The Terrifying Gambler

High in the Alpine Mountains, Speed and Trixie are driving through treacherous blizzard conditions. Unable to see, Speed relies completely on Trixie's ultra-precise navigational directions. They're driving the Monte Carlo Rally with 300 miles left to go. If they get to Monte Carlo without being disqualified, they can compete in the Monte Carlo Grand Prix the day after tomorrow. Lesser drivers of cars spin out and crash. But Speed continues on. When he begins to pass a perfectly restored old red car, the driver of the car pulls a gun on Speed and Trixie and fires a few shots. Both cars stop. Out of the red car comes a well-dressed, bearded man with a monocle. He forces Speed to drive him into Monaco.

When the rally ends in Monaco, inspectors check each car. And geez the weez are they tough judges. Cars are disqualified for problems like broken headlights, or even for not having a properly sealed engine. Though they're surprised, they don't disqualify Speed for having bullet holes in the driver seat. [I need to double check, but I'm pretty sure that this is a continuity error since the Mach Five had the cockpit cover closed in the blinding snow. And we all know the cockpit is bulletproof.]

At police headquarters, Speed and Trixie are talking with Inspector Anton Dubious and trying to identify the mand in red. They fail to spot him in any mug shots, but see a picture of him in the newspaper the inspector is reading. It's a story about the man, Mr. Fast Bucks, and how he is a heavy winner in roulette.

At the casino, Mr. Bucks is playing his favorite game and betting repeatedly on Red 13. He wins. Inspector Dubious, Speed and Trixie approach him, and the inspector questions him about the previous night. Like any well-seasoned criminal, Bucks denies having ever seen Speed and claims to have been in the hotel playing roulette the past two evenings. When Speed says he's lying, Mr. Fast Bucks flips a chip and this Trixie in the cheek with it. Speed mentions that the man last night had trouble using his right arm, Bucks easily flexes his right arm. This seems to convince everyone that Mr. Bucks is not the man they want.

Later, Speed goes to Bucks' hotel room to ask about roulette thinking it will help him race better. [I think Speed may have been indulging in one to many of the casino cocktails.] Bucks tells him that you must study all details and that ``often when you feel lucky, you are lucky.'' He goes on saying that he is the most intelligent man in the world with the highest IQ and remembers everything he ever sees. When he removes his jacket, though, Speed sees his right arm is bandaged.

Fast Bucks then admits that he is the man from last night and that he had robbed a bank up north (France, we later find out). That, he claims, is only one of his many criminal activities and that he's wanted i nover a half dozen countries for robbery, murder, swindling and - the biggie - cheating at dominos. They fight. Bucks is a 2nd degree black belt in judo, but Speed defends pretty well. Then, Bucks shares that he's also a 3rd degree black belt in karate. Speed still holds his own. Then, Bucks grabs a foil from the wall, and Speed decides it's time to high tail it out of the room.

As Speed tries to exit the hotel, Bucks radios first a bellboy, then the kitchen staff, then some mean looking guys in black. They eventually corner Speed by a window on the 8th floor. Speed jumps out through the glass! He's able to crash in through a 7th floor window on the adjoining corner. When the elevator finally comes, Speed gets to the lobby only to have a desk clerk shoot at him.

Outside, Speed is driving a red car with a carload of the guys in black in hot pursuit. They fire repeatedly and eventually the red car catches fire. Just as the car is ready to crash Speed dives into the water that the road cuts through. The bad guys stop to make sure no sign of Speed can be seen. Speed has already swum ashore and is on the phone with Dubious telling him Bucks is definitely the culprit when he's knocked out by a gun butt to his neck. Police rush to Bucks' hotel to find it completely empty.

Shortly before the start of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, Trixie is wondering where Speed is.

We find out. Speed is tied to a revolving circular portion of a wall at Bucks' hideout. At the racetrack, the announcer is telling the audience that what makes this race unusual is that each racer is given a certain amount of gas and must finish the race with only that. Bucks tells Speed not to worry about missing the race because it will be cancelled. Moments later, the gas tanks at the track explode. Bucks tells Speed he'll destroy all the oil refineries in the world at noon today. Why, you wonder? So that his railroad stock will increase in value. Speed will be killed later. The wall revolves and has Speed in another room where a laser is making its way across the floor towards him. [Like in Race Against the Mammoth Car, this seems to be from the Fleming movie, Goldfinger. Looks like the animators are Bond fans, too.]

At trackside, Sparky and Trixie figure that Bucks is the culprit and must have a hideout up in the mountains. They get in the Mach Five and go - with Spritle and Chim Chim in their favorite hiding place, of course. On a mountain road, they come across a huge snow status of Fast Bucks. It explodes and covers the Mach Five in snow. Bucks takes them all prisoner. In his compound, Spritle and Chim Chim get loose and are shot at. Chim Chim gets to a control panel and hits a button that release the shackles holding Speed. And then our little chimp eats a small bomb! Speed and Trixie do their Avengers thing and with great martial arts acumen, are able to fight off many baddies. They all jump in the Mach Five and make their escape. Bucks tells his guys not to worry, because he knows Chim Chim ate a bomb which will go off in a few more seconds. What he doesn't know is that Chim Chim never swallowed the bomb. When Speed sees it, he tells Chim Chim to throw it out of the car.

It must have been some bomb for being so small. No sooner is tha Mach Five clear of the tunnel exiting the compound, then the bomb goes off turning the mountain compound into rubble and presumably killing all its inhabitants. Sparky is in the trunk watching the fireworks with Spritle and Chim Chim.

At the race, Sparky is in the Mach Five as navigator. But Trixie runs up just before the race starts telling Sparky that the navigator must be the same in both races. Sparky jumps out, Trixie jumps in, and the race begins. As Sparky says he doesn't remember any such rule, Trixie turns around smiling saying he's right; she made it up!