‘A League of their Own’ meets ‘Hairspray,’ High Heels on Wheels is the story of a young woman’s quest to be a roller derby skater.
It’s 1965, and Doris Selander is the best carhop in town. When she learns there’s an open spot on the local derby team, Doris knows this is a chance to make her dream of being a skater come true.
There are a few things standing in her way. She’s made an enemy in Bucket Seat Betty, the team leader, when she tries to impress her at the diner. Instead, she delivers cold food, klutzy service and a spilled milkshake.
Her mother wants her to be ladylike and learn a skill, but what lady wants to type? She secretly skips a secretarial pool interview and makes a catastrophic blunder at the try-outs. She doesn’t make the team but the coach offers her the position of manager.
She meets and falls for Sally Lustin, the Derby’s biggest fan and world famous folk singer. Discovering she is a lesbian is an enlightening surprise to Doris and a disappointment to Rob, her childhood best friend. Sally’s husband and manager, Stu, isn’t happy either and won’t let the blossoming affair wreck Sally’s career and closeted status, or his lavish lifestyle.
Doris is a good sport, but she’s not going to stand still while the world skates by. When the Derby Team travels, they are also known as the “Sanger’s Bangers” and deliver birth control to states where it is still illegal. Bucket Seat Betty Doris joins them to prove her worth.
This is a story of a young woman staying true to her dream of wearing High Heels on Wheels, when the roller derby was one of the few places a woman could excel as an athlete and shine.
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