Two race car drivers get caught up in a moonshine operation while competing for titles and women.Two race car drivers get caught up in a moonshine operation while competing for titles and women.Two race car drivers get caught up in a moonshine operation while competing for titles and women.
Douglas Henderson
- Jack Hastings
- (as Doug Henderson)
Maria McBane
- Leander Fan
- (as Marie McBane)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe "Fireball 500" is a heavily customized 1966 Plymouth Barracuda, with a 273 V-8 engine.
- GoofsAt the end of the Daytona race, both drivers swerve around crashed 1950s cars. But the main race shots were filmed in the mid-1960s with no older cars in any footage. Then Leander Fox's car, which was a mid-1960s blue and white Plymouth, becomes an early 1960s car in monotone blue as he crashes over the guardrail.
- Quotes
Jane Harris: Is Dave in trouble?
Sonny Leander Fox: Yeah, I think so.
Jane Harris: This may sound like a foolish feminine question but why don't you help him?
Sonny Leander Fox: I can't. He's doing it to himself.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Love Bug (1969)
- SoundtracksFireball 500
Words and music by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner
Performed by Frankie Avalon (uncredited)
[Dave sings the song over the opening credits; reprise at the end of the end credits]
Featured review
A Different Type of Frankie
Fireball 500 (1966)
** (out of 4)
Dave Owens (Frankie Avalon) is a stock car racer who soon finds himself working for the law who are wanting to know about some country folks running bootleg alcohol. Soon he is also butting heads with another driver (Fabian) over his girlfriend (Annette Funicello).
With the previous year's HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI ending the Beach Party series, AIP needed to put their two leads in a new film so they decided to mix things up. This here is basically a watered down version of something you'd expect to see from Elvis and THUNDER ROAD, the Robert Mitchum film. FIREBALL 500 isn't a complete success but it's certainly more interesting than the last couple Beach Party movies.
The big change here is the fact that this isn't just bubble gum kids stuff. No, FIREBALL 500 has tried to make things a tad bit darker and this includes more drama with the Avalon character who certainly has a great number of flaws. There's also a few darker elements that pop up throughout the film but at the same time there's no doubt that AIP didn't want to get too far away from the "characters" or type of characters that fans had come to expect of the teen idols.
Avalon and Funicello aren't wonderful here but I thought both of them did enough to help keep the film entertaining. Avalon has several songs throughout the film, which really takes away from the "drama" but the songs aren't too bad. Funicello also has one song, although it's not all that memorable. Fabian probably gives the best performance in the cast but Chill Wills easily steals the picture.
FIREBALL 500 isn't a masterpiece or even a good movie but fans of Avalon and Funicello should find it to be light entertainment.
** (out of 4)
Dave Owens (Frankie Avalon) is a stock car racer who soon finds himself working for the law who are wanting to know about some country folks running bootleg alcohol. Soon he is also butting heads with another driver (Fabian) over his girlfriend (Annette Funicello).
With the previous year's HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI ending the Beach Party series, AIP needed to put their two leads in a new film so they decided to mix things up. This here is basically a watered down version of something you'd expect to see from Elvis and THUNDER ROAD, the Robert Mitchum film. FIREBALL 500 isn't a complete success but it's certainly more interesting than the last couple Beach Party movies.
The big change here is the fact that this isn't just bubble gum kids stuff. No, FIREBALL 500 has tried to make things a tad bit darker and this includes more drama with the Avalon character who certainly has a great number of flaws. There's also a few darker elements that pop up throughout the film but at the same time there's no doubt that AIP didn't want to get too far away from the "characters" or type of characters that fans had come to expect of the teen idols.
Avalon and Funicello aren't wonderful here but I thought both of them did enough to help keep the film entertaining. Avalon has several songs throughout the film, which really takes away from the "drama" but the songs aren't too bad. Funicello also has one song, although it's not all that memorable. Fabian probably gives the best performance in the cast but Chill Wills easily steals the picture.
FIREBALL 500 isn't a masterpiece or even a good movie but fans of Avalon and Funicello should find it to be light entertainment.
helpful•21
- Michael_Elliott
- May 31, 2016
- How long is Fireball 500?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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