Fireball 500 (1966)

Interesting facts

Fireball 500 is a 1966 stock car racing film, blended with the beach party film genre. A vehicle for stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, and Fabian, it was one of a string of similar racing films from the 1960s. Written by William Asher and Leo Townsend, and directed by William Asher, it tells the story of Dave Owens (Avalon), a stock car racer forced to run moonshine.

Production notes

The movie was part of a conscious attempt on AIP to move away from beach party movies, which were losing popularity, and go towards youth rebellion films such as Fireball 500 and The Wild Angels. AIP executive Deke Heyward said that:

The next big thing for teenage films is protest. Teenagers empathize with protest because they are in revolt against their parents... These films represent a protest against society. These will be moral tales, there will be good guys and bad guys. But we will show the reasons for young people going against the dictates of the establishment.

Stock car racing had already been the subject of Red Line 7000 but this movie would be specifically told from the teenagers point of view.

Director William Asher had made five beach party films for AIP with Avalon and Funicello. He co wrote the film with Leo Townsend, who had helped Asher write three of the beach party movies. Asher said "for the first time in these pictures we have a love affair consummated. And before marriage." Frankie Avalon's character got to have sex.

Fabian signed a multi picture deal with AIP in late 1965 and this was the first movie he made for them. He was meant to follow it with Robinhood Jones for AIP but that was never made. Frankie Avalon made it under his contract with AIP to be in two films a year for three years.

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