Danger on Wheels (1940)

61 mins | Drama | 2 February 1940

Director:

Christy Cabanne

Producer:

Ben Pivar

Cinematographer:

Elwood Bredell

Editor:

Maurice Wright

Production Designer:

Jack Otterson

Production Company:

Universal Pictures Co.
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HISTORY

The working title of this picture was Test Driver. Although the onscreen credits list John Holmes's character as "Eddie Dobbs," the Var review names him "Winkler." According to the Var review, the film was based on the exploits of stuntman Lucky Teeter and contains film clips from Teeter's show. ...

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The working title of this picture was Test Driver. Although the onscreen credits list John Holmes's character as "Eddie Dobbs," the Var review names him "Winkler." According to the Var review, the film was based on the exploits of stuntman Lucky Teeter and contains film clips from Teeter's show.

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Film Daily
16 Apr 1940
p. 7
Hollywood Reporter
20 May 1940
p. 3
Variety
17 Apr 1940
p. 13
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTOR
PRODUCER
Prod
WRITERS
Orig story
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTORS
Art dir
Harold H. MacArthur
Art dir assoc
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
SET DECORATOR
R. A. Gausman
Set dec
COSTUMES
Gowns
MUSIC
Mus dir
SOUND
Jesse Bastian
[Sd] tech
DETAILS
Alternate Title:
Test Driver
Release Date:
2 February 1940
Production Date:

Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Universal Pictures Co.
31 December 1939
LP9335
Physical Properties:
Sound
Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
61
Length(in reels):
6
Country:
United States
PCA No:
5835
SYNOPSIS

"Lucky" Larry Taylor, a stunt driver at the Atlas Motor Company, earns the enmity of Atlas race driver Bruce Crowley when he orders Bruce's girl friend, June Allen, off the track. The night before the big race, Larry is invited by mechanic Guppy Wexel to see the revolutionary new oil burning engine that inventor Pop O'Shea has developed. Pop and his daughter Pat are wary of Larry, but Eddie Dodds, their young driver, eagerly asks Larry's advice about the big race. On the day of the race, the animosity between Bruce and Larry explodes into a fistfight, and later Bruce demands that Allen, the head of the company, fire Larry or Bruce will quit. Faced with Bruce's ultimatum, Allen fires Bruce and hires Larry to drive in his place. As revenge, Bruce instructs the other drivers to box in Larry's car, and as a result, Larry is forced off the track and crashes. The accident kills Eddie as well as O'Shea's dreams, and the old man is hospitalized. In the controversy over the cause of the crash, the O'Shea engine is banned from the track and Larry is demoted to test driver. Finally exonerated, Larry is reinstated as the Atlas race driver and tries to convince Allen to install O'Shea's engine in the Atlas car. Because the engine has been banned, Allen refuses, but Larry decides to prove its potential by secretly installing the engine in his racecar. The race begins with Larry facing his old rival Bruce driving the O'Shea gas engine. As Pop listens from his hospital bed, Larry wins the race in record time, and after ...

More Less

"Lucky" Larry Taylor, a stunt driver at the Atlas Motor Company, earns the enmity of Atlas race driver Bruce Crowley when he orders Bruce's girl friend, June Allen, off the track. The night before the big race, Larry is invited by mechanic Guppy Wexel to see the revolutionary new oil burning engine that inventor Pop O'Shea has developed. Pop and his daughter Pat are wary of Larry, but Eddie Dodds, their young driver, eagerly asks Larry's advice about the big race. On the day of the race, the animosity between Bruce and Larry explodes into a fistfight, and later Bruce demands that Allen, the head of the company, fire Larry or Bruce will quit. Faced with Bruce's ultimatum, Allen fires Bruce and hires Larry to drive in his place. As revenge, Bruce instructs the other drivers to box in Larry's car, and as a result, Larry is forced off the track and crashes. The accident kills Eddie as well as O'Shea's dreams, and the old man is hospitalized. In the controversy over the cause of the crash, the O'Shea engine is banned from the track and Larry is demoted to test driver. Finally exonerated, Larry is reinstated as the Atlas race driver and tries to convince Allen to install O'Shea's engine in the Atlas car. Because the engine has been banned, Allen refuses, but Larry decides to prove its potential by secretly installing the engine in his racecar. The race begins with Larry facing his old rival Bruce driving the O'Shea gas engine. As Pop listens from his hospital bed, Larry wins the race in record time, and after passing the finish line, reveals that he is driving the O'Shea oil burning engine. For his prank, Larry is suspended from racing and his car is disqualified, but all ends happily as Atlas buys the engine, and Pat and Larry plan to marry.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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