****SPOILERS**** After a rival trucker tried to run Frank Webster, John Ireland, off the road and ends up losing control of his truck and plunging to his death Frank was arrested and put in the local jail. Later with a group of the truckers friends about to storm the prison and lynch him Frank breaks out and becomes a fugitive from the law.
At the start of the movie Frank is in a diner where he's spotted by one of the truckers Bob Nielson, Bruno DeSota, who are out looking to capture or kill him. As Bob pulls out a gun on Frank he gets flattens by him to the point where he's out cold for the rest of the movie. Frank takes off with one of the customers in the diner Connie Adair, Dorothy Malone, as a hostage as he drives away with her fast sports car. Frank ends up being on the run for the rest of the movie.
Fast moving and well paced film with Connie at first resisting and doing everything that she can to alert the police about Franks whereabouts. Later when she realizes that he's innocent and Connie feels that he'll be rightly vindicated in the courts just like he told her.
The movie revolves around a major race, the International, that goes from California to Mexico the country where Frank is trying to get away from the perusing police. With Connie entered and at the last moment banned from the race, because the race course had been deemed too dangerous for women drivers to participate on, Frank gets behind the wheel so he can get across the border into Mexico and freedom; without drawing any attention or suspicion from the police and then as they say the race is on.
With the police hot on his tail and with the Mexican border in sight Frank stops his car to save a fellow race car driver, who skidded off the road trying to get ahead of Frank, Frank gives up his chance to get across the border. Connie who's driving behind Frank comes to his as well as the injured race car drivers Faber, Bruce Carslisle, aid and feel guilty for calling the police who are on their way to arrest Frank. At the same time Frank feels that his running away from the law is over and that the courts, whom he trusts, will give him his freedom back.
John Ireland & Dorothy Malone are fine in the leading roles in the movie and the car chases and racing action keep the movie going at a quick pace with an above average story for this kind of action film.
"The Fast and the Furious" is also the first movie made by the then, 1954, fledging AIP: American International Pictures studios. The studios that made a name for themselves over the years for making top-flight and innovative films with up and coming actors and directors who were given their first chance to act in and direct a major motion picture
