Review of The Pace That Kills

Worth seeing for Virginia Roye, who (admittedly aided by skillful make-up) gives a marvelously shattering performance as the shopgirl who introduces our innocent hero, Eddie Bradley (well played by Owen Gorin), to drugs. Miss Roye made only four films. She had inconsequential roles in two shorts and then played the second female lead in "The Road to Ruin". In this one, she is most certainly the female lead, even though Thelma Daniels (in a small role as the rustic hero's backwoods love) is billed second to Owen Gorin's farm boy who is led astray by Virginia Roye's city-smart Fanny O'Reilly. Then comes Florence Turner in a now-you-see-her-now-you-don't part as Eddie's anxious but not over-bright mum. Florence Dudley is listed next. She plays the hero's sister. We catch exactly two glimpses of her, and that's that! Harry Todd, whom I don't remember at all, his part is so small, is next in the billing. Then comes Arnold Dallas in a nothing role as Handsome Nick, king of the underworld. The actor who plays the part of the streetwise dope peddler is not billed at all, even though he is not only most convincing in the role but adds little touches of business which I'm sure were his own inventions. Except for Virginia Roye, nobody else adds anything extra to their roles! And then finally, Virginia Roye, who has actually more screen time than any other character except maybe our brainless, easily-led-astray hero, played by Owen Gorin. (I'm talking, of course, of the Kodascope version of the film, not of the original seven-reel theatrical release. The 16mm five-reel Kodascope cutdown runs 64 minutes and is now available on a very good DVD from Grapevine Video).