High Gear, an explosive auto racing drama from the thirties, begins with the tragic death of racecar driver James Murray’s racing team member who is killed on the track. Shaken by his death, Murray decides to quit the high intensity racing circuit and get a job as a simple taxi driver. But Murray’s circumstances become more complicated, as he falls in love with a beautiful newspaper reporter (Joan Marsh) and adopts an orphaned little boy. Murray feels the urge to provide a good life for his family, and decides to give racing another try. High Gear is touching and expertly produced. Murray and Marsh give great performances, as one would expect given their pedigree. But High Gear also supplies a spectacular look at old, vintage racecars and what the auto world was like in the early twentieth century.
