Corky
Carrollton & Farmers Branch
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Corkey was released in 1972. 

One of race scenes was filmed in Crandall, Texas at the Thunderbird Speedway, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating dirt track in Texas. This was the race with Ben Johnson playing the track owner. The scene was supposed to take place in Louisiana to show that Corky was headed to Atlanta.

The figure-8 race scene where Corky pops his hood and deliberately rams his rival was filmed at Sportsdrome Speedway on Davis St. in Grand Prairie, Tx. It is long gone, but was adjacent to where the still-operating Yello Belly Drag Strip is.

The scene where they ride the Ferris wheel at the carnival was filmed at the grand opening of a Leonard's department store at the corner of St. Hwy. 360 and Pioneer Parkway in Arlington, Texas. The scene where Robert Blake and Christopher Connelly were trying on women's wigs was filmed inside that store. The Forum 303 mall was added onto that store about a year later. The whole thing was demolished a few years ago and an office park was erected in its place.

You can clearly see the Dallas skyline when Corky and his friend are driving out of Dallas to Atlanta.

Parts of this film were shot in Farmers Branch, TX. One screen was shot from the Valwood Cleaners (The two story white building with "Valwood Cleaners" on the side. This building was part of the old Downtown Farmers Branch area, now completely gone. A little later, the garage scene was shot near the corner of Valwood and Denton Drive. You can see the Texaco and Jack-in-the-Box that are still there. I remember the filming, helicopters flying up and down Denton Drive for a few days. Everyone went out to watch the filming !

I remember parts of it being filmed in Farmers Branch along Denton Drive.  Bill Sheppard, a realtor in Farmers Branch back then, let them use his house.  I think it was used as the Beer Store.  The movie apparently never released on VHS or DVD but can be found in boot-let versions.

The movie stared Robert Blake and is posted on www.imdb.com  | Comments


Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams

 


The Valwood Cleaners was located at the corner of Valley View and Denton Drive,
in the old Farmers Branch Downtown area, now completely gone.

 

This sequence was at the corner of Valwood and Denton Drive.  I believe the gas station is where the
Taco Bueno sits today.  The bottom frame you can recognize the Texaco and the Jack-in-the-Box
on the service road.

 

Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams


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