The Checkered Flag (1963)
Directed and written by William Grefé, The Checkered Flag is a low-budget, regional drama that blends auto racing thrills with noir-style betrayal. Shot in Florida and released by Motion Picture Investors, it marked Grefé’s first screenplay and directorial effort, launching a career that would later veer into exploitation and horror cinema.
Plot Summary
The story centers on Bill Garrison (Joe Morrison), a young race car driver who becomes entangled in a deadly plot. The alcoholic wife of aging racing champion Rutherford (Charles G. Martin), named Bo (Evelyn King), seduces Bill and convinces him to murder her husband. As the tension builds, the film races toward a twisted finale where no one escapes unscathed.
Cast Highlights
- Joe Morrison as Bill Garrison
- Evelyn King as Bo Rutherford
- Charles G. Martin as Rutherford
- Peggy Vendig as Ginger
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- Grefé was working full-time as a firefighter while making the film, shooting mostly on weekends
- Originally hired only as a screenwriter, Grefé took over directing when the original director fell ill
- The film was shot using stock footage from Florida’s Sebring Raceway, giving it a semi-documentary feel
- It features a Calypso-style soundtrack, adding a unique regional flavor to the gritty narrative
- Though not widely distributed, it’s considered a grindhouse curiosity, foreshadowing Grefé’s later cult films like Death Curse of Tartu and Mako: The Jaws of Death
