GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW

The ginchiest! Jimmie Madden

GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW (1959). Director: William Hole.

"She's the ginchiest!"

"They feel they have to become adults quickly. There may not be a tomorrow."

So these two flip chicks, Lois (Jody Fair) and Nita (Nancy Anderson), have a grudge match in their hot rods because, like, Nita's fella, bad boy Tony (Jack Ging), has a powerful hankering for Lois. Lois, who hardly ever wipes the grease off her face, loves cars most of all, but boy she also digs her steady beau, Dave (Henry McCann). But her old man and his old lady (Kirby Smith and Jeanne Tatum) -- that is, her parents -- forbid her to drive, wouldn't you know? Worse, these hot rod hipsters have to find a new place to hold their groovy costume party -- what to do, man, what to do? Lois' Aunt Anastasia (Dorothy Neumann of Teenage Doll) suggests they use an old, haunted house she owns. But will the flip chicks and their men be able to deal with, like, the ghost?

Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow is a lesser film from AIP, which pretty much tells the story. In addition to the main characters we've got actor/real-life racing enthusiast Tommy Ivo [The Cat Burglar] playing himself, Leon Tyler as Bonzo, and Russ Bender [War of the Colossal Beast] as a reporter digging into the teen hot rod scene. We've also got singer Jimmie Madden, also playing himself, who shows up at the party to warble the forgettable "Tongue-Tied." Paul Blaisdell, (hopefully) affecting a weird, squeaky voice, apparently plays himself as well, and wears the costumes he made for The She-Creature and Invasion of the Saucer Men. He's probably the best thing in the picture. The dance sequences are perfectly amiable, and the movie is dumb if good-natured. After retiring from acting in the late sixties, Tommy Ivo became a professional race car driver.

Verdict: Light years from Citizen Kane. *1/2.