Stroker Ace (1983)

Director:

Hal Needham

Writers:

William Neely (novel) and
Robert K. Ottum (novel) ...

Release Date:

1 July 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

BURT'S BACK . . . With car crashin' & party crashin' as the hassled hunk who drives his car upside down & his women round the bend! [Australia theatrical]

Plot:

The title character, a popular NASCAR driver, clashes with the fried-chicken mogul that sponsors his racing team.

Plot Keywords:

Sponsor | Nascar | Racing | Chicken Suit | Race Car

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Burt Reynolds	...	Stroker Ace
Ned Beatty	...	Clyde Torkle
Jim Nabors	...	Lugs Harvey
Parker Stevenson	...	Aubrey James
Loni Anderson	...	Pembrook Feeney
John Byner	...	Doc Seegle
Frank O. Hill	...	Dad Seegle
Cassandra Peterson	...	Girl with Lugs
Bubba Smith	...	Arnold
Warren Stevens	...	Jim Catty
Alfie Wise	...	Charlie
James C. Lewis	...	Crew Chief
Neil Bonnett	...	NASCAR Driver
Dale Earnhardt	...	NASCAR Driver
Harry P. Gant	...	NASCAR Driver (as Harry Gant)

Also Known As:

Stand on It (Australia) (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Norway:12 | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The Charlotte race at the end of the season was filmed on 30 May 1982 at Charlotte.

Goofs:

Continuity: Some of the racing footage used is obviously from different years, with older-model cars.

Quotes:

Dad Seegle: [In a very dry tone] I know NOTHING, I am merely the messenger.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death Proof (2007)

Soundtrack:

Stroker Ace

Not as bad as everyone says

In spite of what many of the other comments have said, this is hardly Burt Reynolds' worst movie from his '70 and early '80s heyday. It's not nearly as bad as "Cannonball Run 2," which came out the following summer, or the dull "Rough Cut" (1980). Sadly, though, this 1983 release marked the start of Burt's fast decline in the '80s. Personally, however, I can't understand why so many viewers hated this zany "redneck" comedy, while liking Burt's other good-ole-boy flicks. Directed by his buddy Hal Needham, "Stroker Ace" isn't that much different from the other Reynolds-Needham collaborations, and "Stroker" does have some very funny moments. Besides, how many other movies have ever addressed the pressing matter of why Jim Nabors' mouth tilts to the side when he sings or feature a star of Burt's stature dressed in a chicken suit? And have you ever seen another movie that stops dead in its tracks to allow John Byner to do his impression of Johnny Mathis singing "Chances Are"? Granted, the use of stock footage during the racing scenes seems cheesy, but "Stroker Ace" worked for me in the same way as "Rhinestone": Both are silly, cornpone comedies which made me laugh, and isn't that the point?