Speed (1936 film)
| Speed | |
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1936 Theatrical poster, Tagline: Romance at 300 miles per hour!
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| Directed by | Edwin L. Marin |
| Produced by | Lucien Hubbard |
| Written by | Michael Fessier Milton Krims (story) Lawrence P. Bachman (story) (as Larry Bachman) |
| Starring |
James Stewart Wendy Barrie |
| Music by | Edward Ward |
| Cinematography | Lester White |
| Edited by | Ben Lewis |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
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Release date
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May 8, 1936 |
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Running time
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65 (alternately 70, 72) minutes (Black and white) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Speed is a 1936 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer action film starring James Stewart in his first starring role, and Wendy Barrie. Although only a low-budget "B" movie, the film was notable for its realistic cinematography by Lester White, incorporating scenes from the Indianapolis 500 race and on-location shooting at the Muroc dry lake bed, used for high-speed racing by "hot rodders" in the 1930s. Advance publicity trumpeted that Stewart drove the specially-prepared "Falcon" to 140 mph (230 km/h).
Auto mechanic Terry Martin (James Stewart), the chief car tester for Emery Motors in Detroit, is working on his own time to perfect a revolutionary design for a new carburetor. Automotive engineer Frank Lawson (Weldon Heyburn) is a rival for the attention of Jane Mitchell (Wendy Barrie), who has just been hired to work in the publicity department. Terry has little formal education and resents inferences that his knowledge of cars is inferior to that of the trained Lawson. He nearly loses his job when he makes a jealous spectacle of himself at a company dinner dance that Jane attends with Frank.
Working out the bugs of the new carburetor proves to be troublesome for Terry and his fellow mechanic "Gadget" Haggerty (Ted Healy). Jane, attracted to Terry despite his "inferiority complex," arranges with company vice president Mr. Dean (Ralph Morgan) to have the work financed by Emery, on the condition that Frank be added to the team. Their car races in the Indianapolis 500 to test the carburetor despite Terry's hunch that something is still wrong with it. Fighting for the lead, it ends up crashing, injuring Terry and nearly killing Gadget. Terry blames Frank, who insisted the car was ready, until Jane reveals she pulled strings to have Frank included in the project. Thinking that she loves Frank and wanted him to get all the credit for success, Terry angrily sends her away.
While Terry is recovering from his injury, Jane goes to bat for him. Emery's board of trustees have suspended further financing for the carburetor, but Jane gets their decision reversed, since she is secretly Jane Emery, the niece and heiress of the company's owner. In a new car designed to make a world speed record at the Muroc Dry Lake in California, Terry proves that his design works but nearly loses his life in the attempt. When a fuel pipe cracks, choking fumes are funneled into the cockpit causing the record run to end prematurely. Terry is severely injured. With only minutes to save his life, Frank places him in the car and drives it to the Muroc hospital at high speed, completing the world record run in the process. Terry is finally vindicated and wins the girl as well.
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