From what I've read, "Sporting Youth" was an excellent film. The popular poster for this 1924 silent film starring Reginald Denny and Laura LaPlant is among the auto racing poster collection at Indianapolis Speedway. However, "Sporting Youth" race scenes were not filmed at Indy, but instead at a track just two and a half hour drive down the coast from its Monterey Del Monte Forest (Pebble Beach) local in neighboring San Luis Obispo County. (Google "Sporting Youth poster" under "images" to see a copy.)
This central coast city's 1-mile dirt track was advertised in the SLO Telegram-Tribune as the fastest in the country back in 1923. Even Italian born Indy 500 winner Ralph DePalma of Los Angeles set a speed record at San Luis Obispo's Exposition Park Raceway. The track is gone. It was done it by "cheapskate hill" patrons who could watch the races from the backside of the straight-away, opposite the covered grandstands portrayed on "Sporting Youth" movie poster.
The Expo Park site was later used in the 30's, 40's and 50's as a site for Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey, and Clyde Beatty circuses and Side Shows. But today you can still see part of the banked race track in the lawn at "Meadow Park" off of South Street in San Luis Obispo.
The local SLO County Historic society is looking for a copy of "Sporting Youth" to go along with their 1920's black & white photographs and movie film of races at Expostition Park Raceway. Would the UCLA film archives make one available?
This central coast city's 1-mile dirt track was advertised in the SLO Telegram-Tribune as the fastest in the country back in 1923. Even Italian born Indy 500 winner Ralph DePalma of Los Angeles set a speed record at San Luis Obispo's Exposition Park Raceway. The track is gone. It was done it by "cheapskate hill" patrons who could watch the races from the backside of the straight-away, opposite the covered grandstands portrayed on "Sporting Youth" movie poster.
The Expo Park site was later used in the 30's, 40's and 50's as a site for Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey, and Clyde Beatty circuses and Side Shows. But today you can still see part of the banked race track in the lawn at "Meadow Park" off of South Street in San Luis Obispo.
The local SLO County Historic society is looking for a copy of "Sporting Youth" to go along with their 1920's black & white photographs and movie film of races at Expostition Park Raceway. Would the UCLA film archives make one available?
