
Racing enthusiast Jack Ames joins the police department as a motorcycle officer. His first assignment is to the vice squad, which is investigating the smuggling of Chinese picture brides into the U.

Is Speed Wild worth watching today? Short answer: yes, but with significant caveats. This early action-romance is a fascinating curio for silent film enthusiasts and those intrigue...
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Comparing the cinematic DNA and archive impact of two defining moments in cult history.

Harry Garson

Harry Garson
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"Speed Wild" introduces Jack Ames, a spirited racing enthusiast who trades the track for a motorcycle officer's uniform within the police department's vice squad. His initial foray into law enforcement thrusts him into a tangled web of international crime, specifically the illicit trafficking of Chinese picture brides into the U.S. Amidst this high-stakes investigation, fate intervenes when Jack rescues Mary Bryant from a harrowing automobile incident. This chance encounter ignites a burgeoning romance, compelling Jack to pledge his assistance in reforming Mary's brother, Charles, who has unfortunately become entangled with the very smuggling ring Jack is pursuing. The gang's enigmatic leader, Wendell Martin, harbors his own affections for Mary, orchestrating a deceitful ploy to lure her onto his yacht under the false pretense that Charles is being held captive below deck. Jack, hot on the trail, narrowly evades a fatal ambush when Martin's enforcers force his motorcycle over a precipice. Upon discovering Mary's grave danger, Jack embarks on a relentless pursuit, confronting Martin and his cohorts in a desperate struggle until police reinforcements arrive, leading to the apprehension of the entire smuggling operation and, ultimately, Jack's triumph in winning Mary's affection.
H.H. Van Loan, Frank S. Beresford
United States


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