Also known as Grand Prix and Race For Life
Typical Victorian melodrama, typical for the age, maybe even a little retrograde. Story is about widower Harry Vard, an ex-racing driver and currently chief engineer of the Sylvan car. He has three children, one older daughter, Nelly, and two younger ones. An old schoolmate comes to him for a job and he gives him one. Nelly has a boy friend, a self described student Karel who is really the son of the owner of a rival car firm, Meteor. The old school chum tells a sob story and gets Harry to sign a loan for him from Sylvan's owner and then absconds. Harry is depressed and Nelly breaks a date with Karel who is taken up by a vamp. To make up the money Harry agrees to drive the firm's car in a Grand Prix race even though he promised his late wife he wouldn't. He is killed in practice. Immediately the married owner of Sylvan makes the moves on Nelly, and, when she defends her honor, has her thrown out of her apartment. She moves in with her grandmother and deposits her sister and brother in an orphanage. Karel, the vamp having dumped him, tries to apologize but his letter is stolen by the Sylvan owner. Nelly finds a job but discovers that the driver for Meteor in the Grand Prix has been kidnapped and talks the Meteor owner into giving her the car to drive but just then an assistant arrives with news that he signed up a couple of the Mercedes drivers who were idle. The owner is touched by Nelly's disappointment and gives her last year's car and tell her if she can make it to third he'll pay her the winner's share out of his own pocket.
Pretty standard stuff.
Then comes the race, the only reason to see this picture. Not that its anything authentic. The "racing cars" are enormous open touring cars complete with headlights and tool boxes on the running boards and a serpentine horn with a rubber bulb. There's a quick shot of the equally huge all white Mercedes team at the 1914 French Grand Prix which are at least stripped for racing. But the race begins with one car after the other starting at intervals under a fantastic Bohemian Art Nouveau start sign. The cars race over empty dirt roads. Undoubtedly under- cranked here and there, it still is fascinating to see these big cars at speed, clouds of dust rooster tailing behind them. Nelly's car isn't running so well and her mechanic repairs the car while at speed by going out on the running board and leaning on the fender. No CGI or process shot, it's a great stunt. Later the mechanic counter balances the car around turns like a racing sailboat. Of course Nelly wins the race. Then is taken to the hospital for exhaustion. Karel has returned in time to see the race and learns the truth and gives the Slyvan owner a good thrashing. Nelly recovers and marries Karel and everybody happy.
Not the most artistic film, it shows an almost automobile free Prague, country highways, both with numerous pile of horse flop. Then there are these cars racing on the dirt roads. This picture is principally interesting because of it glimpses into the reality of Bohemia circa 1922. BC. Before cars.
Typical Victorian melodrama, typical for the age, maybe even a little retrograde. Story is about widower Harry Vard, an ex-racing driver and currently chief engineer of the Sylvan car. He has three children, one older daughter, Nelly, and two younger ones. An old schoolmate comes to him for a job and he gives him one. Nelly has a boy friend, a self described student Karel who is really the son of the owner of a rival car firm, Meteor. The old school chum tells a sob story and gets Harry to sign a loan for him from Sylvan's owner and then absconds. Harry is depressed and Nelly breaks a date with Karel who is taken up by a vamp. To make up the money Harry agrees to drive the firm's car in a Grand Prix race even though he promised his late wife he wouldn't. He is killed in practice. Immediately the married owner of Sylvan makes the moves on Nelly, and, when she defends her honor, has her thrown out of her apartment. She moves in with her grandmother and deposits her sister and brother in an orphanage. Karel, the vamp having dumped him, tries to apologize but his letter is stolen by the Sylvan owner. Nelly finds a job but discovers that the driver for Meteor in the Grand Prix has been kidnapped and talks the Meteor owner into giving her the car to drive but just then an assistant arrives with news that he signed up a couple of the Mercedes drivers who were idle. The owner is touched by Nelly's disappointment and gives her last year's car and tell her if she can make it to third he'll pay her the winner's share out of his own pocket.
Pretty standard stuff.
Then comes the race, the only reason to see this picture. Not that its anything authentic. The "racing cars" are enormous open touring cars complete with headlights and tool boxes on the running boards and a serpentine horn with a rubber bulb. There's a quick shot of the equally huge all white Mercedes team at the 1914 French Grand Prix which are at least stripped for racing. But the race begins with one car after the other starting at intervals under a fantastic Bohemian Art Nouveau start sign. The cars race over empty dirt roads. Undoubtedly under- cranked here and there, it still is fascinating to see these big cars at speed, clouds of dust rooster tailing behind them. Nelly's car isn't running so well and her mechanic repairs the car while at speed by going out on the running board and leaning on the fender. No CGI or process shot, it's a great stunt. Later the mechanic counter balances the car around turns like a racing sailboat. Of course Nelly wins the race. Then is taken to the hospital for exhaustion. Karel has returned in time to see the race and learns the truth and gives the Slyvan owner a good thrashing. Nelly recovers and marries Karel and everybody happy.
Not the most artistic film, it shows an almost automobile free Prague, country highways, both with numerous pile of horse flop. Then there are these cars racing on the dirt roads. This picture is principally interesting because of it glimpses into the reality of Bohemia circa 1922. BC. Before cars.
