The Racing Strain (1932) On DVD

The victim of an Indianapolis Speedway smash-up, racer Jack Westcott lies beside the wreckage of his car and tells mechanic King Kelly his dying wish: that his small son Bill becomes "a credit to the game." Kelly raises the boy, and becomes a champion himself, but with the checkered flags comes a checkered life and a suspension for driving drunk. Worse yet, Bill, now 16 and nicknamed "Big Shot," is haunted by flash backs of his dad's crash and has an inherent dread of getting behind the wheel of a racecar. When Marian, daughter of a racing investor, takes an interest in the pair, their fortunes improve, and Kelly is reinstated. As the day of a big sweepstakes nears, Kelly's track rivals begin to worry about the ex-champ's prowess and conspire to keep him out of the race. Will their underhanded scheme succeed - and if it does, can "Big Shot" overcome his fears and let the racing strain come through? - Tom Weaver