Pit Stop (1969) User Reviews

Flesh against steel!

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 30 September 2015]

Richard Davalos of "East of Eden" fame plays Rick Bowman, a punkish man who wrecks his car in a drag race. He's bailed out of jail by cunning businessman & race promoter Grant Willard (Brian Donlevy, in his final feature film), and groomed for a career as a driver in a series of hairy and violent figure eight races. Among Ricks' competitors is the flamboyant Hawk Sidney (Sid Haig), who's not used to losing and doesn't take it well.

Clearly "Pit Stop" has become something of an underdog on the resume of low budget filmmaking legend Jack Hill. Admittedly, it's got a pretty thin, and formulaic, story. At least one plot development was patently predictable. Also, as played as a rather inexpressive Davalos, Bowman remains something of a cipher. The show really belongs to the colourful supporting players. Jack Hill regular Haig, in particular, appears to have the time of his life as the cocky veteran. Beverly Washburn of Hills' "Spider Baby" is cute as the racing junkie who ends up in Ricks' bed. Donlevy does a decent job as the man who really only cares about results. Several real life racing figures play themselves; George Washburn (Beverlys' brother), himself a stunt driver and racer, is effective as old pro Ed McLeod. Finally, "Pit Stop" features a lovely Ellen Burstyn (billed here as Ellen McRae), doing a very nice job as McLeods' wife Ellen.

"Pit Stop" benefits from believably intense action scenes and use of actual racing tracks. It's a thickly atmospheric, convincing, and ultimately very fun movie with a groovy blues soundtrack.

You sure come to dislike Rick by the end of the story, though.

Seven out of 10.

50s iron bent every which way .....

[merklekranz · 7/10 · 9 June 2017]

Pure and simple, "Pit Stop" is a car crash movie that happens to have a story attached to it. The figure eight track will quickly remind you of the dirt in your face racing that used to be. Richard Davalos plays sort of an anti-hero, taking advantage of situations that could work in his favor at the expense of others. Brian Donlevy really doesn't fit here, and acts as though he would rather be somewhere else. Meanwhile, Sid Haig steals the movie, and is definitely the most interesting character. Do not come into this with expectations beyond drive in fodder, and you will be pleasantly surprised. It moves along at a nice pace, and the race scenes are well done. If you enjoy car carnage , this is definitely one to seek out. - MERK

Faster and Far More Furious!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 2 March 2008]

"Pit Stop" feels like an amalgamation between modern day racing flicks "The Fast and the Furious" and "Days of Thunder", only this Jack Hill film is way, way … WAY cooler, of course. Perhaps the aforementioned movies benefice from higher budgets, greater names in the cast and far more impressive (to teenage audiences, at least) car turning gimmicks, but both the characters and the actual racing footage in "Pit Stop" are genuinely more plausible and convincing. Regular race tracks are for pansies now, by the way, as Jack Hill introduces the Figure Eight Race Track! As its name implies, the track is shaped like an eight with a dangerous intersection in the middle and, the more the race gradually evolves, the harder it becomes for the drivers to avoid accidents. The plot centers on big shot Grant Willard (no less than Prof. Quatermass himself – Brian Donlevy – in his last film role) who sponsors young & reckless drivers and deliberately forces up the competition and hostility between them. Willard picks up the handsome and talented Rick from a vile street race and challenges him to defeat the reigning champion and ill-tempered Hawk. The competition between the two racers mutually and between them and the ultimate racing champ Ed McLeod becomes increasingly unbearable and even continues outside the racing tracks, as the men also share a romantic interest in the same women. "Pit Stop" is possibly Jack Hill's most ambitious and intellectual accomplishment as a director to date! Surely his more famous films like "Coffy", "Switchblade Sisters" and "The Big Doll House" are more sensational and easier to categorize as exploitation, but this film is stylish, involving and very realistic. The Figure Eight track was for real and most of the races exist of authentic footage and actual crashes interlarded with obviously fake images of Sid Haig and Richard Davalos pulling crazy faces and grotesquely turning a steering wheel. The character drawings are extremely legit as well, since the racers are depicted as obsessive and one-track-minded daredevils and their women as caring and supportive groupies that pray every race will have a happy ending. The performances are amazing, with a very young Ellen Burstyn in one of her first film roles after a lot of TV-work and Sid Haig portraying yet another delightfully freakish character. The film does run a little long and some of the padding buggy-racing footage in the desert, albeit spectacular, could have easily been cut a little. Jack Hill was also responsible for his own great editing and Austin McKinney's black and white cinematography is terrific. Highly recommended in case you're looking for a REAL cinematic highlight, rather than to watch Vin Diesel's big shiny bald head in a hideous car or Tom Cruise pretending to know anything about NASCAR driving.

The most underrated Jack Hill movie! Tough and super cool.

[Infofreak · 21 November 2002]

'The Winner' (aka 'Pit Stop') was made in the period between Jack Hill's wonderful horror cult classic 'Spider Baby' and his early 70s Pam Grier-led renaissance ('The Big Bird Cage', 'Coffy', Foxy Brown',etc.). While this movie very rarely gets mentioned it is one of Hill's very best, and is a tough and super cool car racing drama, much better than one would expect. Richard Davalos (best known for playing James Dean's brother in 'East Of Eden') plays Rick Bowman, a drag racing street punk who comes to the attention of car enthusiast Grant Willard (the final role for Brian Donlevy, fondly remembered as Professor Quatermass ). Willard bails him out of jail and offers him sponsorship as a race car driver. Bowman eventually accepts and becomes entranced by the tricky "figure eight" track Willard introduces him to. The king of the track is cocky and talented hot dogger Hawk Sidney (Hill regular Sid Haig in one of his most memorable and entertaining roles). Bowman and Sidney clash and Bowman sets his sights on knocking the latter of his perch while stealing his girl Jolene (Beverly Washburn who played Haig's demented sister in 'Spider Baby'). This is just the beginning for the ruthless Bowman who will let nobody stand in his way and will attempt to destroy any man, and seduce any woman who crosses his path. Pretty soon he has his eyes on Ellen McLeod ('The Exorcist's Ellen Burstyn ) the wife of champion racer Ed McLeod who he befriends. Will he betray his friends and colleagues on the eve of The Big Race, or will he finally discover he has a conscience? This is a taut and terrific drama with strong performances and exciting racing sequences that deserves to be better known. Highly recommended.

One of Jack Hill's lesser-known but best works

[tomgillespie2002 · 7/10 · 7 May 2015]

Following work on a couple of Francis Ford Coppola films, directing a couple of cheapie's for Roger Corman, and the delayed but supremely stylish Spider Baby (made in 1964 but unreleased until 1968), man-of-many-talents Jack Hill turned his attention to figure eight racing for Pit Stop, aka The Winner. The subject repulsed the director, but Corman insisted and, during his research, Hill became fascinated by the attitudes of the death-wish men behind the wheels. So, although the topic is pure exploitation, Pit Stop is character- driven, following the exploits of the stoic Rick Bowman (a brooding Richard Davalos) and his increasing obsession with the thrill of the win and the dance with death in every race. As racing promoter Grant Willard (Brian Donlevy) says, a suicide is born every minute.

Shot in grainy black-and-white, Hill employs European, guerilla- esque tactics to film the movie as effectively as possible, squeezing as much out of its obvious budget limitations as possible. It helps achieve a neo-noir atmosphere, heightening the gloom yet amping up the style. Modern racing films tend to be sleek and shiny, but Pit Stop is pure grit. The racing scenes, which consist mostly of footage of real figure eight racing, are insanely entertaining, with every crash, flip and slide unhindered by editing, special effects or stunt work. It puts movies like The Fast and The Furious (2001) to shame, as although said franchise is entertaining in its own right, as a movie depicting the sheer thrill of the race, Pit Stop puts it to shame.

The performances are effective too. Davalos proves to be a charismatic "I play by my own rules"-type, hesitant at first, but eventually unable to resist the lure of the competition. Donlevy, Hammer's Quatermass, delivers reliable support, but the screen is inevitably chewed up and spat out by Hill regular Sid Haig as outlandish racing champion Hawk, putting his usual obnoxious redneck shtick to effective use. This being a Corman production, it often resigns itself to underdog genre tropes, but Hill's direction and screenplay means that there is always something more existential and cynical lurking beneath the surface. It may be one of Hill's lesser known works when compared to his exploitation classics Coffy (1973), Foxy Brown (1974) and Switchblade Sisters (1975), but it is certainly one of his best.

love the car action

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 31 July 2021]

Street racer Rick Bowman (Richard Davalos) wins when the other car crashes into a house. The other car is owned by Grant Willard (Brian Donlevy) and he has a proposition. After bailing Rick out of jail, Grant recruits him for a figure 8 race track. Grant's other driver is the arrogant champ Hawk Sidney (Sid Haig). Rick has romantic entanglement with Hawk's girlfriend Jolene. Later, he sets his sight on racing chap Ed McCleod whose wife Ellen McCleod (Ellen Burstyn) is his top mechanic.

I can watch the car crashes all day. Those racing clips are pure fun. There are some great real action mixed in with the standard rear projection. The lead Richard Davalos is not the most energetic. He does have the leading man looks or else the much more powerful Sid Haig is the more compelling. Anyways, Sid is perfect as the strutting baddie. It's Donlevy's last film and features a thirtysomething Ellen Burstyn who is still working under the name Ellen McRae. As much as I like me some Ellen Burstyn, I don't see the McCleods as necessary. Rick already has a love triangle. His rivalry with Hawk is already set up. Adding more characters in the middle seems to be beside the point. The fact that Ed is so bland isn't doing much. The story is fine. The acting is fine. There are a couple of familiar faces which is intriguing. The best part of this movie is the car action or more precisely the car crashes.

FASCINATING PORTRAIT OF AMERICA

[buncos22422 · 9/10 · 31 December 2019]

It might seem odd to give this modest movie such a high score, but it is so well crafted and now in retrospect so fascinating, it is far more entertaining than much bigger and "important" movies made today.

First off, there is the insane-but-real setting of figure 8 racing, where racers speed across each others' paths at the track intersection. Just seeing such a crazy real-life sport enacted is worth watching PIT STOP!

Next, we have a layered story, with contrasting character arcs for "hero" Rick and heel Hawk (a career-best performance by the late, great Sid Haig).

The performances are great, with Brian Donlevy lending the same amoral tough-guy gravitas he brought to the Quatermas movies, and an early appearance by Ellen Burstyn.

And Kustom Kulture fans will also appreciate the on-location views of George Barris' car shop (the creator of the 1966 Batmobile, Munsters Coach, Monkeymobile, and many other showcars).

A real gem from the time when the American Grindhouse was taking cues from Euro Art House.

Decent Grindhouse Flick

[boblipton · 6/10 · 15 February 2021]

Automotive shop owner Brian Donleavy (in his last screen role) likes the way Richard Davalos drag races, so he offers to back him as a 'figure 8' racer. Davalos accepts, but will his need to win wind up killing him, or destroying him as a human being?

I'm not particularly fond of movies about racing; they usually concern guys sitting in a small set, twisting a steering wheel slightly while images of a track are back-projected behind them. There's that here, but there are also signs of an actual script. real conflict, decent actors -- including Ellen Burstyn in her third movie, and the always amusing Sid Haig -- and the footage of cars in action is pretty good. So is the score. In no way is this a great movie, but for a 1960s grindhouse second feature, it gets the job done.

A Beautiful Throbbing Piece of Americana

[z0mb0y · 10/10 · 13 July 2000]

There's a genuinely unhinged quality to the stock car drivers depicted in this movie. Their lives are empty except for the thrill of racing, which amounts to a death wish. The black and white cinematography is excellent, with a very moody documentary/chariscuro feel. The principals are all very good, especially Sid Haig as a particularly unhinged driver. Beverly Washburn (also from the incredible SPIDER BABY) plays the protagonist's teenage girlfriend. For me, this movie shows a more complete mastery of the cinematic form then Coppola or Bogdonovich or any of those guys had when they were with Corman. And of course, the car wrecks filmed at real race tracks don't hurt either.

Winning at All Costs

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 5 October 2022]

This film takes place in California with a man by the name of "Grant Willard" (Brian Donlevy) having parked his car on the side of the road to watch an illegal drag race about to take place between two brash men. His interest is subsequently rewarded when he watches one of these young men careen off the road into a nearby building which allows the more aggressive driver named "Rick Bowman" (Richard Davalos) to win the race. Unfortunately for Rick, however, the police arrive much too quickly and after a brief chase manage to arrest him and haul him off to jail. This fortuitous turn of events allows Grant the opportunity to talk to him and, after posting his bail, gets him to agree to take part as a driver in a Figure 8 stock car competition. A venture, it should be noted, that Grant has invested quite a bit of money for his own personal agenda. Yet even though this isn't the type of racing Rick prefers, his aggressive nature soon casts him in the spotlight and this newfound fame puts him in a head-on collision of sorts with the top driver at this race named "Hawk Sidney" (Sid Haag)--with even better drivers looming on the horizon for both of them. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I knew something was a bit off with this film when I noticed that it was dated in 1969 but filmed in black-and-white. And the longer the movie ran, the more convinced I became that this picture was filmed at a slightly earlier time. I can't explain it, but something just didn't seem right. Sure enough, after some brief research, I discovered that the movie was actually filmed in 1967 and subsequently released two years later. Be that as it may, for a low-budget movie of this type, I found it to be enjoyable for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

So this is a cult film?

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 6 August 2019]

Pit Stop was truly a film made on the cheap. Not even color was used and that's pretty rare for 1969. Made it look like it was one of those cheap dragstrip films from the 50s. In fact this starts as a race for the pinks.

Brian Donlevy in what was his last film is big into all kinds of auto racing and he's at an unofficial drag race always on the lookout for talent. He finds it in Dick Davalos though he has to bail him out of jail.

Introducing him to the stock car racing scene Donlevy has Davalos meeting all kinds of folks. Including Sid Haig. This guy is one psycho and granted there are few rules at the lower level. But I would think this guy would be barred from every auto track in the nation from Watkins Glen to Daytona to the Indianapolis Raceway.

Looking at some of the racing films that came out at the time this one did Pit Stop doesn't come close to items like Winning, Grand Prix, or Steve McQueen's Le Mans.

Definitely second rate, lots seem to like it though.

This movie is awesom. It really is!

[brianehill · 8/10 · 2 May 2020]

There's a class of movies that are low budget that reflect an era of Americana and certain people that get it right. A specific view. A look back at a time, place or people. I'm from a group that looks back at my heritage and those from my family and friends. West coast hot rodders. This flic has that vibe. If you're into vintage American gas. This is a great flix.

Exciting

[ricardojorgeramalho · 7/10 · 6 January 2023]

What is interesting about B films is their ability to demonstrate qualities, despite the scarcity of means. Unlike a big budget, where all the means for success are granted, which is not always enough to avoid flops, in a B series the means are frankly reduced, although positive results are still expected, due to the reduction of costs. So B movies are mostly cheap films that try to hit the majority taste of the public.

All this to conclude that Pit Stop is certainly not an auteur film, nor a masterpiece of cinema, but it is one of the most exciting films I have seen about car racing.

A low budget with a simple and predictable plot, a lot of editing work to cut filming costs, second-rate actors (despite the presence of an unexpected Ellen Burstyn in a secondary role, which gives the film a touch of class), but action in spurts, fantastic and exciting races, with accidents in bulk, taken from a time when motor racing was still synonymous with a game of life and death.

OMG. How can anyone think this...

[IdaSlapter · 2/10 · 7 February 2021]

...movie is worth anymore than 2 or 3 stars? It's nothing more than watching a bunch of grown men driving around in circles, smashing into each other's old jalopies like they're little boys playing bumper cars.

And what a huge step down for both Brian Donlevy and the underrated Richard Davalos. From "East of Eden" to this steaming pile of poo. This looks like it cost about $50 to make. I mean, in who's garage did they set up the tacky rear-screen projectors for the cheap close-ups during the driving scenes?

SO TACKY. SO CHEAP. And such a waste of film, talent, and time.

Amazing masterpiece

[manuel-pestalozzi · 10 April 2003]

Recently I watched for the first time Peter Bogdanovich's highly acclaimed "The Last Picture Show". And while watching it, this movie, made only a few years earlier by Jack Hill, came to my mind immediately. Ever since I wonder why I find The Winner so much superior.

The Winner has a similar setting and a story with similar protagonists like Picture Show. Both have Ellen Burstyn. Somehow The Winner is very direct. I suppose that whereas Picture Show was intellectual to the point of resembling a theses on film theory, The Winner shows the artisan's approach. It goes to your heart, not to your brain. I could not explain how it is done technically, but it is very effective.

Although apparently a "cheapie", The Winner is made by good professionals. The story is simple but coherent, straightforward and always entertaining. The acting performances are convincing throughout; there is screen veteran Brian Donlevy, the most peculiar of all "naturals" and definitively one of my all time Hollywood favorites, playing the type of the greedy sports manager. "Cheapie"-star Sid Haig plays a bad boy with appropriate cartoonish zeal, the same can be said of the performance of "the chick", played by Beverly Washburn. The main character, a young racing enthusiast, is presented like a junk yard gladiator: taciturn, brooding and determined - "existentialistic". It all fits. Ellen Burstyn's low-key performance as a racer's wife is extremely touching - her part again compares favorably with the Oscar winning one in Picture Show.

The black and white fotography is excellent, there is a long, almost dreamlike sequence of dragster cars making artful figures in the sand dunes. The soundtrack is fantastic and a good early example of heavy rock music. This is an artful portrait of American provincial youth just before the hippy movement started.

Sid Haig has hair!

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 11 December 2020]

!There's no pit stop in this movie, which is based on figure 8 racing, which features a track that purposely intersects itself, increasing the risk of collisions. That inspired Jack Hill, who originally wanted to call this The Winner.

Rick is an amateur drag racer who is in a racing feud with Hawk Sidney (an impossibly young Sid Haig, who didn't know how to drive a car!) over a sponsorship from Grant Willard. They're also battling over the affections of the gorgeous Jolene (Beverly Washburn, who was Elizabeth in Spider Baby), but finally come to an understanding, even after Hawk destroys Rick's car.

Rick's next feud is with the champion, Ed McCleod, and his real conquest is that man's neglected wife Ellen (Ellen Burstyn!). As they have a climactic race, there's a big crash and old Ed walks away instead of being put on a stretcher. This manly act has broken his neck and cost him his life, but as Rick attempts to take his place in the spotlight, he loses the respect of everyone, ending the film as its villain instead of the hero.

Man, you can't go wrong with Jack Hill. Whether you pick this movie, the aforementioned Spider Baby or grab Coffy, Switchblade Sisters, Foxy Brown or even Sorceress, you're going to get something way better than you expect, which to me is the hallmark of a great talent.

Best Car Racing/Race Car/Hot Rod Movie Ever

[TheFearmakers · 10/10 · 28 January 2019]

PIT STOP is actually THE WINNER since not only is that the exact title on the screen during the opening credits, but there's only one pit stop: where villain turned strategic wild card Sid Haig stops for half a second during the last race...

Which isn't your usual climax since the movie continuously peaks throughout. Backed by tough instrumental rock... the fat, crunchy guitar sounding more 1950's than 1967... this low-budget curio's directed by b-movie icon Jack Hill, before his signature women-in-prison and/or urban blaxploitation flicks...

Filmed around Los Angeles in sparse, bleak B&W from city streets to a steely-dusk junkyard to the noisy tracks, where the style of racing is mostly Figure 8, which is practically suicide even for the most intrepid hot dogs: In each smash em' up bout, always ending in a loud, boisterous, go-go barroom, Hill clearly lets you know what driver's behind the wheel, and when...

Either Sid Haig's rowdy, cocky Hawk Sidney or main character Dick Davalos as Rick Bowman, both working for Grant Willard, played by veteran actor Brian Donlevy, who's cooler and colder than the drivers he subtly pits against each other. And there's always a reason for the racing around, established within lean exposition that stretches PIT STOP beyond that era's hot rod exploitation fare: but it's all that, too...

And there's even some horror/thriller elements: Like when Haig turns borderline psychotic, taking an ax to Davalos's car simply for beating him the night before. He's also jealous about losing his girl, played by the Jack Hill directed SPIDER BABY co-star Beverly Washburn: With raven black bobbed hair and a flirtatious smile, she wields a loose yet still constrained b-girl sensuality combined with small town pathos and humble desperation.

By far, the coolest sequence takes place in the desert, filled with a reverberated, concert-like, beer-guzzling celebration of eclectic, experimental dune buggies where the edgy rock guitar grooves into a jazzy and melodic, psychedelic spontaneity as Davalos tests an engine for a pivotal race with the straitlaced husband of who eventually becomes his leading ingenue, and would, a year later, change her last name from Ellen McRae to Ellen Burstyn as tomboy mechanic Ellen McCleod, more desirably down-to-earth than Washburn's experienced hot rod moll.

Like what George Lucas would achieve six years later with AMERICAN GRAFFITI, there's a palpable feeling as if being right there with the drivers in their machines: but not in the usual monotonous and often times convoluted mainstream "cars racing around a circular-track" fashion: Placing PIT STOP ahead of large-scale productions like GRAND PRIX or the vehicle that made THE WINNER change its title, being too similar to WINNING...

But neither Paul Newman or James Garner or even Steve McQueen can equal these at-that-time no-name actors/actresses; and it's not all because of the drivers or their driving. This is director Jack Hill's coolest, tightest, most complete motion picture, and with very few superfluous distractions for the target drive-in audience...

Meanwhile, the ambiguous yet tragic "twist" ending really isn't a surprise if you (after several recommended viewings) pay close enough attention to the hard-line ethic of the primary stars: From the rudimentary city street drag race on, Donlevy and Davalos have one goal in mind: the finish line.

Jack Hill's excellent & unjustly overlooked race car drama

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 21 May 2006]

Surly, thuggishly handsome Dick Davalos superbly carries the day with plenty of rugged, growly, super-slick hipster punk attitude as Rick, a brash, hustling, opportunistic amateur drag racing young turk who willingly compromises what few teensy, faintly held on values he has in order to make it big in the harshly competitive world of professional stock car racing. Backed by pitiless rich sponsor Brian Donlevy (who's pure icy perfection as a ruthlessly avaricious jerk who strictly cares about money and winning), Rick cuts loose his savage, animalistic instincts on the track, taking "dingy," lunatic rival driver Hawk Sidney (a typically wired turn by the ever-manic Sid Haig, who appears here sans beard, but with a near complete head of hair) down a few pegs, romancing sweet, bubbly, gum-chewing wild cat groupie Jolene (an exuberant performance by the adorable Beverly Washburn, the most catty and spiteful of the Meryl family sisters in Hill's wonderfully warped "Spider Baby"), striving to best composed, always in control reigning champion Ed McCleod (the excellent George Washburn), and flirting with McCleod's forlorn, neglected wife Ellen (movingly played by Ellen McRea in her film debut, who later changed her name to Ellen Burstyn and received a Best Actress Oscar for her remarkable work in Martin Scorcese's "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore").

More of a moody, incisive, stingingly critical and flatly unsentimental film noirish character study centering on the horrible spirit-crushing price fiercely aggressive macho males pay for engaging in a taxingly brutal dog-eat-dog sport like stock car racing than your usual mindless smash 'em up car racing action romp, "Pit Stop" might very well be Jack Hill's most sharply atmospheric and tautly self-contained picture to date, a starkly dramatized stunner that casually oozes a certain pungently thick, heavy, oppressively brooding no-kidding grayish and uncompromising sense of overweening moral blackness. The metal-mangling, tire-yelping, dust and dirt flying everywhere race car sequences possess a tense, kinetic, dangerously loose and truly harrowing quality, depicting the ultra-masculine confrontational world of professional stock car racing as totally crazed mondo destructo demolition derby-style pandemonium. Moreover, the burning male desire to win at any cost and be the greatest at something is boldly shown as a kind of severe, seething, deep-seated psychosis.

Sumptuously shot in stark, shadowy, steely black and white by Austin McKinney, with a superlative finger-snapping, kicked-back cool hopping blistering fuzztone guitar-driven beatnik rock score by John Fridge and the Daily Flash, uniformly tops acting from a first-rate cast, and a bracingly caustic, penetrating, rough-edged script by Hill, "Pit Stop" makes many startling insights into the grim, ugly barbarism and cold-heartedness at work in male aggression and competitiveness, courageously stating that winning can come at the cost of one's soul and body. Hard, gritty and flinty, done with real guts and style by Hill, "Pit Stop" rates as a raw, nervy, very daring and unjustly overlooked winner that's well worth seeking out and deserving of substantial cult film status.

Tight rein

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 16 November 2018]

PIT STOP is a typical drive-in thriller of the late 1960s, set around the virtually unknown world of "figure eight" racing. This is a bit like stock car racing and involves youthful drivers bombing around a circuit and quite often smashing into each other. The edgy protagonist joins up to challenge a seasoned professional, but must first take mentorship from an old timer before he can win out. I found the main actor quite wooden, but there are solid supporting turns from old-timer Brian Donlevy, a youthful Ellen Burstyn, and the great Sid Haig who steals all his scenes as the antagonist of the piece. The film's race sequences are quite ordinary, but exploitation director Jack Hill keeps a tight rein on the proceedings, so this is fast and frenetic, never flabby.

A Truly Excellent Film

[DVD Maniac · 10/10 · 15 September 2000]

A young street punk named, Rick Bowman (Dick Davalos), arrested for drag racing. He is bailed out by racing promoter Grant Willard (Brian Donlevy), who offers to sponsor him as driver in the crazy world of figure-8 racing. Rick at first turns down his offer, but later decides to accept his offer after he sees the current figure-8 champion Hawk (Long Time Hill Regular Sid Haig). Rick sees the arrogance of Hawk and decides that he is better than him and he can beat him.

Rick does awful in his first 2 races and seeks some help. He finds an old man who used to be a champ and learns his secrets. Finally, Rick is able to beat Hawk and becomes the winner, but becoming a winner comes with a price.

Pit Stop without a doubt is Jack Hill's finest effort as a director. Hill who really didn't want to even do a race film, does a terrific job of creating a realistic feel of the racing circuit. The car crashes are well staged and edited, also the acting is excellent all across the board, especially by Sid Haig as the arrogant Hawk. Pit Stop comes in first place as one of the best films of the drive-in era.

DRAG RACING WITH HEART

[mmthos · 5/10 · 24 November 2020]

Most of this is footage of stock car racing, so that may limit interest to the general audience. There are really 2 stories here. One of Grant Willard, a poor kid (Brian Donlevy) working his way up the ranks in racing. The other is a love story, First plot follows a young driver's rise to fame, the business men who exploit him, and his rival (Sid Haig), an unhinged guy who boasts he gladly faces death in order to secure his supremacy. There's also an old guy hanging round the track handing out advice. I think he's the real deal, says he's been racing since 1919, and looks it. The second plot is the pit stop, metaphor for the stolen moments for romance between the driver and the tomboy greaser-chaser, unsurprisingly always hanging round the garage, mocked by the rest of the crew, but Grant is special and sensitive. Nothing deep, but Beverly Washburn, as Jolene, is a charming little imp who really brightens the screen.

co-starring Ellen Burstyn ("Exorcist", " Alice Doesn't Live Here...")!, credited as Ellen Mcrae

Enjoyably super-noir

[everybodygettogether · 9/10 · 13 February 2021]

Sometimes I read some of the IMDB reviews and laugh my ass off at the seriousness, pretentiousness, and wannabe a film critic-ness of so many posting here. I just wanna know if it's a good movie or maybe a bit of trivia about it. So, in my not-a-film-critic opinion, this is a fun movie. Good enough in it's unique genre to give it a 9. I ran across it in the lineup of Saturday afternoon movies being shown on antenna tv. It's a gem of noir-ness, stark black and white versus smoky, with a great soundtrack of the times, running at incongruent times throughout the movie. I looked it up on IMDB to confirm that's indeed the beautiful young Ellen Burstyn, radiant in the late 60's.

I assume this one is in black & white so they can make use of all that stock footage.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 16 August 2021]

As far as I know, this is the only movie you can find that's about Figure 8 Racing....a bizarre sport that is part demolition derby and part actual auto race. A few places still put on these races...though where, I have no idea.

The first thing you'll probably notice is that although this film came out in 1969, it's in black & white. Nearly all movies in 1969 were in color and I can only assume it's not in order to let the filmmakers use old black & white footage and intersperse it through the movie.

Rick (Richard Bowman) loves illegal drag racing and apparently is pretty good. He's so good that after begin jailed for it, Grant Willard (Brian Donlevy) bails him out and offers to have him race for him on the figure 8 circuit. However, Rick likes to be his own man...and starts off driving his own car. Soon, he hopes to be sponsored by Willard...which might happen if he can win against the likes of the truly nutty Hawk Sidney (Sid Haig). And, if he can, how will the Hawk react (hint: It will NOT be good)?!

"Pit Stop" is a film that has many of the things you'd expect to see in a Roger Corman production. It's cheap, the actors are mostly unknowns and lesser known actors and they use a lot of stock footage. This is NOT a complaint, really, as he had an amazing knack for making the most of these cheap films....and they never are dull! This can all be said of "Pit Stop"...despite its deficiencies, it is exciting and they make the most of what they have been given.

By the way, this is Brian Donley's last films andEllen Burstyn appears in a supporting role. Of all the cast, the most enjoyable to watch is Sig Haig...who is wonderful in his VERY colorful characterization.

B movie heaven, just a decade too late.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 13 August 2023]

This seems like something that Roger Corman would have produced a decade before this. It features 1930's matinee Idol Brian Donlevy in what would be his last film, and he might as well have phoned in his performance. All he's there to do is recruit Richard Davalos for the form 8, turning him into the biggest thing in racetrack excitement since beer in a plastic cup.

Like that beer, it smells stale the next day after trash from the night before has been collected, a memory of a fun but pointless night. Beverly Washburn plays his cloying girlfriend, reminding him before one race that he might be dead tomorrow. Then there's Ellen Burstyn before her stardom days, playing the wife of a mechanic. Definitely a waste of her talent, but fortunately, it wasn't her last picture show.

A lot longer than films of the late 50's like "Dragstrip Riot", "Dragstrip Girl" and "Hot Rod Girl", photographed obviously in black and white so stock footage from the actual stock car races could be inserted in, and nothing really memorable. But definitely something that stock race fans might find amusing, that is if they actually ever hear of it.

Memories

[cartjos · 10/10 · 31 January 2023]

If you grew up in the 1960's and had a Dad that took you to the stock car races at Long Island's Freeport Speedway this movie will bring back memories. The guys here are not the ones you see today racing in NASCAR. They are like the guys I saw growing up, guys that owned their own gas stations and raced for the love of it. The reason my Dad took us there was because he knew a driver/owner that owned the local Sinclair station. It was a slice of America that no longer exists. We had the oval, not the figure eight, which seems like a waste of good old cars. I was surprised to see a 1958-60 Thunderbird at one of the race in the movie, I almost cried.