The Racers

The Racers
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Written by Charles Kaufman, Hans Ruesch (novel)
Starring Kirk Douglas
Music by Alex North
Cinematography Joseph MacDonald
Edited by James B. Clark
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
 May 24, 1955
Running time
 88 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2,730,000[1]
Box office $1,750,000 (US rentals)[2]

The Racers is a 1955 film directed by Henry Hathaway. It stars Kirk Douglas and Bella Darvi.[3]

Plot

Race-car driver Gino Borgesa meets a ballerina, Nicole Laurent, whose pet poodle causes a crash at the track. She persuades an ex-lover to give Gino money for a new car. They begin a romance, although Gino warns her that his racing comes first.

After winning a 1,000-mile race, Gino is hired by a successful racing team managed by Maglio, who is leery of Gino's reckless driving tactics but takes a chance on him at the urging of veteran driver Carlos Chavez.

Nicole is troubled by Gino's unconcerned attitude about a mechanic accidentally killed at the track. A crash at a race in Brussels seriously injures Gino, whose leg is not amputated only because Nicole persuades doctors not to perform the operation.

Once he recovers, Gino begins taking painkillers as well as unnecessary risks. His behavior, too, is out of control, causing him to insult Michel Caron, a young French driver who admires him. Nicole is offended, and the last straw comes when Gino relentlessly wins the final race of Carlos's career, even after Maglio instructed him to let Carlos have one last victory.

In time, Gino's stature in racing begins to fall, and he is alone. He begs Nicole to return, but she is involved with Michel now. A contrite Gino returns to the track, where he willingly lets Michel speed past him.

Cast

See also

References

  1. ↑ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p249.
  2. ↑ 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1955', Variety Weekly, January 25, 1956
  3. ↑ "The Racers". All Movie Guide. Retrieved 25 October 2014.

External links


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