety, 5 January 1966 p 36
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Howard Hawks' Eagle Eye for Film Realism Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 24 Jan 1965: b4.
  3. ↑ p. 201 Weaver, Tom Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Flashbacks: Conversations with 24 Actors, Writers, Producers and Directors from the Golden Age McFarland, 1 Jan. 2004
  4. ↑ Harrison to Star in Musical 'Chips': 'The Train' Will Be Screened at New Art Museum Theater Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times27 Jan 1965: C8.
  5. ↑ Looldng at Hollywood: Howard Hawks Gives Youth a Break in Movie Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Tribune 2 Jan 1965: 1.
  6. ↑ Red Line 7000 at the American Film Institute Catalog
  7. ↑ 'Red Line' a Winner Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 26 Nov 1965: d20.
  8. ↑ Howard Hawks: No Hollywood Hoopla: HOWARD HAWKS Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 27 June 1967: d1.
  9. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (September 27, 2022). "The Stardom of James Caan". Filmink.
  10. ↑ 'Do I Get to Play the Drunk This Time?': an encounter with Howard Hawks McBride, Joseph; Wilmington, Michael. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 40, Iss. 2, (Spring 1971): 97.
  11. ↑ If Jimmy Caan had it to do over Clifford, Terry. Chicago Tribune 9 Mar 1975: g18.
  12. ↑ "QUENTIN TARANTINO: MY FAVOURITE RACING MOVIES" F1 Social Diary 21 August, 2013 Archived 2014-07-07 at archive.today accessed 5 July 2014
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.