Road Demon

After Tony Gambini and his family acquire a wrecked car, they fix it to use as a race car with Ted Rogers as the driver. Rogers competes against Skid, who was partially responsible for the death of Rogers' father at a race. During the last race, Rogers wins after Skid crashes into a wall after remembering Rogers' father.

The film is the second release in the Sports Series produced by 20th Century-Fox. The Memorial Day Speedway Classic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was filmed for scenes. Footage of well-known accidents that occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was used in the film.^[2] A model of the track and nearby buildings were built in 20th Century-Fox's lot with the supervision of millionaire racer Joe Thorne. Associate producer Jerry Hoffman obtained four of Thorne's cars that were previously used in a classic race and worth $70,000. Hoffman received the equipment to work on the motors, a racing shell, and a chassis. Garages used at the 1938 Memorial Day races were reproduced for the film.^[3]

The film stars the fictional Gambini Family who first appeared in the first Sports Series film Speed to Burn.^[3] Speed Demon is the first starring role of Joan Valerie. The film was released with Five of a Kind as a double feature.^[4]

Boxoffice Pro wrote that the film had "the best race sequences ever captured on film."^[2] Dorothy Masters of Daily News praised the newcomer actor Henry Arthur and said that "Henry Armetta, who plays the role of Papa Gambini for a second time, provides the film with most of its fun." Masters gave the film 2 1⁄2 stars.^[5] The Muncie Evening Press wrote, "Speed Demon has some exciting race sequences filmed at the Indianapolis track, showing America's fastest drivers, in action."^[6]