History The Big Wheel Starring Mickey Rooney - 1949

A genuine slice of American pie, based on 1940s midget racing and written around the 1949 Indy 500, starring Mickey Rooney, one of the great racing movies...


Video: The Big Wheel -- Full Length Motion Picture | Mac's Motor City Garage.com

 

No great movie in the wider sense, cheesy actually. But HAMB- wise? - COMPULSORY VIEWING -

 

So funny, just bought this movie, two days ago, awesome footage... Poor Happy!

 

Entertaining...

 

I like the pit stop where the drivers get out of the cars. Compare that to a 8 second pit stop of today.

 

That and driving while wearing a t-shirt, jeans and what look like loafers. Those were crazy care free days.

 

"I'll think about it...Hey, check the plugs, will ya, Red?" Mickey had 'attitude'...

There are 'Johnny-come-Latelys" that won't understand this movie.

But they never attended the early races, where fast-talking promoters pitted hot rods against dirt track sprints and flat tail Midgets, prior to CRA.
Indoor Midgets up North, (Oakland & San Francisco) racing was in its heyday.

"But not as 'sophisticated' as today..." LOL Give me those days any day.

 

Cheesy, cornball? Yeah, maybe a little but still one of my favorite movies of all time! I used my lunch money to buy a ticket to see it on my way home from school, must've been 1950 or so.

That's Dick "Whoa Nellie...."! Lane playing car owner Reno. He had a pretty active career in films long before KTLA's wrestling, jalopy races, roller derby, etc., etc. came along.

Enjoy!!

 

Those were the days of real racing. No Corporate sponsors, white pants required in the pits and fist fights after the race. My dad took me to see it when I was about 7 years old and I was mesmerized. Maybe a little bit hokey but after all, it was 1949.

 

Wonder what that Mechanic is doing under that early midget...ain't much to work on down there, is there?

 

The "Spike Jones Special"? I never knew he was into racing, but who else could it be?? "Cocktails for Two"!

 

Alan Heath was the actual driver of the 'four bits' midget and Perry Grimm was driving the 'six bits' midget.

 

Here it is at GNRS in 2010.

 

Seen the movie and the bad acting is overshadowed by the excellent early race footage. And just to put a Hamb spin on this thread; if you like early midget, sprint, and champ car racing, I highly suggest you find these two books:

Roy Richter: Striving for Excellence

Kurtis-Kraft: Masterworks of Speed and Style

They're both real pricey but worth it!

 

Still a decent seller for me and a well acted well scripted well shot flick for it's time period.

 

Fielded a Champ car also

 

Those were the days when guys like us could build a car and take it to Indy and if we qualify get into the show. I never could understand the white pants thing. If wore white pants in my garage they would be dirty in about 10 min. But they were the golden days of racing, days when you didn't need a computer to tune your car!

 

Weren't the Spike Jones cars powered by Sampson engines? If so, there was a little going on down there.

 

You had to wear white pants so "The doctors and medical staff at the track could see blood on the driver or pit crew if they were ever injured."

 

toml24, Really, never knew that, but back then they did do some weird things.

 

Yes they were, the Champ car engine was F. Lockharts old Daytona lsr engine IIRC.

 

Never heard about the blood thing, but when I bitched about having to wearing whites they told me it was for better visibility for the drivers manuvering through the pits.

 

As I wrote, I find the movie to be entirely cornball...but that's why I love it so much. It's my favorite racing film.

Also, Mary Hatcher is HOT. A chassis like that and she can spin a wrench? Please!

 

This was the Sampson Motors car driven by Bob Swanson in the 1939 and 1940 INDY 500. Powered by the V16 MILLER engine that was in the Stutz Black Hawk Specal that Frank Lockhart was killed in on Daytona Beach. The car is restored to its 1939-40 appearance and is in the INDY 500 collection today. Bob

 

As others noted, the film includes great footage of some real cars of the period.

 

Me too.

 

My mentor in fine/small mechanics during my late teens would prefer to have a clean shop and white or light colored clothes or rags.
"then i can see where the dirt is on the rags while grinding or lapping and i can see if you sit on your lazy ass or have your greasy hands in your pockets too much!" Can still hear his eccoes.

 

This thread reminded me that I haven't watched this movie in a while. Popped it on last night. Great flick.

Always enjoy watching her try and be a lady in those high heels. Stick with leather jackets and jeans doll.

 

First time I've seen it. I teared up at the end. I'm such a sap.

 

Gotta watch that