The Speed Demon

1912

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Fred Mace and Jack Pickford in The Speed Demon (1912)

"The Demon" owns a "near" racing car and wishes to enter the Santa Monica races. He catches a boob, whom he induces to put every dollar he has on his, "The Demon's," chance of winning. He ma... Read all"The Demon" owns a "near" racing car and wishes to enter the Santa Monica races. He catches a boob, whom he induces to put every dollar he has on his, "The Demon's," chance of winning. He manages to get into the race and by the time he has finished the run night has fallen and th... Read all"The Demon" owns a "near" racing car and wishes to enter the Santa Monica races. He catches a boob, whom he induces to put every dollar he has on his, "The Demon's," chance of winning. He manages to get into the race and by the time he has finished the run night has fallen and the spectators have gone home. To say the boob sucker was mad, doesn't express it fully.

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Cast11

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Fred Mace

The Speed Demon

Kate Toncray

The Speed Demon's Wife

Dell Henderson

Racing Official

Jack Pickford

The Speed Demon's Son

Sylvia Ashton

The Speed Demon's Wife's Friend

William J. Butler

In Crowd

Edward Dillon

Racing Spectator
(as Eddie Dillon)

Harry Hyde

A Judge

Charles Hill Mailes

Kudge
(as Charles H. Mailes)

Mack Sennett

Minor Role
(unconfirmed)

Charles West

Racing Spectator
(as Charles H. West)

Director
- Mack Sennett
Writer
- Dell Henderson
All cast & crew
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Trivia
Released as a split reel along with the comedy His Own Fault (1912).

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Review

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Max Sennett, businessman

This little film is interesting as an early example of Max Sennett, while still a second-string director at Biograph, just before setting up on his own, already using a film to publicise a sporting event (the Santa Monica races), a device frequently used later at Keystone and in Max Sennett Comedies - The Kid Auto Races for instance (famously featuring Chaplin) or Catalina, Here I Come (MSC 1922) which advertises the Wrigley Chewing Gum sponsored cross-Channel swim.

It was not an entirely original idea even in 1912. Max Linder is sometimes credited as having similarly sponsored an international cross-country race in 1906 but this does not seem to have been the case. He did however personally organise and present the prize in 1910 for a filmed cross-country race for Max Linder impersonators (evening dress, top hat, pipe, umbrella, a dog on a lead and a pair of roller skates all obligatory) although sadly the film in question does not seem to survive.

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