The Devil's Hairpin (1957) User Reviews

Classic efforts by Wilde and the ever-lovely Jean Wallace

[FyouGitive · 6/10 · 2 December 2006]

That includes an extra point or two because I've met several of the auto racers who helped stage the 'competition" scenes, heard their stories about the production, and enjoyed tramping around almost all of what's left of the old Paramount Ranch racetrack. The track is still accessible as part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, inland from Malibu, north and west from Los Angeles.

Both the movie and the experiences with the racers and the track were enjoyable; the racers are stellar, the movie, not so much.

Wilde and Wallace were kind of a prototypical pair of capable actors, and in this outing the material doesn't inhibit their natural inclinations. The story gets told, the action moves right along, for the most part, and the ending follows the beginning and middle.

As a theatrical film, I'd probably not have gone to see it if I weren't a racing fan and it hadn't been 25 cents at the base theater.

why I liked the film

[97corvette · 7/10 · 6 July 2001]

This is a story of an ex-racing driver, played by Cornel Wilde, who is not a very likeable person. As the story develops and this driver must run a final race, I found myself cheering for him to win. The final racing scenes makeup for an otherwise uneventful movie. Cornel Wilde did a very good job in the lead role. I would purchase this movie if it were available.

Tedious and predictable

[Mulsanne · 5/10 · 18 July 2009]

I give this one a five out of ten. A) Because it has cool race cars, and B) Jean Wallace while over acting is definitely hot in that white dress. With Edith Head as costume designer, you could expect as much.

Oh, I desperately would love to give this one a glowing review. It took years and years and years to track down a copy to watch.

The fact of the matter is... this is a film for race car fans, and vintage sports car racing fans at this point. With that in mind.... there are a whooping 6 minutes of race action...all at the very end of the movie. Seventy-five minute race movie with 6 minutes of racing.

The race course is vintage grass roots early 50's California sports car racing, complete with checkered flag pylons at the turns. It gets 10 out of ten for that. The speeded up race action is pure vintage Hollywood and expected for the period.

The plot.... is as stereotypical as any race film possibly could be. Gruff racer guy, pleading girl friend tries to get him to quit.. or in this case stay retired (about the only real plot twist from the usual race movie scenario).

The preamble of this guy getting back behind the wheel goes on and on and on and on.... If you came for the race action you'll be going back for a second box of pop corn here. Jean Wallace is about the only thing keeping you from staying at the concession stand until it's mercifully over.

Of this vintage... Green Helmet probably remains the best of what I've been able to see so far. Some of these old B-movie race movies are all but extinct at this point. Some are terribly difficult to get a look at in any format, anywhere. There are a few left I've yet to see, but they're all in that rare air category.

Devil's Hairpin at this point is for the vintage race fan who has to see everything ever made no matter how bad it is. For those of us in that category... it could be worse, but it also could be a whole lot better.

"Johnny Dark" is like "Gone with the Wind" compared to "the Devil's Hairpin". "On the Beach" has about as much race action... set inside a real movie.

Solid entertainment

[Bob-724 · 8 July 2004]

The Devil's Hairpin was one of the more exciting racing movies from the 50's. It is also a compelling story of the conflict within the main character, played by Cornel Wilde.

Wilde (who also directed) plays retired race car champion Nick Jargin. Jargin owns a nightclub and lives on past glory, never missing an opportunity to boast that he could still beat anyone on the track. What his legion of fans doesn't know is that he is, in fact, afraid to race again. In his last race he caused an accident which severely injured his younger brother. He had a decision to make between backing off at "The Devil's Hairpin" which might have allowed his brother to win, or jeopardizing his brother's life by not letting him pass. He chose the latter, and although his brother doesn't blame him for the resulting accident, he has always blamed himself.

A local columnist finally goads him into racing again, and together with some cronies, he builds a race car. In the final race, he is faced with the same circumstance that caused his brother's accident.

Wilde knew a great deal about how to tell a story. There is personal conflict, romance (his wife Jean Wallace plays Jargin's girlfriend) and of course the inevitable showdown both on the track and with his own past. The story is told in flashback, beginning on the starting grid for this final, defining race.

It ain't "Grand Prix" as far as racing realism is concerned, but still solid entertainment. I have often wished this film were available on video or DVD. It is one of my favorites from the 50's.

Behind the Scenes - The Devil's Hairpin

[ACMorgan · 4/10 · 1 July 2010]

I was present when some of this film was shot on location at Paramount Ranch in 1956.

The sports cars used were rented from drivers currently racing in Southern California. Nick's car was Chuck Porter's 300SLS - a special built on a Mercedes 300SL chassis. The appearance of the car was modified a bit for the movie, however.

My dad's AC Bristol, the black and turquoise car, #59 was driven in the movie shots by his driver, Bob Oker who raced the car very successfully.

I saw the movie when it premiered in Los Angeles. I'm afraid we did not think it was a very accurate portrayal of the racing scene, nor a very good movie. It's interesting to see the other reviewers opinions. I'm glad they like it. I have seen the movie available on DVD (a poor color-faded copy, with scratches - probably taped from a TV presentation - a bootleg version).

I like the movie for the racing scenes, memories.

Showcases long-gone Paramount Racetrack!

[gwaldock · 7/10 · 28 April 2019]

I always liked Cornel Wilde (my favorite of his movies is "Naked Prey") and his wife was truly a talented, gorgeous woman. However, the real star of "Devil's Hairpin" is Paramount Racetrack. As deadly as it was beautiful, the historic track was closed after only seven races because of several deaths. Although much of the Paramount Ranch property has been cared for and made useful for movies and TV, the track was neglected and has been allowed to go to seed. This is the only movie to feature (in color!) nearly contiguous laps around Paramount Racetrack. I am waiting for the day when a restored version of this VERY hard to find film is available.

The bird steals the film.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 9 March 2022]

And that's over the academy award-winning Mary Astor, playing one of her typical domineering mothers, resentful to son Cornel Wilde for getting her favorite son Larry Pennell involved in the racing industry which has caused him great injury. Now he's obsessed with winning the great race, and Mama Astor is even more resentful towards Wilde. When he visits her with girlfriend Jean Wallace, Astor makes her distaste for him known, and like Livia in "I Claudius", it's obvious that she only loves one of her children. Wallace and Wilde were married in real life, and while she looks like a typical film Noir vixen, her voice is closer to Marie Wilson. When Wallace visits Astor later on her own, the possible daughter-in-law to be gets more than she bargained for in the advice that Astrid gives her. At least she likes her though, even though she did criticize her for the wardrobe that she wore at their first meeting.

The handsome Wilde has a very chatty parrot who is very much like the Greek chorus of this B film about race drivers and the challenges they face. It's filmed in a very cheap looking color, and at first I thought it was one of the Pine-Thomas films at Paramount released in the 1940's. But it was produced and directed by Wilde himself, and there is a credit in the opening for the musical background which is basically racing car noises. So I guess you could say that Wilde was wild about Wilde, hiring himself to direct and star, as well as his wife. It's a passable B movie where the big racing scene doesn't come on until the end, and much of the rest is domestic drama and conflict behind the scenes of getting to the great race. But when a film about racing ends up being stolen by a cackling bird, you know something's wrong.

Adequate drama

[searchanddestroy-1 · 26 February 2023]

Nothing special to think or rememeber from ths Cornel Wilde's film, not his best, not the most inspired, nothing to do with THE NAKED PREY, NO BLADE OF GRASS, BEACH RED, or even LANCELOT AND GUENIEVRE. Those latests are over the top in terms of stories. This car race topic could remind George Sherman's JOHNNY DARK, starring Tony Curtis - who looked like Cornel Wilde, from my own point of view. You have good character depiction and tension. Cornel Wilde has a good lead character, not always at his best, and that's the most surprising. It's also an interesting analysis about winning, the importance for one to be the best, at any cost.... Good story but a bit run of the mill however.