This movie amounts to little of significance, but it has for some reason stuck in my consciousness ever since I saw it. With a well-known cast, I am a bit surprised it doesn't turn up occasionally on late-night or weekend small-station airings. The "smash-up" of the title is a massive 40 or 50-car accident on the Southern California freeway which both opens and closes the film. After the initial footage of the accident, the film skips back a day or two to tell the stories of several of the victims: a woman having an affair with a married man, some young criminals on the lam, a biker gang, and an elderly couple (the wife suffering from cancer), among others. The action leads back to the wreck, which is reshown in greater (and gorier) detail, followed by its immediate aftermath. The acting is rather good as I remember, especially Sian Barbara Allen as the "other woman" and Buddy Ebsen and Harriet Hilliard (Nelson) as the sweetly tragic elderly couple. As I've been writing this, I realize how much I'd like to see it again. I guess that amounts to a fairly strong recommendation.
