The Gumball Rally
| The Gumball Rally | |
|---|---|
 1976 poster |
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| Directed by | Charles Bail |
| Produced by | Charles Bail |
| Written by | Leon Capetanos Charles Bail |
| Starring | Michael Sarrazin Norman Burton Raúl Juliá Gary Busey |
| Music by | Dominic Frontiere |
| Cinematography | Richard C. Glouner |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | August 20, 1976 |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Gumball Rally is a 1976 film directed and co-written by Chuck Bail about a coast-to-coast road race. It was inspired by the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash run by Brock Yates which inspired several other films, including Cannonball and Cannonball Run.
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[edit] Plot
Michael Bannon (Michael Sarrazin), a wealthy but bored businessman, issues the code word "Gumball" to his fellow automobile enthusiasts, who gather in a garage in New York City to embark on a coast-to-coast race "with no catalytic converter and no 55-mile-per-hour speed limit." Their nemesis, the evil LAPD Lieutenant Roscoe (Norman Burton), also learns of the race and most of the film is devoted to the adventures of the various driving teams and Roscoe's ineffectual attempts to apprehend them. A number of running gags ensue - the Jaguar that will not start; the silent Lapchick's (Harvey Jason) numerous mishaps; Italian race driver Franco Bertolli's (Raúl Juliá) frequent detours to seduce beautiful women - as well as some splendid stunts and driving sequences. The race ends at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California where the finishers celebrate their adventures and the defeated Roscoe sulks off to one side--until a fleet of police cars and tow trucks, all in conspiracy with Roscoe, arrive to impound the vehicles; as it proves, Roscoe had contrived in advance to see to it that all of them were guaranteed to be illegally parked. Bannon congratulates Roscoe on his final victory and again utters the command "Gumball" to initiate a race back to New York.
[edit] Cast (Vehicle)
- Michael Sarrazin as Michael Bannon (AC Cobra)
- Nicholas Pryor as Professor Samuel Graves (AC Cobra)
- Tim McIntire as Steve Smith (Ferrari Daytona)
- Raúl Juliá as Franco Bertollini (Ferrari Daytona)
- Norman Burton as Lieutenant Roscoe
- John Durren as Ace "Mr. Guts" Preston (Camaro Z-28)
- Gary Busey as Gibson (Chevrolet Camaro Z-28)
- Joanne Nail as Jane (Porsche 911)
- Susan Flannery as Alice (Porsche 911)
- J. Pat O'Malley as Barney Donahue (Mercedes-Benz 300SL)
- Vaugn Taylor as Andy McAllister (Mercedes-Benz 300SL)
- Lazaro Perez as Jose (Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow)
- Tricia O'Neil as Angie (Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow)
- Harvey Jason as Lapchick The Mad Hungarian (Kawasaki)
- Steven Keats as Kandinsky (Dodge Polara police car)
- Wally Taylor as Avila (Dodge Polara police car)
- Eddy Donno as Mel (Chevy Van)
- Dick Karie as Joe (Chevrolet Van)
- Alfred Shelly as Harry (Chevrolet Van)
- Whitey Hugehs (Chevrolet Corvette)
- Larry Silvestri (Chevrolet Corvette)
- Wes Dawn (Jaguar)
- John Morton (Jaguar E-Type)
- Stephen Blood as "Rabbit" (Hot Rod)
- Linda Vaughn as Emergency Plan Alpha
[edit] Production
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Most of the filming took place in Arizona. Opening scenes of the race were filmed in downtown New York City early on a Sunday morning on closed roads (including Broadway and Park Avenue.) The final duel between the Cobra and Ferrari was filmed at (and in) the Los Angeles River and the closing scene was shot at the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
