Cool Hot Rod A
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Cool Hot Rod A
Uses narration by a teen-ager to show how a hot-rod club contributes to safe driving through its strict membership rules and restriction of speed runs to 'DRAG STRIPS.'.
- Addeddate
- 2007-03-01 15:35:42
- Ccnum
- asr
- Closed captioning
- no
- Collectionid
- CoolHotRodA
- Color
- B&W
- Identifier
- CoolHotRodA
- Numeric_id
- 3207
- Proddate
- 1953
- Sound
- sound
- Type
- MovingImage
- Whisper_asr_module_version
- 20230731.02
comment
Reviews
Reviewer:
ppwalshie
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February 15, 2011
Subject: Hey, that's my dad!
Subject: Hey, that's my dad!
Bill Bowers was played by my dad, Marvin "Mickey" Riding. He was 18 at the time and this was his first, and only, acting gig. It was a pretty big deal for him to film the movie and and go to Indy, all the way from Inglewood, CA. My mom also appeared in some of the scenes as an extra. This is the only movie I have of him at any age, since we did not own a movie camera, so it is very poignant for me to watch. He passed away in 1999. Thanks to the Archive for preserving it and sharing.
Reviewer:
longfade
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June 25, 2010
Subject: The Goose-greasers.....
Subject: The Goose-greasers.....
Awesome name for a hot-rod club. I love the narrator and the good-hearted nature of this short. Delightful.
Reviewer:
ERD.
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December 17, 2006
Subject: Excellent informative 1952 film for teenagers
Subject: Excellent informative 1952 film for teenagers
An outstanding film by Sid Davis. Very positive
and informative for the 1952 youngsters interested in hot rods.
and informative for the 1952 youngsters interested in hot rods.
Reviewer:
Christine Hennig
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
August 29, 2004
Subject: Hot-Rodding for Dummies
Subject: Hot-Rodding for Dummies
Bill Bowers, a teen would-be hot-rodder, moves with his family to a new town that he thinks is full of Âsquares who drive like Âold ladies. He is prepared to educate them in the ways of hot-rodding, which to him means driving like a maniac a la Dick York in Last Date, but he is actually the one who gets reeducated. The town has an organized hot-rod club that requires passing a driver education course, the carÂs passing a rigorous safety inspection, six months of driving without getting a single ticket, and passing a Âreliability test as just some of its requirements for membership. Then you get to race your rod on the townÂs dragstrip. Amazingly, Bill wants desperately to join this highly exclusive club and spends months taking driving lessons and working on his car in order to do it. As a result, he turns from a hood into a nice young man with an afterschool job at the gas station, which, of course, is the point. This film was sponsored by Hot Rod magazine, so it tries its level best to convince viewers that hot-rodding is a clean-cut, safe hobby. And it was made by Sid Davis, so that means Bill narrates the entire thing, including telling us what was said in all conversations rather than letting characters speak for themselves. This is a good example of a social guidance film that appears to be about a limited topic, but is really about turning teens from juvenile delinquents into nice young ladies and gentlemen. It does deserve credit, though, for showing girls as well as boys equally participating in the hobby, even to the point of working on their own cars and racing against male competitors, making it way ahead of its time in terms of gender roles.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Reviewer:
Spuzz
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August 6, 2003
Subject: Dangerous drivers are saved by Tom Hanks!
Subject: Dangerous drivers are saved by Tom Hanks!
In this Sid Davis production, a young boy new to the town, is puzled by why the kids don't accept him and his hotrodding ways. When he tries to get all the kids impressed by talking about it, they all turn away in disgust. Rather then parking one night in a abandoned business and listening to Kenny Loggins and dancing in protest, he actually goes to the kids an learns why the kids act in such a square fashion. One of the town kids you see, was killed while trying to beat a train. So Tom Hanks (yes, Tom Hanks, that's the character's name) arranges a hot rod track to be made. All the kids are so excited about this track that they arrange knight clubs that will all agree to drive slowly an keep their cars in running order and hlp out in their community. The hot-rodder is so won over by this show of hip-to-be-squareness that he runs off to prove he can be as nerdish as everyone else! A great, if slightly overlong movie. Bonus points: The many newspaper with screaming headlines but with the same stories on the remaining sections. Reccomended!
Reviewer:
autoguy
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
July 4, 2003
Subject: And cool hot rods they are!
Subject: And cool hot rods they are!
A very good effort with some excellent street footage. Has the cheesy classic bubbly flute music for the score.
Description: "The Cool Hot Rod" Produced in 1952, a Sid Davis Production. made in association with Hot Rod magazine no less! Also involved was Socony-Vacuum (Mobilgas). Filmed in Inglewood, CA, with the help of the local police and two of the car clubs in that area. The post WWII hot rod hobby was becoming a menace on the highways! This film was meant to steer the wayward youths away from terrorizing the public streets and becoming responsible drivers. These confused youths need to be shown the error of their ways and learn how to be safe members of the commuting public! I think that means they need to learn how to drive 70 mph to work while talking on a cell phone, checking their pager, applying makup, eating breakfast, drinking coffee, and reading the paper. :o)
Description: "The Cool Hot Rod" Produced in 1952, a Sid Davis Production. made in association with Hot Rod magazine no less! Also involved was Socony-Vacuum (Mobilgas). Filmed in Inglewood, CA, with the help of the local police and two of the car clubs in that area. The post WWII hot rod hobby was becoming a menace on the highways! This film was meant to steer the wayward youths away from terrorizing the public streets and becoming responsible drivers. These confused youths need to be shown the error of their ways and learn how to be safe members of the commuting public! I think that means they need to learn how to drive 70 mph to work while talking on a cell phone, checking their pager, applying makup, eating breakfast, drinking coffee, and reading the paper. :o)