Okay, that title belongs to a different movie, but the feeling is the same. We have an over-sixty Regis Toomey--a legendary and very prolific character actor--driving a sports car. How many sixty-somethings drove race cars in the late 1950's? The only one I can think of was Mel "Man of a Thousand Voices" Blanc, and he almost met his end by driving too fast in a sports car...but I digress.

Toomey plays Miles, a typical father who catches some punks trying to steal his hot wheels. He threatens to call the law, they don't listen, and they subsequently wage a campaign of fear against Miles and his wife.

Things come to a head when Miles pulls a gun on the leader of the punks and forces him to drive faster and more dangerously, hence the 'joy ride' term employed as the title.

While I won't give away the ending, the film has a few very good scenes, particularly when Miles loses his temper. Regis Toomey almost always played the nice guy, the next-door neighbor, the local cop. He was the ultimate character actor, dependable, and people would say, "Yeah, I know that guy. I've seen him in ____ movie."

Here, he plays the lead and when he gets pi--ed off, he's excellent. Ann Doran plays his wife, and she's decent enough. The rest of the cast is okay. As for the direction, Edward Bernds was known as a get-it-done and get-it-done-fast type of director, but he delivers a fast-paced and functionally solid effort this time out.

Worth a watch.

The film noir subgenre emerged in the 1940s and 1950s and is characterized by its dark, moody atmosphere, intricate plots, morally ambiguous characters, and distinctive visual style. These stories often depict crime, mystery, and psychological drama with a strong emphasis on shadows, contrasts, and visual storytelling techniques. The term "film noir" is French for "black film."

Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946)

The crime genre features criminal activities, investigations, law enforcement, crimes, and the pursuit of justice. Crime stories often revolve around the planning, execution, and consequences of criminal acts, as well as the efforts to solve and prevent such acts. They explore various aspects of criminal behavior, motives, and the moral dilemmas faced by both perpetrators and those seeking to uphold the law.

James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

Teenage story of a bad apple in a barrel evolving from a kid's desire to drive a new T-bird.

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Paul Frees, Lyn Thomas, and Bill Williams in Space Master X-7 (1958)

Melanie Griffith, Robert Carradine, Desi Arnaz Jr., and Anne Lockhart in Joyride (1977)

Steve Zahn, Leelee Sobieski, and Paul Walker in Joy Ride (2001)

Diana Dors and George Gobel in I Married a Woman (1958)

Nora Hayden, Lyn Thomas, and Bill Williams in Alaska Passage (1959)

Cesare Danova, Danielle De Metz, Sean McClory, and Joan Staley in Valley of the Dragons (1961)

Joy Ride

Photos1

Top Cast12

User reviews5

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed