The Daredevil (1972)

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

George Montgomery has a field day as a race car driver on the Southern circuit in the early 1970s. He won the Dayton 500, but he has fallen on hard times. Worse, he has an accident with another driver during a race in his hometown. The wife of the dead driver, who was incinerated in the conflagration that engulfed his car, blames our hero Paul Tunney (George Montgomery) for her husband's death. She all but places a curse on Tunney. Indeed, an undertaker (Cyril Poitier) arranges to have Tunney thrown into a casket so Carol Butler (Gay Perkins) can show how much she despises him. Literally, she stalks Tunney and he seems to catch a glimpse of her at every race. Eventually, after his fortunes really go south, Tunney has to drive with a team. It seems that he careened off the racetrack and smashed into a parked car. The ensuing explosion landed Tunney in the hospital. He has to sign away his house to get medical attention. Unfortunately, Tunney has to throw in with an unsavory crowd that want to utilize his unique driving skills. Nobody can catch Tunney when he is behind the wheel of a car. Tunney gives the cops a run for the money. One-time only Director Robert W. Stringer stages some excellent driving sequences on real-life roads. The best stunt in "The Daredevil" depicts our hero leaping his huge Ford across a river with the middle section of the bridge missing. Clearly, this is the scene that inspired "The Dukes of Hazzard." Terry Moore is the love interest and she beds down with Tunney. The ending is a lot like the ending of the Robert Mitchum movie "Thunder Road." This low-budget, home-made thriller captures America during a special time.

Over half the credited cast and a dozen credited crew members aren't even currently in the database.Actually, Dan Fleenor (not even in the database at the moment), who was the credited stunt co-ordinator and choreographed and supervised all the chase sequences, was the leader of the Hurricane Hell-Drivers who performed at fairs, expositions and in front of many dirt-track grandstands primarily in the southeastern U.S. He was also the stunt-driver who doubled the race-driving for Clark Gable in 1950's "To Please a Lady." Most of the cast/crew were Miami-based and, for the time period, there were more Blacks on both sides of the camera than the usual norm, including Eugene Small who was head of the Sound. Executive Producer K. Gordon Murray, not known for missing any sliver of exploitation, advised the exhibitors to make use of the Black Newspapers and Black radio stations in their area by pointing this out. Well and good, except the vast majority of the bookings for the film weren't in theatres that had Black-owned theatres or radio stations in their vicinity.Lois Lee and "The Brooklyn Bridge" (led by Johnny Maestro)performed the three songs used in the film and are on-screen. None of the songs used were written by Johnny Maestro.Most of the film's distribution came from states rights outfits, such as Eric Distributing Company in Dallas, and was, to say the least, somewhat limited. The running time on original release was 91 minutes. The video version (if it is indeed 72 minutes)appears to be more than a little bit edited.

"Daredevil" is one of those movies that after you've seen it, and realized how forgotten and overlooked it's been for all these years, you end up saying to yourself where have you been all my life. A fast and furious road burning movie with a great and gritty performance by George Montgomery as Paul Tunney. Tunney is a top race car driver who's hit upon hard times and is forced to go back to his home town Where he first started his racing career. Only to find out that racing cars on the racetrack isn't the only thing in store for him there. Some of the best car action scenes I've ever seen without the special effects that they have now in movies of that type. Besides the films star- George Montgomrey-there's a good supporting cast and a fast and catchy theme song that makes the movie really stand out when you compare it to most films of the same genre. And George Montgomery's acting evokes both sympathy as well as bravado as a man caught up with events quickly spinning out of control and over his head and not being able to stay out of trouble no matter how hard he tries to avoid it. The film has an unbelievable ending sequence that's so explosive and eye popping that it will give you an out-of-body experience watching it. P.S One more item about the movie: Cyril Poitier, actor Sidney Poitier's older brother, has a major role in the movie playing of all things an undertaker.

I missed this at my local drive-in in 1973, but thanks to the wonder world of home video, I can now see it to my heart's content in the comfort and privacy of my own home. And what I missed was an incredible southern-oriented drive-in film that combines kick-ass crime elements a la Walking Tall with car racing and an incredible existential ending that I still can't believe I saw. George Montgomery, in one of his last starring roles, is perfect as the burned-out auto racer who only lives for the thrill of the race and is kind of lost once he gets out of that element. This amazing film introduces a race-relations subplot on top of that, features hallucination sequences that are chilling,and has the kind of tough ambience that only a 70s drive-in action film can possess. There must be an interesting story behind this film, as director Robert W. Stringer and writer Robert Walsh have no other IMDB credits. Did they work locally in television or industrial filmmaking or commercials? Or did they come out of the woodwork for one over-the-top masterpiece and then vanish into thin air? The film's producer was the legendary K. Gordon Murray, no doubt wanting to cash-in on the profitable southern drive-in action film genre, and doing a completely successful job of it. As I understand it, the film did not get widely distributed and I don't ever remember seeing it on television. Now it is around on VHS is great condition and is a must-see for anyone who would find a cross between Walking Tall and Vanishing Point to be appealing.