Speed Racer (1967–1968): Season 1, Episode 16 - The Fire Race: Part 1 - full transcript

The Inca land of Kapetepek, noted for its secrecy and treasures, hosts a race with foreign and native drivers. To ensure their land's privacy, the Kapetepekan drivers must win, at any cost.

Here he comes,
here comes Speed Racer

He's a demon on wheels

He's a demon and he's gonna
be chasing after someone

He's gaining on you
so you better look alive

He's busy revving up
the powerful Mach 5

And when the odds
are against him

And there's dangerous
work to do

You bet your life Speed Racer
will see it through

Go, Speed Racer
Go, Speed Racer

Go, Speed Racer, go!

He's off and flying as he
guns the car around the track?



He's jamming down the pedal
like he's never coming back

Adventure's waiting
just ahead

Go, Speed Racer
Go, Speed Racer

Go, Speed Racer, go!

Never!

The borders of my country
are closed, gentlemen.

We do not want visitors

interrupting our
peaceful way of life.

No country can keep
its borders closed

to the League of Countries.

You may be building
secret weapons!

He's right.

He's wrong!

He's right!



We do not trust any of you.

You may destroy our
ancient civilization,

and it's the people

of Kapedapek who
invented civilization.

We know that.
That's why we wonder

just what you're up to now.

Right.

We're
nosy!

What have you got to hide?

We have nothing to hide,

but we don't want
strangers in our land!

Chief Zuma, I order you
to open the borders

of your land, Kapedapek!

We are a proud people and
we will not do as you ask.

Do you have a man
in your country

who's braver than the rest?

We do.

Who is he?

The world's greatest
car racer, Kabala.

[chatter, yelling]

I propose a race between
your Kabala and a young man

we will put behind
the wheel of a car.

If Kabala wins, you may
keep your borders closed.

If our racer wins,
you must allow people

to visit your country.

All right. But Kabala will win,
and we will keep our borders

closed forever to
the world. Wait.

You will see how
easily Kabala wins

against whoever
races against him!

[chuckles]

[chuckles]

Stop the car!

Speed!

Come here!

[SPRITLE, TRIXIE, SPARKY]
Speed! Speed! Come here!

[SPEED]
Hi! What's up? Anything wrong?

You got an air mail letter.

[SPEED] Hey, it's from
the country of Kapedapek...

Huh?

[SPEED]
It invites me to go to Kapedapek

during their Fire Festival

and race against their
best racer, a man named Kabala.

Only if I win will their
borders be opened to the world.

What a fabulous
invitation, Speed!

I know it's going to
be a thrilling race,

and Kapedapek must be a
fascinating country to see!

And you've never raced
against this man named Kabala.

[TRIXIE]
Mm... A race during their

Fire Festival sounds romantic.

It sounds like fun to me.

[TRIXIE] I'm sorry, Spritle,
but you'll have to stay home.

That's an order.

That's what you say!
I'll ask Speed!

Take me with you!

Sorry.

Oh...

I have a feeling there
may be trouble in Kapedapek.

Trouble? What do
you mean, Speed?

I suspect that Kapedapek doesn't
have a race course to race on.

You're right, Speed.
They don't have one.

And the letter mentioned a race,
but it didn't say where or how.

There's something else that
seems very strange to me...

Kabala, the driver
I'm to race against,

has been missing
for a long time.

That is peculiar, Speed.

[SPEED]
And there's something else...

I feel that something
bad'll happen.

[SPRITLE, TRIXIE, SPARKY!]
Huh?

[TRIXIE] What makes you
feel that way, Speed?

Well, bad things
happen, I heard,

whenever this Kabala
is entered in a race.

For instance, there was the
Grand Flora and Fauna Handicap

in Wonbuktu.

[screams]

[chuckles]

[SPEED] Was that crash
caused accidentally or not?

We'll never know...

[VULTURE screams]

[SPEED]
In South America,

there was another race
along the Amazon River

in which the fiercest fish in
the world, the piranhas live.

[roars]

[DRIVER yelps]

[DRIVER screams]

[SPEED] There were other races,
too, with mysterious crashes.

And everybody is convinced
that those crashes

were caused by the
racer named Kabala.

You'll have to be
extra careful when you

race against him in Kapedapek.

Don't worry, Trixie, I will be.

And what's more,
I'm gonna beat him!

[SPARKY]
That's the spirit, Speed!

[NARRATOR]
And so, Speed wings his way

towards the strangest
race of his career.

Oh, hi.

[gasps]

[screams]

--[SPEED] Spritle!
--[SPRITLE gasps]

[SPRITLE]
He...

You're naughty! You
stowed aboard again!

Just what are we supposed
to do with you, Spritle?

Give me a spanking.
I deserve it.

[NARRATOR] This is the
airport at Kapedapek.

It is seldom used because the
country's borders are closed

to the outside world.

But today is a special day, and
special visitors are allowed in

so they may participate
in the Fire Festival Race.

The race against
the world-renowned

and mysterious
driver named Kabala.

All the famous drivers are here
today ready for the race!

Uh... Look, there's
Streak Martin talking to

Jim Charger and Guts Buster.

It's going to be a very
exciting race with all of them.

[SPEED]
Oh...

[SPARKY]
Look who it is.

Racer X, the masked racer!

So you're here, huh?

I didn't know that you were
invited to be in the race.

[RACER X] Well, I was, Speed,
and I'm looking forward to it.

Just look at the
tough competition

we're going to be against.

I'm looking forward to racing
against a driver named Kabala.

So am I, Speed,
and I think I can win.

But I warn you, you won't
have a chance of beating him.

Well, I'm gonna try
my best to beat him.

I will, too, Speed,
but I hear that the course

will be very tricky.

[NARRATOR]
Late that night,

the Kapedapekans hold
a weird ceremony.

Let it be made known that the
winner of the race will become

the bridegroom of my
granddaughter, Princess Sibana.

[gasps]

ISIBANA] But, Grandfather,
ll never promised

I would marry the winner!

Eh... The driver I would
like you to marry

is that one!

[TRIXIE]
Oh...

He looks as if he might be
the bravest man in the race,

and, if he is, then he's the
right one for my granddaughter.

But suppose he doesn't
wanna marry her!

I'd be glad to
be her bridegroom.

Will you be able to
beat Kabala tomorrow?

[KADAR]
Kabala? He's going to race?

Kabala will race and win.

Nobody is going to
be able to beat him.

[CHANCELLOR] Hmm... You're
positive Kabala will be in it?

Huh? Of course I am.

But it doesn't make sense to me.
Kabala disappeared years ago

and nobody has seen him or
knows what happened to him.

He might not be alive.

Racers, let me inform you
about Kabala of Kapedapek,

the bravest, fastest, and most
skilled driver in the world.

[ZUMA] This is Kabala's home,
and over on that wall

are pictures of the
racers he has beaten.

Those skulls in the upper-right
corners denote that those racers

never were able to race again.

A rogue's gallery of defeat.

Soon, these pictures will
have skulls in the corners.

[ZUMA laughs]

--[SPRITLE whimpers]
--[TRIXIE gasps]

[gasps, grunts]

Where's the treasure
of Kapedapek hidden?

All of my country's wealth!

That's right. I want to know

where that treasure
is kept hidden.

It's kept secret even from me!

[KADAR]
Is that so?

Stop lying, Sibana.
ll want that treasure,

and I'll stop at
nothing till I get it.

I'm not lying about it!
Grandfather wants to keep

our borders closed
against men like you!

Tell me where the treasure
is or you'll be sorry!

--[SPEED] Let go!
--[grunts]

[KADAR]
You'll be sorry you did that!

[gasps]

--[SPEED grunts]
--[THUGS groaning]

[sobbing, crying]

Oh, thank you.

Huh?

[THUG grunts]

I'll get even
with Speed Racer...

[ZUMA] Racers of the world,
I have just received a challenge

from the great Kabala.

Impossible! Kabala's dead.

[ZUMA] I have been told
by Kabala to warn you

that whoever races against him
tomorrow will never race again.

Your cars will be
smashed off the road

and it will be the end of you.

The end! Remember, whoever
races against Kabala

will meet with
terrible disaster.

[SPEED] I've got to take my
chances... and I've got to win.

[wind howling]

[NARRATOR] High into the
Kapedapekan mountains

go the racers

who soon will compete in
the Fire Festival Race.

BOTH gasp)

[whimpering]

Wow, I was really
scared for a minute.

I thought there were
ghosts out on the water.

Gentleman, the rafts will
bring your cars downstream.

Why are there so many bones
lying over there on the bank?

They're the bones
of men who tried to

get into our country and failed.

My grandfather leaves them
there as a warning to others.

This place is a dead-end.
It's impossible to race here.

Was everyone brought
here to race or explode?

[SIBANA] This is the secret
entrance to the most beautiful

and interesting part
of our country.

Very few people
have ever seen it.

Why do you keep it locked up?

My grandfather doesn't
want strangers ruining it.

They could spoil it forever.

Well, we're strangers.
Aren't you afraid of us?

Speed isn't a stranger...

Oh, but we're strangers, right?

Well, I don't think we're
going to destroy anything.

What's Trixie angry about?

Search me.

Oh, you wouldn't understand!

[ZUMA] The ancient city
of my ancestors.

The tribes of
Kapedapek lived here.

Looks like a fairy tale city.

If only those ruins could talk;
what a story they might tell.

Well, what do you
think of it, hmm?

The whole world should
see this marvelous city.

Is that so? You haven't
given up yet, eh?

[chanting]

Ah...

That eye's worth a fortune...

The rest of the
treasure must be nearby.

When I find it,
I'll be a very rich man.

[SIBANA] Oh, Speed, I hope
you'll win the race tomorrow.

That way, you'll prove to my
grandfather there's somebody

in the outside world
who's braver than Kabala.

I'll do my best to win,
Sibana, but ll don't even know

when the race is
scheduled to begin.

[SIBANA] Look over at
the volcano. When it erupts,

the Fire Festival starts
and the race will begin.

When it erupts, huh?

[SIBANA]
Yes!

Oh! Hmph!

Uh-oh...

[screaming]

Now it's almost time
for the race to begin.

The race to decide whether
or not my country's borders

will be open to the world.

Once every hundred years,
a volcanic tunnel is opened

underground, and today,
it should open!

[rumbling]

The race will be through
this volcanic tunnel

and will end at Mt. Rumble.

Whatever man makes it
through this terrible tunnel

will be acclaimed the
bravest man in the world,

and he will marry
my granddaughter.

The volcanic tunnel
is 800 miles long.

If you do not reach the
exit within five hours,

it will close, and you
will be trapped forever.

That really means it's
going to be a race for life.

It also means that, to win,
the average speed of the Mach 5

will have to be over
160 miles an hour!

[gasps]

[gasping]

You must heed my warning!
During the race,

you must not touch the
treasure of Kapedapek!

If you do, you will
pay with your life!

[KADAR] You wouldn't say that
unless the treasure is hidden

somewhere along the course.
That's all I need to know.

[gasping]

You're cowards! All of you!

Kabala of Kapedapek would not
be frightened as you are!

By the way, I noticed Kabala
hasn't shown up yet.

I wonder where he could be.

He will get here.
He will join the race.

[chuckles] We will
see about that...

[ZUMA]
Now!

Remember, Speed,
you've got to average

160 miles an hour
in order ot get out of

the tunnel before it closes
for another hundred years.

[SPARKY]
Get ready!

Go, Speed! Go!

[SPARKY]
Go!

Good luck!

Why don't you give up, Chief?
Kabala isn't going to make it.

The volcano will erupt once
again, and before it does,

Kabala will come.

Look at those cowards!

They're quitting the race
even before it starts!

Could it be that Kabala is
even too afraid to show up?

[gasps] Ohh...

[ZUMA] There he is!
There's Kabala of Kapedapek!

Now we're going to win!
Nobody can beat Kabala!

Nobody in the world!

I can't believe it!
That's him all right!

When the mountain
erupts this time,

our triumphant race will begin!

[laughs]

Start!

[ALL gasp]

Ahh!

[tires screeching]

Ohh...

[NARRATOR] Will Speed reach
the end of the race in time?

Or will he be sealed in
the volcanic tunnel forever?

See the next exciting episode!

Subtitles: Astro Nomenov

Go, Speed Racer
Go, Speed Racer

Go, Speed Racer, go!

Go, Speed Racer
Go, Speed Racer

Go, Speed Racer, go!