The Roller Derby Chronicles

This entertaining three-disc set includes Rolling Thunder, an all-new documentary on the evolution of roller derby that features action clips and interviews with stars of the sport; the award-winning 1971 cinema vérité film Derby, created by promoter Jerry Seltzer (whose father, Leo, invented the original concept in 1935, with his “marathon on wheels,” featuring two people skating across the country); and more than seven hours of rare footage from games of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Roller derby's longtime trackside announcer, Donald Drewry, introduces all three discs and hosts Rolling Thunder, which provides a good overview of the sport, including how the fledgling medium of television changed it in the 1940s, creating a big fan base and promoting larger-than-life derby personalities (whose grueling life on the road wasn't helped by their modest pay). These athlete-entertainers had to constantly sell the game, which meant giving interviews in each city and improvising new moves to keep the fans happy, all while dealing with second-rate accommodations, including segregated facilities for black skaters. In Derby, stars such as Ann Calvello and Charlie O'Connell recall past glories and muse on what the game meant to them, but much of the focus is on would-be skater Mike Snell, who wants to abandon his factory job for life on the track. DVD extras include a reprint of a 1969 Sports Illustrated article by Frank Deford. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)