Born to Speed
Cast & Crew
Edward L. Cahn
Johnny Sands
Terry Austin
Don Castle
Frank Orth
Geraldine Wall
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Young Johnny Randall's father "Speed" was a famous midget racecar driver who died in a crash. Although Johnny's mother Kay knows he loves racing, she tries to dissuade him from the business by showing him a filmstrip of his father's death. She then sends Johnny to work for Breezy Bradley, an old friend of Speed, who runs an auto repair garage in Los Angeles, while also sending Breezy a letter asking him to keep Johnny out of racing. Johnny is immediately infatuated with Breezy's beautiful niece Toni, who manages his office. Although she is dating ace driver Mike Conroy, she likes Johnny. Seeing Johnny's enthusiasm for racing, Mike lets him race one of his drivers, and although Johnny is reckless on the track, he proves he has his father's talent. That night, Toni and Mike go out on a date. The next day, Mike offers to manage Johnny as one of his drivers, but Toni causes a fistfight between the men in the interest of Kay, and Johnny breaks his contract with Mike. Breezy agrees to be Johnny's manager, and together they fix up the "Bradley Comet," a car designed by Breezy that has a history of bad luck. To protect his mother, Johnny races as the "Masked Driver" and wins a series of California races. When he and Breezy return to Los Angeles, however, Toni angrily declares that she would never marry a racecar driver, proving to Johnny that she loves him. During the next race, Johnny is run off the track by one of Mike's drivers, Duke Hudkins, and lands in the hospital. Kay visits Johnny and although she encourages him to settle down and start a business, she knows that he must race one more time in order to restore his nerve. She also tells Toni that Johnny loves her and that she must support him. At home, Johnny finally admits his love to Toni, and she proposes to him. Johnny, now unmasked, repeats the race in which he was injured. While Mike is in the lead, Johnny, neck-in-neck with Duke, causes him to crash, and Duke is taken away in an ambulance as the race is stalled. Johnny is too shaken up to finish the race, but Toni insists she could never marry a man who lost his nerve and kisses him for good luck. Johnny successfully catches up with Mike as his left rear tire begins to loosen, and he crosses the finish line just as the tire falls off. Johnny announces that he will use his sweepstakes money to start the Bradley and Randall Complete Automotive Service, then kisses Toni.
Director
Edward L. Cahn
Cast
Johnny Sands
Terry Austin
Don Castle
Frank Orth
Geraldine Wall
Joe Haworth
Crane Wilbur
Crew
Oleg Cassini
Robert B. Churchill
Robert B. Churchill
Scott Darling
Eunice
Irving Friedman
W. Donn Hayes
Edward C. Jewell
Howard W. Koch
Alvin Levin
Armor Marlowe
L. John Myers
Jackson Rose
Marvin Stahl
Clarence Steenson
Ben Stoloff
George Teague
Bob Ware
Bud Westmore
Crane Wilbur
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The foreword to the film states: "Out of man's mania for speed grew the midget racer...A BULLET ON WHEELS. Though tiny in size the midget racer is mighty in power. Today, on scores of speedways from Maine to California, daring drivers pilot these little buzz-bombs in thrill-packed contests that draw over forty-five million fans a year....Most midget pilots work their way up from the Bush-League Circuits. Many a country barn and smalltown shed shelters a car which a speed-loving youngster is building. And many a dawn finds him secretly training, preparing himself for the chance of a lifetime." Music director Alvin Levin's name was misspelled as "Albert" in the credits. According to SAB, the title of Robert B. Churchill's unpublished original story was "Hell on Wheels." Johnny Sands was borrowed from Selznick-International studios for the film. Terry Austin was previously known as Vivian Austin.
