History YMMV / BarneyOldfieldsRaceForALife

* HilariousInHindsight: Helen Holmes has a cameo as a woman Barney Oldfield chats up before hearing that Mabel is in danger. Holmes would later be more directly involved in many other train-related incidents -- including getting tied up on the tracks herself -- in the series ''The Hazards of Helen.''

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The rescue scene -- where the protagonists ''barely'' avoid being run over by the engine -- which was achieved with a double-exposure. For a 1913 effect, it was ''frighteningly'' realistic, and it still looks quite good today, (even if the characters get a bit transparent towards the end.)
* WeirdAlEffect: The film was made as an AffectionateParody of stage melodramas, using tropes they had utilised for half a century. (In fact, a 1919 issue of ''The Photo-Play Journal'' --covering the equally comedic ''East Lynne with Variations'' --[[https://i2.wp.com/moviessilently.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2-railroad-tracks.jpg?w=600 described the railroad rescue as]] "one of the most sacred traditions of melodrama," in an article adressing the "old-timers" among the readers.)

* NarmCharm: Between the deliberately hammy acting and cliché plot, the NoFourthWall, the quite good production values and cinematography, and the CrazyAwesome notion of featuring the then-fastest race car driver in the world playing himself as a hero outracing a train, this is practically an InvokedTrope.

* DullSurprise: Barney Oldfield has been criticized for this. He was obviously cast [[StuntCasting for his fame]] and [[CastTheExpert his driving skills,]] not for his acting talent.

* HypeBacklash: The film has gotten some flack from some silent movie affecionados, who consider it to be SoOkayItsAverage and dislike how it [[StopBeingStereotypical perpetuates stereotypes people have of the medium.]] Even back then, there ''did'' exist more complex and interesting stories, and women ''were'' given roles which had more to them than simply being a DamselInDistress.

* SpiritualSequel: ''Teddy at the Throttle'', a 1917 Mack Sennet film which also has a Woman being ChainedToARailway by a DestardlyWhiplash type in the climax.

* WierdAlEffect: The film was made as an AffectionateParody of stage melodramas, using tropes they had utilised for half a century. (In fact, a 1919 issue of ''The Photo-Play Journal'' --covering the equally comedic ''East Lynne with Variations'' --[[https://i2.wp.com/moviessilently.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2-railroad-tracks.jpg?w=600 described the railroad rescue as "one of the most sacred traditions of melodrama,"]] in an article adressing the "old-timers" among the readers.)

* WierdAlEffect: The film was made as an AffectionateParody of stage melodramas, using tropes they had utilised for half a century. (In fact, a 1919 issue of ''The Photo-Play Journal'' --covering the equally comedic ''East Lynne with Variations'' --decribed the railroad rescue as "one of the most sacred traditions of melodrama," in an article adressing the "old-timers" among the readers.)

* SpiritualSequel: ''Teddy at the Throttle'', a 1917 Mack Sennet film which also has a Woman being ChainedToARailway in the climax.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The rescue scene -- where the protagonists ''barely'' avoid being run over by the engine -- which was achieved with a double-exposure. For a 1913 effect, it was ''frighteningly'' realistic, and it still looks quite good today, (even if the characters get a bit transparent towards the end.)

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The rescue scene -- where the protagonists ''barely'' avoid being run over by the engine -- which was achieved with a double-exposure. For a 1913 effect, it was ''frighteningly'' realistic, and it still looks quite good today, (even if the characters get a bit transparent towards the end.)

* SpiritualSequel: ''Teddy at the Throttle'', a 1917 Mack Sennet film which also has a Woman being ChainedToARailway in the climax.

* LoveToHate: The Villainous Rival, which Ford Sterling makes hammy enough to be entertaining, but still enough of a bastard to make you not feel ''that'' bad about his death.