An MGM SPORT CHAMPIONS Short Subject.
Yachtsmen of a very special breed gather from all over America for a most unusual DESERT REGATTA.
This fascinating little film from a bygone era shows the outboard motor speed record races which took place on Southern California's great Salton Sea, where even rocks float. The care & treatment of the small craft under these very harsh conditions is examined. The grueling race itself is shown, with the mood lightened by a dose of camera trickery. Pete Smith is the unconventional narrator.
Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.