Money for Speed (1933)

Motorcycle speedway champion Big Bill Summers (Cyril McLaglen) has amorous intentions towards attractive young Jane (Ida Lupino)... See full synopsis »

Director:

Bernard Vorhaus

Writers:

Vera Allinson (adaptation), Monica Ewer (dialogue),

Stars:

John Loder, Ida Lupino, Cyril McLaglen

Cast

Credited cast:
John Loder	...	Mitch
Ida Lupino	...	Jane
Cyril McLaglen	...	Big Bill Summers
Moore Marriott	...	Shorty
Marie Ault	...	Ma
John Hoskins
Ginger Lees
'Cyclone' Davis
Lionel Van Praag
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Merritt
Frank Varey	...	Himself
Sam Wilkinson

Storyline

Motorcycle speedway champion Big Bill Summers (Cyril McLaglen) has amorous intentions towards attractive young Jane (Ida Lupino)... See full synopsis »

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Plot Keywords:

lost film | motorcycle racing

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Daredevils of Earth

Filming Locations:

Wembley Studios, Wembley, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hall Mark Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

A quart in a pint pot

Like many quota quickies- or the ones that have survived- Money For Speed has some surprising virtues as well as the defects of quickly-written, quickly-filmed stories. The most common defect is the attempt to cram the plot of a full-length film into an hour-long film and Money for Speed shows it; as a result, all of the characters are stereotyped without explanation for who they are or their motives- Mitch, the villain, is simply a villain from stage melodrama from the start, Bill the hero is a crude simple Aussie all the way through, Ida Lupino does her best with what would become her characteristic role- the tart with a heart- but doesn't have room or time to be convincing in her transformation. Indeed, one of the interesting aspects of this film- superbly shot footage of real speedway races and- given the time it was made and the economy required- surprisingly convincing and effective special effects- makes the plot yet more absurd and unmoving. All the same it's well worth seeing: if most of the dialogue clunks, the scenes in the commentator's box are convincing, even if they have to explain what's happening to the audience; the action scenes are well done; Lupino does her best with an underwritten part with some bad dialogue and the scene in the changing-room before the big race looks like a real brawl and carries a convincing atmosphere of hatred and the races are very well-filmed and exciting.