Kansas City Bomber (1972)

Director:

Jerrold Freedman

Writers:

Calvin Clements Sr. (writer)
Thomas Rickman (writer)

Release Date:

2 August 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Hottest Thing On Wheels

Plot:

Roller-derby skater K. C. Carr tries to balance her desire for a happy personal life and her dreams of stardom. |

Plot Keywords:

Roller Derby | Tour | Skating | Beautiful Woman | Single Mother

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Raquel Welch	...	K.C. Carr
Kevin McCarthy	...	Burt Henry
Helena Kallianiotes	...	Jackie Burdette
Norman Alden	...	Horrible Hank Hopkins
Jeanne Cooper	...	Trainer Vivien
Richard Lane	...	TV Spokesman Jen
Jodie Foster	...	Rita
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martine Bartlett	...	Mrs. Carr
Patti 'Moo Moo' Cavin	...	Big Bertha Bogliani
William Gray Espy	...	Randy
Stephen Manley	...	Walt
Russ Marin	...	Dick Wicks
Jimmy Nickerson	...	Fan
Shelly Novack	...	Fan
Mary Kay Pass	...	Lovey
Georgia Schmidt	...	Old Dame
Cornelia Sharpe	...	Tammy O'Brien

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) | West Germany:18 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Fresno, California, USA

Company:

Artists Entertainment Complex

Trivia:

Phil Ochs, the folksinger-songwriter, was originally approached to write a theme song for the film. His song was rejected, though. Ochs had A&M Records issue it as a single anyway.

Quotes:

Randy: You bunch of female jock-strappers!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The World of Austin Powers (2002) (V)

Raquel skates like a truck!

As a kid I lived and breathed the Roller Derby. When this movie came out and it was so seedy, it was interesting only as a B-movie, with a big star, and nothing more. It has too many scenes of poor K.C. Carr (Raquel) moaning and groaning over something. No one gives the girl a break - her mother (Martine Bartlett, who played another monster mother to Sally Field in TV's "Sybil"), is tired of watching her kid (Jodie Foster!) and does not understand why the woman is doing what she is doing for a living. Her teammates and the opposition all dislike her, for some reason - all so that in the final scenes K.C. finally does what she wants and says to hell with anything and anyone else. Its not exactly the finest moment of liberation you've ever seen, but it'll do.

Raquel also rarely appeared in skates - her double is seen more than she is. Maybe the double should have done the acting as well.