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The Big Wheel (1949)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Robert Smith (original screenplay)
Release Date:
4 November 1949 (USA)
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Plot:
Billy Coy comes to Carrell (a real speedway in Gardena, California when the movie was made). Red, Billy's late father's mechanic...
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Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Good Character For Rooney, Good Atmosphere
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Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Mickey Rooney | ... | Billy Coy |
 | Thomas Mitchell | ... | Arthur 'Red' Stanley |
| Mary Hatcher | ... | Louise Riley |
| Michael O'Shea | ... | Vic Sullivan |
| Spring Byington | ... | Mary Coy |
 | Hattie McDaniel | ... | Minnie (as Hattie McDaniels) |
| Steve Brodie | ... | Happy Lee |
| Lina Romay | ... | Dolores Raymond |
| Allen Jenkins | ... | George |
| Richard Lane | ... | Reno Riley (as Dick Lane) |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
92 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Hattie McDaniel's last movie.
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Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): A mechanic is describing a "hoodoo wagon" to Billy Coy and talks about one entered in the Indianapolis 500 that "had gone 490 miles with a minute to go" when it crashed into a wall. Ten miles in one minute translates to 600 miles/hour, well over the speed that race cars can attain.
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Quotes:
[Reno gives his tomboy daughter a wad of cash to buy her first dress]
Vic Sullivan: I wish you'd be that generous with me!
Reno Riley: You'd look good in a dress.
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Vic Sullivan: I wish you'd be that generous with me!
Reno Riley: You'd look good in a dress.
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (8 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Big Wheel (1949)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Rear-engine racecar | amesk |
| Nice watch for race fans | folkepalm |
| Not Bad | sipowicz |
Recommendations
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| Born to Speed | Speed Racer | Indianapolis Speedway | Born Reckless | Burn 'Em Up O'Connor |
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Mickey Rooney gets a character well-suited to his abilities, and the good atmosphere at garages and auto racing tracks also helps make this a solid B-melodrama. The story follows a familiar pattern, but the setting is different enough to make it interesting.
Rooney plays the son of a race driver who wants to establish a racing career of his own. The character goes through a number of changes as his fortunes ebb and flow, and Rooney makes him believable at each stage. He had the ability to be sympathetic when necessary, and he also had the knack of making a character turn abrasive in a believable fashion. Here, it helps to flesh out a familiar plot.
Most of the other characters are one-dimensional, and are only there to give Rooney something to play off of. An exception is Thomas Mitchell, whose skill at playing seemingly simple roles makes the garage owner into a believable character in his own right.
The auto racing settings are interesting, and although the racing sequences rely on stock footage, they are still enjoyable. The story takes Rooney's character from hot rods to midget racers to the Indianapolis-style cars. It was set in what was then the present, and race fans in its audiences probably could have spotted some familiar cars. Now, it is also of interest as a decent recreation of the Indy racers of its day.