George Montgomery has a field day as a race car driver on the Southern circuit in the early 1970s. He won the Dayton 500, but he has fallen on hard times. Worse, he has an accident with another driver during a race in his hometown. The wife of the dead driver, who was incinerated in the conflagration that engulfed his car, blames our hero Paul Tunney (George Montgomery) for her husband's death. She all but places a curse on Tunney. Indeed, an undertaker (Cyril Poitier) arranges to have Tunney thrown into a casket so Carol Butler (Gay Perkins) can show how much she despises him. Literally, she stalks Tunney and he seems to catch a glimpse of her at every race. Eventually, after his fortunes really go south, Tunney has to drive with a team. It seems that he careened off the racetrack and smashed into a parked car. The ensuing explosion landed Tunney in the hospital. He has to sign away his house to get medical attention. Unfortunately, Tunney has to throw in with an unsavory crowd that want to utilize his unique driving skills. Nobody can catch Tunney when he is behind the wheel of a car. Tunney gives the cops a run for the money. One-time only Director Robert W. Stringer stages some excellent driving sequences on real-life roads. The best stunt in "The Daredevil" depicts our hero leaping his huge Ford across a river with the middle section of the bridge missing. Clearly, this is the scene that inspired "The Dukes of Hazzard." Terry Moore is the love interest and she beds down with Tunney. The ending is a lot like the ending of the Robert Mitchum movie "Thunder Road." This low-budget, home-made thriller captures America during a special time.
Review of The Daredevil
