Speed To Spare

"Live high! Die young! Have fun while it lasts!" is the oft-repeated motto of hotrod jockey Cliff Jordan (Richard Arlen). When his old friend Jerry offers Cliff an opportunity with his trucking firm, the hotheaded daredevil jumps at the chance. Flaunting company policy, Cliff brings his non-conformist attitude along for the ride as reckless truck driving demerits pile up.

Rogue trucker, Pusher (Ian MacDonald), angrily plots to sabotage the fleet when he is replaced by Cliff. Pusher focuses his obsessive hatred on Cliff for taking his job. Forced to watch his back, Cliff places his trust in his partner, Jerry, but finds himself in hot water again when he is unable to resist his attraction to a beautiful woman.

Featuring a spectacular selection of cars from the 1940s and crisp black and white photography from cameraman Ellis W. Carter, Speed To Spare is a fast-paced racing drama. Along with Val Lewton's Youth Runs Wild (1944), Speed To Spare anticipates the delinquent youth gangs that plagued the 1950s.

When rebellious racecar driver Cliff Jordan (Richard Arlen) gets offered a job at his pal's trucking company, he eagerly climbs on board. His mischievous ways soon surface, however, turning the once-functional business into a ridiculous free-for-all. Things really light up when another troublemaker named Pusher (Ian McDonald), who used to have Cliff's job, decides that his unemployment is all Cliff's fault. With each man waging a war on one another, it is a chaotic race to the finish. Because car racing plays such a central role, many stunning car models from the 1940s can be seen throughout the film.