Review of The Gumball Rally (1976) by Fredrick M — 06 Feb 2015

Directed by Chuck Bail (Black Samson (1974) and Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975)), who came up with the story with Leon Capetanos (Moscow on the Hudson (1984) and Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)).

This is a very silly and almost incoherent car race movie, which was inspired by the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. But, the film is a confused mess. It focuses on a number of people who gather in New York to compete in the Gumball Rally which has drivers going across America to Long Beach, California.

Competing in the race are businessman Michael Bannon (Michael Sarrazin), who initiated the race. There's Italian race driver Franco Bertollini's (Raúl Juliá), who is a womaniser, mechanic Gibson (Gary Busey), old timers Barney Donahue (J.

Pat O'Malley) and Andy McAllister (Vaughn Taylor). They have a nemesis in the form of New York Police Lieutenant Roscoe (Normann Burton), who hears about the race and is looking to put a stop to the race, and even trying to impound their cars.

It could have been a good film, but the only thing missing from this film is Burt Reynolds, but his car antic films in the form of Smokey and the Bandit and The Cannonball Run. But it's hard to identify or even care about the characters on display, it might have done well at the time, but it's not aged very well.