Hot Rods to Hell

Hot Rods to Hell. 1967 MGM/Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain, Paul Bertoya, Mimsy Farmer, Laurie Mock, Gene Kirkwood
Director: John Brahm
Available at Amazon. Also part of the Cult Camp Classic 3: Terrorized Travelers box set with Zero Hour! and Skyjacked.

A traveling salesman named Tom Phillips (Andrews) is injured on a highway after an accident with a drunken driver while driving home to Boston for Christmas on a rain slicked road. He sustains damage to his spine, which ends his career as a salesman. Tom's brother Bill (Harry Hickox) talks him into buying a remote motel in a desert town out in California. Tom is reluctant, but ultimately decides he needs to get as far away from the accident site as possible, as soon as possible. Tom, his wife, teenaged daughter and son set out for California. Upon arrival in the tow called Mayville, the Phillips are accosted by a pair of drag racers who nearly forces them off the road.

Mayville is populated with the children of reasonably well-off farmers, and they're apparently given "everything they want", but they're still bored, and constantly looking for "kicks", even though they will never be completely satisfied. The town's adults are fed up, including the current owner of the motel that Tom is buying. The owner is selling out after the town's youth have used his building for illicit trysting.

The Phillips are welcomed by Mayville's welcome wagon, Ernie (Gene Kirkwood) and Duke (Paul Bertoya), who start harassing the family. You will have to admit that the two, being teenage punks, are pretty neatly dressed. Things are only made worse by Tom's daughter Tina, who becomes infatuated with Duke. Things escalate, and Tom decides not to go through with the purchase. He takes his family and leaves town, trailed by Duke and Ernie, who have been erroneously told that the Phillips are going to the nearest town to "bring the police down on this place". Tom outwits the teenagers, and they both vow to not give Tom any trouble from then on, seeming almost relieved that a grown-up had finally stood up to them. Tom agrees not to talk to the police, but tells them he's going back to his hotel to run it properly from then on.

Okay...this one is a surprisingly enjoyable exploitation movie, and it has a beautiful transfer to DVD. Hot Rods to Hell was originally intended to be a made-for-TV movie, but it was considered too excessive for television, so it went to the drive-in circuit. ABC still gave it a television premiere in 1968.

Recommended.