The Gumball Rally (1976)

An eclectic group of people take part in a secret, and illegal, cross country road race.

Director:

Charles Bail (as Chuck Bail)

Writers:

Leon Capetanos (screenplay), Charles Bail (story) (as Chuck Bail)

Stars:

Michael Sarrazin, Tim McIntire, Raul Julia

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Sarrazin	...	Michael Bannon - Cobra Team
Norman Burton	...	Lieutenant Roscoe (as Normann Burton)
Gary Busey	...	Gibson - Camaro Team
John Durren	...	Ace Preston / Mr. Guts - Camaro Team
Susan Flannery	...	Alice - Porsche Team
Harvey Jason	...	Lapchik the Mad Hungarian - Kawasaki
Steven Keats	...	Kandinsky - Dodge Team
Tim McIntire	...	Steve 'Smitty' Smith - Ferrari Team
Joanne Nail	...	Jane - Porsche Team
J. Pat O'Malley	...	Barney Donahue - Mercedes Team
Tricia O'Neil	...	Angie - Rolls Royce
Lázaro Pérez	...	Jose - Rolls Royce (as Lazaro Perez)
Nicholas Pryor	...	Prof. Samuel Graves - Cobra Team
Vaughn Taylor	...	Andy McAllister - Mercedes Team
Wally Taylor	...	Avila - Dodge Team

Storyline

A group of people from different backgrounds have one thing in common: when they hear the world "gumball" whispered by one of the others, they know that it's time for the Gumball Rally: a no-holds barred, secret, winner-take-all rally across the USA.

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Plot Keywords:

carsploitation | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | kiss | love interest | competition | 

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Taglines:

It's a hilarious coast-to-coast, 180 mile-an-hour, go-for-broke, outrageous road race with the world's most expensive cars. And it's all just for glory and a gumball machine.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

28 July 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chewing Gum Rallye

Filming Locations:

I-10 at Exit 167, Riggs Rd., Sun Lakes, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Artists, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When hitting Oklahoma, Gary Busey gives out a yell, calling it the "home of the Red Man, home of the Cowboy." Gary Busey is from Tulsa, OK.

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Goofs

In the start-of-race sequence, set between 6:00 AM and 6:05 in Manhattan, a car passes a bank clock reading 10:26 (the light seems to support that).

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Quotes

Smith: [watching "The Rabbit" drive off in his T-bucket] That's the ugliest looking car I ever saw.
Bannon: Looks like a jukebox.

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Crazy Credits

Linda Vaughn ... Emergency Plan Alpha

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Connections

Referenced in Sneak Previews: The Top Ten Films of 1976 (1977)

User Reviews

Best of the genre

Upon first view.. one will chuckle at the 70's production value in the opening sequence.

Get past that.

Gumball is the best of the cross-country race genre. Much better than any film in the Cannonball series. Why? For one...It's just as funny. Filled with some great lines and chock full of fantastic car sequences. Turning the speakers up may make it sound like you are at a Busch race. Raul Julia steals the show as far as the characters. Every moment that he's on the screen you'll have a smile from ear to ear.

"55 is unsafe....it's slow enough to make you think you're safe....but it's fast enough to kill you" Many scenes were shot at breathtaking speeds WITH THE ACTUAL ACTORS....this really adds to the realism... and overall, every car sequence is eye-popping. Where the 70's production value detracts from the film in the opening sequence....it actually helps in others...like when it adds a lightheartedness to the absolutely awesome downstretch in the waterways with the music....and of course the cars making music to automobile fans...Ferrari Daytona zipping....427 cobra roaring... steam from the water flying off the engine block.

The actors had fun making this one...and I had fun watching...all 20 some odd times.

shhhhhhhh..... ..........GUMBALL! 71/100