Burn 'Em Up O'Connor (1939)

A series of identical accidents kills racing drivers, but a dim-witted mechanic suspects they were not accidents.

Director:

Edward Sedgwick

Writers:

Malcolm Campbell (novel), Milton Merlin (screenplay),

Stars:

Dennis O'Keefe, Cecilia Parker, Nat Pendleton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Jerry O'Connor
Cecilia Parker	...	Jane Delano
Nat Pendleton	...	Buddy Buttle
Harry Carey	...	P. G. 'Pinky' Delano
Addison Richards	...	Ed Eberhart
Charley Grapewin	...	'Doc' Heath
Alan Curtis	...	Jose 'Rocks' Rivera
Tom Neal	...	'Hank' Hogan
Tom Collins	...	'Lefty' Simmons
Frank Orth	...	Tim 'Mac' McKelvy
Frank M. Thomas	...	Jim Nixon
Si Jenks	...	Mr. Jenkins
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clayton Moore	...	Hospital Interne (as Jack Carlton)

Storyline

Racing car enthusiast Jerry O'Connor and his dim-witted mechanic, Buddy Buttle, get their chance to join the crew of race car builder Pinky Delano, who just suffered a setback when one of his drivers was killed by failing to make a turn on the track. Then, one by one, his other drivers suffer the same fate, until it is Jerry's turn to drive in the big race. Buddy tries an experiment and determines these were no accidents but is it too late to help Jerry, who has started the race?

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Plot Keywords:

mechanic | eye wash | indianapolis 500 | slang | deceit | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 January 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kuoleman leikki

Company Credits

Production Co:

Loew's, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Electrical Power (1938)

User Reviews

Too many faults hurt this automobile racing drama/murder mystery.

Do you think any race car driver can negotiate a track blindfolded while going over a hundred miles per hour, even with someone giving a whistle at one of the tricky turns? That's one of the idiocies of this film, which asks us to suspend disbelief once too often. I have always liked Dennis O'Keefe, but he comes across here as a pest and nuisance as he joins a racing car group headed by Harry Carey, Sr., mostly because of Carey's daughter, Cecilia Parker, to whom he is attracted. Another problem with the film is that O'Keefe and Parker have zero chemistry together. I don't think Parker smiled even once; she seemed not to be enjoying even being in the film. I enjoyed Nat Pendleton's comic antics, and some of the acting of the drivers Tom Neal and Tom Collins. But overall, it's not much of a racing drama or a murder mystery.