Corky (film)

Last updated
Corky
Corky 1972 movie poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Leonard Horn
Written byEugene Price
Produced by Bruce Geller
Starring Robert Blake
Charlotte Rampling
Patrick O'Neal
Cale Yarborough
Bobby Allison
Donnie Allison
Buddy Baker
Richard Petty
Cinematography David M. Walsh
Edited byHugh S. Fowler
Albert P. Wilson
Music byJohn Carl Parker (as John Parker)
Jerry Styner
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
March 15, 1972 (1972-03-15TUSA) [1]
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Corky is a 1972 American drama film starring Robert Blake and directed by Leonard Horn. [2]

Contents

Plot

Corky Curtiss is a Texas race-car mechanic obsessed with the sport. He is permitted to drive in local races on weekends, but boss Randy Dover replaces him with another driver because of his costly reckless ways.

With little money to support wife Peggy Jo and two kids, Corky needs his job but can't control his resentment. He enters a race on a figure-eight track and deliberately causes a crash that sends replacement driver Steve to the hospital. A furious Randy fires Corky from his mechanic's job.

Corky abandons his wife and heads for Georgia in his pink Plymouth Barracuda with a friend, Billy. He enters and wins a small race along the way, but drinks and gambles away the prize money at a roadhouse.

A sympathetic Randy realizes that Peggy Jo has been left with no money and prospects, so he gives her Corky's back wages plus a job. She also finds a second job and takes classes trying to earn a high-school diploma.

By the time Corky reaches Atlanta, he is almost dead broke and is not given a chance to drive at the speedway. Selling his tires, Corky picks a fight with a junkyard owner who sics attack dogs on him. He also insults passersby who offer assistance to his disabled vehicle. Billy objects to his behavior, then leaves with the strangers when Corky punches him.

Back home in Texas, penniless and despondent, Corky realizes that his wife has begun working for Randy and accuses her of having an affair. He goes to the garage with a gun and shoots a couple of Randy's mechanics. Trying to flee from police, the pink car bursts into flames with Corky inside. His last thoughts are fantasies of being a famous race driver.

Cast

Production

Producer Bruce Geller was so upset at post-production changes made to the film by MGM management that he asked for his name to be taken off the film. This was refused. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Allison</span> American racing driver (born 1937)

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">Wayne Newton</span> American singer and entertainer (born 1942)

Carson Wayne Newton is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the United States from the mid-to-late 20th century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas and has performed there since 1963. He is known by the nicknames "The Midnight Idol", "Mr. Las Vegas" and "Mr. Entertainment".

<i>Rat Race</i> (film) 2001 film by Jerry Zucker

Rat Race is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Jerry Zucker. Inspired by Stanley Kramer's 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the film features an ensemble cast consisting of Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., Wayne Knight, Jon Lovitz, Kathy Najimy, Lanei Chapman, Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart, Seth Green, Vince Vieluf, John Cleese and Dave Thomas.

<i>Magic</i> (1978 film) 1978 American psychological horror film by Richard Attenborough

Magic is a 1978 American psychological horror drama film directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret and Burgess Meredith. The screenplay is by William Goldman, who adapted his novel of the same title. The score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.

<i>Bandits</i> (2001 film) 2001 film directed by Barry Levinson

Bandits is a 2001 American crime comedy-drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Harley Peyton. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. The film was released in theaters on October 12, 2001. It received mixed reviews, and Thornton and Blanchett's performances received critical praise. Thornton and Blanchett were nominated for Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, and Blanchett was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<i>Trail of the Pink Panther</i> 1982 comedy film by Blake Edwards

Trail of the Pink Panther is a 1982 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Peter Sellers. It is the seventh film in The Pink Panther series, the first film in the series following Sellers's death and also the last in which he appeared as Inspector Clouseau. Sellers died 18 months before production began; his performance consists entirely of scenes from previous films. The newly shot material in the film stars Joanna Lumley as journalist Marie Jouvet searching for the missing Clouseau – and running afoul of the inspector's enemies who do not wish to see him return.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Tedesco</span> American guitarist and studio musician (1930–1997)

Thomas Joseph Tedesco was an American guitarist and studio musician in Los Angeles and Hollywood. He was part of the loose collective of the area's leading session musicians later popularly known as The Wrecking Crew, who played on thousands of studio recordings in the 1960s and 1970s, including several hundred Top 40 hits.

<i>Vegas Vacation</i> 1997 family comedy film by Stephen Kessler

Vegas Vacation is a 1997 American comedy film directed by Stephen Kessler in his feature directorial debut. It is the fourth installment in National Lampoon’s Vacation film series, and was written by Elisa Bell, based on a story by Bell and Bob Ducsay. The film stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Wayne Newton, Ethan Embry, and Wallace Shawn. It tells the story of Clark Griswold taking his family to Las Vegas to renew his vows to Ellen as the series' usual hilarity occurs. The film opened at #4 at the box office and grossed over $36.4 million domestically. Vegas Vacation is the first theatrical Vacation film not to carry the National Lampoon label or a screenwriting credit from John Hughes. Also, this is the only National Lampoon film to be released in the 1990s and the final film released before National Lampoon magazine folded. this was also the last Vacation movie to be released until New Line Cinema, a production company of Warner Bros, produced a reboot that was released 18 years later in 2015.

<i>Night on Earth</i> 1991 film by Jim Jarmusch

Night on Earth is a 1991 American comedy-drama anthology film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It is a collection of five vignettes, taking place during the same night, concerning the temporary bond formed between taxi driver and passenger in five cities: Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki. The action in the vignettes takes place at the same time, moving from Los Angeles in the United States to Helsinki, Finland. The scene in each city appears to occur later and later in the night due to the changing time zones. Jarmusch wrote the screenplay in about eight days, and the choice of certain cities was largely based on the actors with whom he wanted to work. The soundtrack of the same name is by Tom Waits. The Criterion Collection released the film on DVD and Blu-ray on April 9, 2019.

<i>Fast Company</i> (1979 film) 1979 Canadian film

Fast Company is a 1979 Canadian action film directed by David Cronenberg and starring William Smith, John Saxon, Claudia Jennings and Nicholas Campbell. It was written by Phil Savath, Courtney Smith, Alan Treen and Cronenberg. It was primarily filmed at Edmonton International Speedway, in addition to other locations in Edmonton, Alberta, and Western Canada.

<i>Black Dog</i> (film) 1998 American film

Black Dog is a 1998 American action thriller film directed by Kevin Hooks and starring Patrick Swayze. The film tells the story of a trucker and ex-con who is manipulated into transporting illegal arms. The film co-stars popular American singers Randy Travis and Meat Loaf.

<i>No Mans Land</i> (1987 film) 1987 crime film directed by Peter Werner

No Man's Land is a 1987 American crime drama film directed by Peter Werner, written by Dick Wolf, and starring Charlie Sheen, D. B. Sweeney, and Randy Quaid. The plot follows a rookie cop who goes undercover and infiltrates a car theft ring. The film was released on October 23, 1987 and received mixed reviews from critics.

Bud Moore Engineering, later Fenley-Moore Racing, was a championship-winning NASCAR team. It was owned and operated by mechanic Bud Moore and ran out of Spartanburg, South Carolina. While the team was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s, the final years were tumultuous due to lack of sponsorship and uncompetitive race cars.

<i>Greased Lightning</i> (1977 film) 1977 US biographical film by Michael Schultz

Greased Lightning is a 1977 American biographical film starring Richard Pryor, Beau Bridges, and Pam Grier, and directed by Michael Schultz. The film is based loosely on the true life story of Wendell Scott, the first Black NASCAR race winner and later a 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee.

<i>Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves</i> 1997 film by Dean Cundey

Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves is a 1997 American science fiction comedy film, and the third installment in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids film series. The film marks the directorial debut of cinematographer Dean Cundey, who previously served as director of photographer for a 4D ride known as Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! which debuted in 1994.

<i>The Big Wheel</i> (film) 1949 film by Edward Ludwig

The Big Wheel is a 1949 American drama sport film directed by Edward Ludwig starring Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Mary Hatcher and Michael O'Shea. It includes the final screen appearance of Hattie McDaniel.

<i>Flying Tigers</i> (film) 1942 black-and-white war film directed by David Miller

Flying Tigers is a 1942 American black-and-white war film drama from Republic Pictures that was produced by Edmund Grainger, directed by David Miller, and stars John Wayne, John Carroll, and Anna Lee.

<i>Mean Girls 2</i> 2011 American teen comedy television film

Mean Girls 2 is a 2011 American teen comedy directed by Melanie Mayron and written by Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser, and Allison Schroeder. It is a standalone sequel to the 2004 film Mean Girls.

The Great Mike is a 1944 American film directed by Wallace Fox.

<i>Not So Long Ago</i> 1925 film

Not So Long Ago is a 1925 American silent drama film produced by Jesse Lasky and Adolph Zukor and distributed by Paramount. It was directed by Sidney Olcott with Betty Bronson and Ricardo Cortez in the leading roles.

References

  1. "Corky (1972)". TCM.com. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  2. Sandra Brennan. "Corky". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  3. Warga, Wayne (Dec 26, 1971). "What's Going On in the Lion's Den at MGM?: What's Going On". Los Angeles Times. p. q1.