Hot Rod

Like something that rolled out of a garage in Andy Hardy's hometown of Carvel Indiana comes Hot Rod. James Lydon (whose radio and film portrayals of Henry Aldrich were perhaps but a half-block removed from Andy) stars as David Langham, an enterprising youth with an eye for the girls and an ear for a well-tuned high-compression machine. And his dad? He's a sagacious font of advice (Art Baker) who happens to be a small town judge. The film, which combines the excitement of tire-singing speed with a cautionary message about the perils of street racing, would see a stream of redlining exploitation flicks in its rearview, Hot Rod Girl, Hot Rod Gang and Hot Rods to Hell among them.