THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (1954)

Cool little flick produced by Roger Corman (he first film released by the American Releasing Corporation which would later become American International Pictures) featuring John Ireland as escaped con Frank Webster who kidnaps a woman with a hot rod (gorgeous Dorothy Malone) at a diner to use as a hostage until they cross the Mexican border. For cover, they enter a cross-country race from Cali to Mexico.

Cool little flick with some good performances by the leads. There's a few silly moments (Malone's escape plan from a locked shed comes immediately to mind), and the ending was a bit of a let down (we can probably blame the Hay's Code for that), but overall, it's a pretty fun little noirish thriller.

Well worth a look on cable or a cheap buy.

Supposedly the makers of the modern FAST AND THE FURIOUS flicks bought the rights to this just so they could use the title. There is no connection.