The Speed Kings
About The Speed Kings
At a racetrack, Mabel Normand’s father tries to stop her growing interest in the driver Teddy Tetzlaff. Earl Cooper races as himself, and Barney Oldfield appears as himself. Roscoe Arbuckle plays a man working the track. The short cuts the family quarrel against footage of the actual races.
Cast & crew
More about The Speed Kings
Wilfred Lucas directed this Keystone comedy. Mutual Film Corporation distributed it. Silent Era dates the release October 30, 1913, and says it was shot at a racetrack near Santa Monica. The main titles spell the driver’s name Tetzlaft. The sign on his car spells Tetzlaff. No copyright was registered.
Themes
Making
Keystone built the short around real race cars and real drivers at a track near Santa Monica, instead of a chase staged only in the studio.
Preservation
The short survives. Silent Era reports a 16mm reduction positive and a print in Richard M. Roberts’s collection. A copy is on the Internet Archive.
Notes
- Ford Sterling plays Papa. Mabel Normand plays his daughter.
- Teddy Tetzlaff, Earl Cooper, and Barney Oldfield appear as themselves. Oldfield’s part is a cameo.
- Roscoe Arbuckle, early in his film work, plays a racetrack official. Silent Era bills him as the masher.
- Billy Jacobs is in the cast, billed as Paul Jacobs.
- Silent Era lists a 16mm reduction positive and a print in the collection of Richard M. Roberts.
Scenes
- Mabel’s father tries to keep her away from Teddy Tetzlaff at the track.
- The film cuts to Tetzlaff and Earl Cooper in the actual races.
- Barney Oldfield appears as himself.
Also available
- Internet Archive (TheSpeedKings_1913)
