Wuchak Noted director Howard Hawks would make only two more films after "Red Line 7000" before calling it a day."Red Line" is a soap opera racing flick from 1965 that tries a bit too hard to be hip (no doubt on account of Hawks' previous film "Man's Favorite Sport?" being criticized as "old-fashioned"). It's corny at times and melodramatic at others, but it's fun and highlighted by some truly bizarre dance numbers, including clever usage of public domain music (be on the look out for the rockin' rendition of "The Old Gray Mare").The picture is generally considered to be one of Hawks' worst films, if not THE worst, but it's redeemed by the dynamic chemistry between James Caan and Marianna Hill, who plays a French girl. Caan displays the intensity and talent that would make him one of the better actors of the early 70s. And Hill's performance, on par with other memorable Hawks discoveries Lauren Bacall and Angie Dickinson, makes you wonder why she didn't become a bigger star before fading into obscurity. Particularly notable are Hill's two lusty dancing sequences, at the nightclub and later at the Holiday Inn Pepsi machine, as Caan observes her from afar.If you're not familiar with the incredibly gorgeous Marianna Hill, she played Dr. Helen Noel on the original Star Trek episode "Dagger of the Mind" from 1966 (1st season). Believe it or not, Hill was arguably the MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN to appear on the series (which is saying A LOT in light of the fact that Star Trek is highly noted for it's over-abundance of stunning beauties). She appeared in NUMEROUS television shows throughout the 60s and 70s (e.g. Batman, Kung Fu, Bonanza, Mayberry RFD, etc.) and also quite a few films like Elvis' "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" (1966), Clint Eastwood's "High Plains Drifter" (1973) and even STARRED in the underrated atmospheric horror flick "Dead People" (aka "Messiah of Evil" 1973).BOTTOM LINE: Hill and Caan redeem "Red Line 7000" and make it a mandatory purchase or viewing. The film should have focused exclusively on these two characters and gotten rid of everybody else (!), yet even with its weaknesses "Red Line" is still more intriguing than the more popular mid-60s race drama "Grand Prix." Unfortunately the film is only available used on VHS for WAY too much money. Hopefully it will be released on DVD some time soon! Allow me to close by repeating: MARIANNA HILL IS IN THE FILM!

gavin6942 The story of three racing drivers and three women, who constantly have to worry for the lives of their boyfriends.You know, Howard Hawks makes a lot of great films. And this one has a darn fine cast: James Caan, Teri Garr, George Takei (in a small role). But it just is not one of his better films by a long shot. In fact, it is mostly forgettable.We have a raspy voiced singer, which is typical of Hawks, but a terrible song and dance number to go with it. This makes the songs in Rio Bravo" look even better than they already are.Also, if screwdrivers (the beverage) were a trademarked name, this would be an incredible advertisement for screwdrivers. Why is that the drink that gets repeatedly ordered? Why name a drink at all? Seemed very strange, and the French woman came off sounding more Russian than French at times (with all due respect to Marianna Hill).

ARosser14 As a die-hard racing fan and a lover of the sport's history, not to mention early-mid 1960s vintage, I thoroughly looked forward to watching this film. And it first, it was quite good. The opening scenes at the Daytona International Speedway, highlighted by the kind of horrific, fiery accident that was all-too-commonplace during that era are well done. So are the rest of the racing scenes, save for one rather ridiculous bit of action at Daytona later in the film.Unfortunately, once the characters get away from the track, the movie starts to go downhill. The dialogue is uncomfortable and often downright bad, and the whole soap opera plays out rather disappointingly. Like most racing films, it shows great promise, but winds up well off the pace. I rate it 4 out of 10 thanks to the great racing scenes and the performance of James Caan. The rest, unfortunately, is all very forgettable.

waylonsmithers9 I first saw "Red Line 7000" in college. I was taking a class on the films of Howard Hawks, and the professor showed this the first week because it is considered by many to be Hawks' worst film, and the professor didn't want anyone who added the class during the "drop/add" period to miss one of the major Hawks films.Well, all I can say is that by the time this film was over, it became one of my all-time favorites. Sure, it's corny at times, and melodramatic at others, but who cares? It's a delicious soap opera with fun performances, a strange musical number, and clever usage of public domain music (check out the rockin' version of "The Old Gray Mare"!).Of the many cast members, the standouts are Marianna Hill as the French girl, Gaby, and the divine Gail Hire as Holly McGregor. Ms. Hire was described by one critic as a "junior-grade Paula Prentiss." I was going through a major Paula Prentiss phase at the time I saw the movie, so I was completely captivated by Ms. Hire's Prentissian performance (although her voice reminds me of Barbara Stanwyck's).But, really, this film is just brilliant. I love the dialogue, the interactions of the characters, and that they all live at the Holiday Inn. The use of the Inn creates a sense of community and, along with the presence of the Prentissian Ms. Hire, links this film with "Where The Boys Are."A must-see film!