Tweekums Billy Coy, son of a famous race-car driver, has headed to California hoping to get a job working for his late father's mechanic. He doesn't plan to remain a mechanic though; he wants to be a race car driver and, in his words, he'll driver over anybody to do it. He manages to find a car to drive and is successful but after he is blamed for the death of a fellow driver it looks as though his career might be over. He is determined to race in the Indianapolis 500 so heads back east to enter races there. Away from the racing there is some romance; mostly between Billy's mother and his new employer, who she knew many years before, but also it is clear that tomboy mechanic Lou Riley has feelings for Billy.While this isn't a classic it still has plenty of exciting moments; the best being during the numerous car racing scenes. Apart from the close-ups of the drivers it is clear that most of the footage was of actual races. The story is decent enough with Mickey Rooney doing a solid job as the arrogant Billy and Mary Hatcher being a lot of fun as Lou... it is refreshing to see a film of this era where the leading lady isn't always glamourous; we only see her in a dress once, the rest of the time she is in mechanics clothes with her hair hidden under a cap. It was also refreshing that the story's main romance was actually between two older characters not the youngsters. It is interesting to see how racing has changed over the last seventy years; here, apart from helmets and goggles the racers look as if they dressed for a relaxing ride in the country not speeding round a racetrack in one of the sport's most famous races! Overall this is a decent film that fans of car racing are likely to enjoy thanks to the numerous exciting racing scenes.

kapelusznik18 ****SPOILERS*** A 28 year old Mickey Rooney shines in this car racing flick as brash and so full of himself Billy Coy who until a fatal accident of his best friend and fellow racer Happy Lee, Steve Brodie, that Billy was unjustifiably blamed for turned his life around for the better. Up until then Billy was following in the footsteps of his late dad the legendary race car driver Cannonball Coy. It was Cannonball who after a night of boozing and womanizing drove, dead drunk behind the wheel, in the Indianapolis 500 and ended up smashing his car into a wall killing himself. It was the tragic death of Lucky and being blamed for it that had Billy at first quit car racing then return to it with a whole new attitude.Starting from the bottom on the east coast circuit Billy worked himself up to become one of the few drivers to compete in the Indianapolis 500 within a year of his so-called retirement from racing. It was no easy task for Billy in him facing like what a crumb he was earlier in the movie in his relationship with those he worked with and competed against on the race track. Now brought down to earth and at the same time humanized from his experience Billy was ready to make it to the top of the car racing world in the big race that his father Cannonball Coy lost his life in 17 years ago. That with his mom Mary, Spring Byington, and top mechanic and boss now step-father Arthur "Red" Stanley in attendance.***SPOILERS*** Heart stopping and tremendous racing sequences especially those of the Indianapolis 500 race with a re-born as well as born-again Billy going all out to win the big race despite his car catching fires in the final lap with him in the lead. Risking a fiery death Billy floors the peddle to the medal to get to the finish line where the checked flag is waiting to be wagged as the leading car crossed it. Totally surprised and heart-felt ending with Billy and the audience, at the race track and watching the movie, finding out that the saying "Winning isn't everything it's the only thing" wasn't all that it was cranked up to be from the driver who won the race.

Tony_J61 This movie screened today on BRIZ31 (Brisbane Community Television)1949, Indianapolis 500 was in it's 33rd year. Mickey Rooney played the hard ass carby engine driver to a T! Sure, the backdrop of the great race track was exactly that, with Rooney walking around as if he was actually there, but let's face it, SFX was still 5-6 years away. :-) The story was fast paced and believable. Tough nut owners and their equally tough nut drivers. Punch ups were the way to settle an argument. Never mind a quiet talk.An enjoyable yarn, with typical Rooney happy ending. 8 stars of of 10 from me.

jeben Not a bad film... the three central characters are played by talented, convincing actors. The plot focus is on Mickey Rooney's character Bill Coy who follows in his father's footsteps for good and for bad. No other characters are developed- all the emotion and story energy is on the cocky, proud star racer/mechanic who does some mellowing under life's hard knocks... the final indy race is an exciting high-point in the action. This picture recently became available on DVD in a MADACY Mickey Rooney Triple Feature Movie Marathon series...