Hot Rod Gang (1958)

Clearly made for the drive-in movie crowd of the day, the AIP film Hot Rod Gang – released in the UK as Fury Unleashed – features John Abernathy III (John Ashley), a young man who leads a double life. To his matronly spinster aunts, he’s a respectful and respectable young man (he stands to inherit a substantial amount of his grandfather’s estate if he leads a virtuous life, and his aunts hold the key).

But when the adults (“squares”) aren’t around, John is into playing rock ‘n roll (he sings with a “combo” at their clubhouse) and racing his jalopy – and romancing new girl in town, Lois Cavendish (Jody Fair), the daughter of an attorney.

A subplot has some bad guys attempting to expose John’s double life and frame him for crimes he didn’t commit (stealing hubcaps – seriously!).

Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps provide a couple of great tunes.

A sequel – Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow – was released in 1959.

John Abernathy III
John Ashley
Lois Cavendish
Jody Fair
Gene Vincent
Himself
Bill
Russ Bender
Mark
Steve Drexel
Dave
Henry McCann
Marley
Maureen Arthur
Tammy
Gloria Grant
Al Berrywhiff
Dub Taylor
Jack
Scott Peters
Abigail Abernathy
Helen Spring
Anastasia Abernathy
Dorothy Neumann
Agatha
Claire Du Brey
Wesley Cavendish
Doodles Weaver
Dryden Philpot
Lester Dorr
Jimmy
Robert Whiteside
The Blue Caps
Themselves

Director
Lew Landers

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