The Big Wheel (1949)

Billy Coy comes to Carrell (a real speedway in Gardena, California when the movie was made). Red, Billy's late father's mechanic, hires Billy as a mechanic. Billy soon gets a job as a ... See full summary »

Director:

Edward Ludwig

Writer:

Robert Smith (original screenplay)

Stars:

Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Mary Hatcher

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)

Storyline

Billy Coy comes to Carrell (a real speedway in Gardena, California when the movie was made). Red, Billy's late father's mechanic, hires Billy as a mechanic. Billy soon gets a job as a driver. Will he get to race the Indianapolis, the track where his father died?

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Plot Keywords:

mechanic | accident | last film role for actress | father son relationship | mother son relationship | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 November 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Thundering Wheels

Filming Locations:

Indianapolis Motor Speedway - 4790 W. 16th Street, Speedway, Indiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel H. Stiefel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hattie McDaniel's last movie.

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Goofs

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

Billy Coy: If he gets in my way, I'll drive right over him.

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Soundtracks

"Que Bueno"
Written by Kermit Goell and Fred Spielman

User Reviews

Crash Landing

Wanting to be a race car driver like his deceased dad, Mickey Rooney (as Billy Coy) gets a job as mechanic in a garage run by fatherly Thomas Mitchell (as Arthur "Red" Stanley). There, Mr. Rooney meets "tomboy" Mary Hatcher (as Louise "Buddy" Riley), who likes him so much she puts on a dress. Rooney rises in the racing world, crashes his car, and notices Ms. Hatcher is pretty. He also discovers a dark secret about the father he idolizes. Meanwhile, mother Spring Byington (as Mary) finds romance with Mr. Mitchell.

In formulaic territory, this film shows Rooney back in good form, after his disastrous starring performance in "Words and Music" (1948). "The Big Wheel" was also the production that showed his days as MGM box office superstar were indeed over. Fame made him brashly difficult to work with at times, but his "cut down a peg" role is quite professionally done. Having Mr. Mitchell and this cast helps. Note, this was Hattie McDaniel's last feature, in a role that reads like it might have originally been written for Richard Lane's wife.

***** The Big Wheel (11/4/49) Edward Ludwig ~ Mickey Rooney, Thomas Mitchell, Spring Byington, Mary Hatcher