Hell on Wheels (1967) Poster

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3/10
The hell might be in watching this
scsu197525 November 2022
This film is not to be confused with "Hells Angels on Wheels," "Hot Rods to Hell," or "From Hell It Came." It is also not to be confused with entertainment.

Country singer Marty Robbins plays a character named Marty Robbins. He drives stock cars, and, of course, sings. His mechanic-brother is played by John Ashley. While Robbins is getting all the glory for winning the races, Ashley is getting ticked off. Also, Ashley's girl, played by former child actress Gigi Perreau, seems to like Robbins, which doesn't help the situation.

Enter two sleazebags, played by Robert Foulk and Frank Gerstle. They hire Ashley to soup up some cars, but Ashley doesn't have any idea what he's getting into (like signing the contract to play this part). Robbins has another brother, played by future California congressman Robert Dornan. Dornan is a government agent, and is trying to break up a local moonshining operation. What the hell is this, Li'l Abner? Anyway, guess which sleazebags are running the operation?

In the anti-climax, Ashley races against Robbins, then finds out about Foulk and Gerstle. Robbins and Ashley are snatched, but manage to get away, while the bad guys don't. Then Robbins sings a song about a butterfly.

The film is too long and contains way too many dull songs. On the other hand, if you like John Philip Sousa, you'll be thrilled; several of his marches are played before and after the races. Unfortunately, in between, we have to watch the races.

This is just a crazy movie, with some of the weirdest casting ever. The woman playing Robbins' mother has blue hair. Ashley, as usual, looks like he needs a laxative. But at least we don't have to hear him sing. His 50's haircut is out of place, although his widow's peak/ducktail does seem under control for a change. Robbins is okay as an actor, and he really drove stock cars, so this might be the only person who was cast appropriately. Perreau doesn't have much to do except cheer and try to put up with Ashley's moping. I can't get a handle on Dornan. He doesn't show any emotion, which is in stark contrast to his fiery demeanor as a congressman. He does get to carry a gun and blow up some stills, so this prepared him well to be a co-host of CNN's now defunct Crossfire. Foulk and Gerstle are a Mutt and Jeff pair; Foulk towers over everyone, and wears a beat up shirt. Gerstle, for a change, actually wears a suit that fits his fire hydrant frame; the orangutan look was getting a bit old. In an unintentionally hilarious bit, Marvin Miller plays a race track announcer. In one sequence, his hat disappears, (cut to the track), then jacket (cut to the track). I fast-forwarded before the pants came off.
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3/10
A real blah and forgettable clunker
Woodyanders14 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Tepid family drama and conflict amongst the Robbins family boys: Oldest brother Marty (a sadly underwhelming performance by legendary country singer Marty Robbins) enjoys a successful duel career as a famous country singer and champion stock car racer, surly mechanic younger brother Del (decent work by the handsome John Ashley) aspires to be an ace race car driver himself, and other sibling Steve (insipidly played by Robert Dornan) works for the feds busting moonshine runners. Flatly directed by Will Zens, blandly scripted with a numbing emphasis on boring talk by Wesley Cox, further marred by draggy pacing, Leif Rise's plain cinematography, mostly stiff acting from a hopelessly wooden cast, and a painfully meandering narrative, this drab Edsel of a film proves to be a pretty rough slog to sit through. Worse yet, the racetrack footage is surprisingly tedious and unexciting, with even the expected inevitable metal-mangling automotive smash-ups failing to deliver any genuine thrills due to the general fun-sapping lethargy that hangs heavy over this movie like a dismal fog. To be fair, there are a few minor compensations: Fetching brunette Gigi Perreau provides some much-needed spark and sassy as Del's spunky gal pal Sue and the quaint country songs possess a certain folksy charm. A dreary wash-out.
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3/10
Marty Robbins
BandSAboutMovies6 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Three brothers - stock car driver Marty (Robbins playing himself), mechanic Del (John Ashley, the man from Blood Island) and revenue agent Steve - all have their issues. Marty is trying to be a star, Del wants to be Marty and Steve is busting some moonshiners.

Del tries to out do his brother to prove himself to his girlfriend Sue (Gigi Perrau, The Cool and the Crazy) and the gang ends up almost killing them all. Meanwhile, Connie Smith and the Stonemans play a whole mess of songs.

The entire film was independently made in Nashville, Tennessee. John Ashley told Trash Compactor, "Marty was a terrific fellow and a great singer, and I was a big fan of his. He was a stock car racer, loved stock cars, and the producers had put this thing together. They said to me that this was going to be his motion picture debut, and they needed me to play his brother and basically carry the movie. So I went down there for six or seven weeks."

This was directed by Will Zens, who also made Trucker's Woman and Hot Summer in Barefoot County, two Joe Bob Briggs-approved redneck movies.
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1/10
Hell is Right!
This has to be the most boring, uninteresting, and stupid race car movie ever made. I mean usually in these really junky "B" films you can generally get a laugh or two out of the stupid dialog. However, in this case, there is nothing even to chuckle at.

Marty Robbins is a nice enough guy and a decent singer and from what I gather a good racer. However, his abilities are wasted and lost in this boring stinker. I was passing out from the long, drawn-out, races. I mean it's slightly "neat" in the beginning to see the old style 60s stock cars, but there's just nothing to get excited about.

Hell on Wheels is a hell to watch!
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1/10
Marty Robbins - A Great Face for Radio!
mikhail08018 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Here's a "no-budget" independent production designed to showcase both the singing and racing skills of good ol' boy country crooner Marty Robbins. He's obviously a talented singer, and apparently a passable race car driver. But he should never have attempted acting, as evidenced here. He has absolutely no charisma, nor the good looks to let the viewer forgive him his stilted screen presence. Robbins could be reading off cue cards, judging by his performance in "Hell On Wheels." Fans of his music can enjoy the four songs he performs, even though the staging is dull as dishwater.

Then we have the strange casting of hunky John Ashley as Marty's brother. They look like they came from different planets altogether. And Ashley's character is written in such a way to make him a spoiled and petulant brat, constantly jealous of his more successful brother. Add to that a nagging and self-pitying mother who would drive the most devoted son to move to a different state, and Ashley's clueless wife, who lavishes attention on Marty instead of her handsome husband.

And they throw in an nearly almost completely unrelated subplot about another brother who works for the A.T.F. Department. This noxious sequence only exists to show how a backwoods moonshine still can be "blown up REAL good!" They even do it twice for good measure.

What entertainment value can be gleaned from this grade-Z effort can be found in two ways. The first being the Cinéma vérité scenes of early Nascar racing and its "salt-of-the-earth" fans. There are extended scenes of these simple folk filing into the stands and watching the races with great interest. It's a Tennessee fashion show!

The second element of enjoyment can be found in the music interludes by the one of the guest stars, The Stonemans, who were a family bluegrass group. The female guitar player kicks up her heels and dances in such an exuberant manner, that it's a riot. And her gold go-go boots are something! Connie Smith also sings two songs that are passable, but exceedingly dull in the staging. She deserved better.

But, by all means, PLEASE stick around for the closing musical number where Marty croons a song about butterflies to his nine-year-old niece. The reaction shots of the little girl reach a fever pitch as she soon pokes her right index finger well up her nose! And it's a medium shot with only her in the frame! Now there's Cinéma vérité for sure!
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1/10
The Action is.... Where?
Hell On Wheels is a movie that combines the early days of NASCAR racing, moonshine, and country western music. You know that you are in for a treat!

The film stars Marty Robbinson, who plays himself, and the film is essentially a show boat for his racing ability and musical talent.

They try to make things interesting by including a plot about his jealous brother doing work for some moonshiners who fund his own racer so he can beat his brother.

And his other brother is a member of the US Tobacco and Alcohol Tax Division, who helps shut down stilleries.

Essentially, the movie in itself, loses it's flow with all the long and drawn out racing scenes with little interest, really bad country music, and it drives home Uncle Sams propaganda machine by reputedly stating that "Remember: Moonshine Kills"

It's a lousy movie, but it has it's camp value, and definitely worth watching with a bunch of friends for the lone purpose of having a good laugh.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR: Here are some things I found infinitely amusing about the film: 1.) Watch out in the second big racing scene, there is a cowboy in a red shirt and black hat. Very funny to watch.

2.) The little girl at the end, as Marty sings to her, she picks her nose right on camera.
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2/10
A new record - nearly the whole film is padding
Leofwine_draca14 April 2016
HELL ON WHEELS is undoubtedly one of the worst 'racing' B-movies in existence. It's supposed to be some dramatic brother vs. brother thriller set in the world of stock car racing, but all the viewer gets is endless grainy footage of repetitive and boring races - it could be stock footage for all I know, as it sure looks like it - padded out with singing numbers from star Marty Robbins and others.

Still, I suppose I should have expected no better given that Crown International Pictures put this one out, and they did make dog after dog after all. One of the stars is the ever-youthful John Ashley, shortly to depart US shores to carve a new niche as exploitation star in the Philippines, and who can blame him on the strength of this? Even those MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND type films were better than this...
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9/10
The music is wonderful with Marty Robbins, Connie Smith, etc.
hms525 November 2006
I don't like race car driving, especially in a circle, but this 1967 movie is great. The star is Marty Robbins. He is a wonderful singer who in addition to his many country hits even had a giant Rock & Roll hit in 1956, "A White Sport Coat." Connie Smith also sings, and she was then the number one female singer in Country Music. In the 60's and 70's she had many hits, including one, "Once a Day", which was number one on the Billboard charts for eight weeks making it the biggest hit recording in all of the history of Country Music ever recorded by a female singer. In the mid 60's she had three number one (on the Billboard charts) record albums. She is the best female singer ever recorded.

Also, appearing in this movie is the Stoneman Family, a bluegrass country folk band, who were even popular with San Franciscans at the Winterland Auditorium. Together they sold many millions of record albums and CDs. This movie's villains are old, wimpy, and are so vastly outnumbered by the good guys that the atmosphere is relaxed. The movie is an excuse to show the wonderful singing and music.

This is the last real movie of long time child star Gigi Perreau. Also, it stars Bob Dornan in one of his last movies. He went on to politics being elected to Congress from California for many years, and he got the nickname B-1 Bob, for promoting the B-1 Bomber. Contrary to someone's comment there is no nose picking in this movie. See this movie for the singing and music.
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