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Kid Speed

1924

Distribution: Educational Film Exchanges / Chadwick Pictures Corporation / Larry Semon Productions

Release date: 16 November 1924		Silent short: 2 reels
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Directors: Larry Semon, Noel Mason Smith		Titles: Leon Lee
Producer: Larry Semon		Cinematography: Hans F. Koenekamp
Screenplay: Larry Semon, Noel Mason Smith		Presenter: E.W. Hammons

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Dangerous Dan McGraw (Oliver Hardy) is with his over-worked and under-appreciated mechanics in his garage as they work on his car.  McGraw is throwing his ample weight around, clobbering a couple of his mechanics for incompetance and then laughing about it.  He is not in a good mood. One of the mechanics reluctantly hands McGraw a letter which is from his racing promoter friend Avery DuPoys (Frank Alexander).  The message informs him that Avery is coming over to the garage with his daughter Lou (Dorothy Dwan), who is excited about seeing the car before the big race it is due to enter.  Avery and Lou arrive shortly afterwards. Meanwhile, Dan's racing rival, the Speed Kid (Larry Semon) is in his own garage checking himself out in a cracked mirror, as his mechanic (Curtis McHenry) works feverishly under his racing car.  As Larry takes a closer look at the car, a misfire from the engine deposits a huge amount of oil onto his face from underneath.  The black mechanic doesn't come off any better, leaving a white mark around his eyes.  The engine continues to fire off from its cylinders, waking the town sheriff, the rather unfortunately named Phil O'Delfya (Grover Ligon), in his bed.

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Facts

•Filmed September - October 11, 1924 at the Charles Ray Studios and the Santa Monica Auto-race Course. [source: Rob Stone]

•The film is also known as The Four Wheeled Terror.

•Copyrighted November 24, 1924 (LP20799) by Chadwick Pictures Corporation. [source: Rob Stone]

Did you notice?

•The film is available on DVD under two different titles; Kid Speed and The Four-Wheeled Terror.  The majority of the film is the same on both but there are some slight differences.  In the opening scene Hardy punches one of his mechanics out into the street and then the next shot shows him wearing a white shirt inside.  The "Kid Speed" edit extends this scene by a few frames, whith Hardy hitting the second mechanic and then removing his jacket.  Also, the "Four Wheeled-Terror" print misses out the opening intertitle card.

•Above the garage hangs a sign which reads: "Garage - Blacksmith General Repairs".

•Larry Semon's car has the number 14 on it.

•The sheriff's name is Phil O'Delfya - a play on words for Philadelphia.

	Larry Semon Larry, the Speed Kid
	Dorothy Dwan Lou DuPoise
	Oliver Hardy Dangerous Dan McGraw
	Frank Alexander Mr. Avery DuPoise
	Grover Ligon Sheriff Phil O'Delfya
	James J. Jeffries Blacksmith
	Curtis McHenry The Speed Kid's co-driver
	William Hauber (unknown role)