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If they made a movie about Lionel...

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If they made a movie about Lionel...
Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Monday, December 14, 2015 3:23 PM

I know this is a bit off topic and probably better suited to the Classic Toy Trains forum. But since most of us got into the hobby because of Lionel, I thought I'd post it here.

If they made a movie about the history of Lionel, who should be cast as Joshua Lionel Cowen?

I would say the late Jamse Gandolfini would have been perfect. But unfortunately, he's passed on. I say when I doubt, Tom Hanks. What do you guys think?

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Posted by SouthPenn on Monday, December 14, 2015 3:28 PM

I didn't start with Lionel.

Anybody except Tom Cruise.

South Penn
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Posted by andrechapelon on Monday, December 14, 2015 3:28 PM

Mandy Patinkin. He's big into 3 rail O gauge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuDhn_pzbI8

Andre

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, December 14, 2015 3:38 PM

Mike Wolf.

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20050201/mth.html

And they could make a bunch of sequels about the litigation between all the parties involved! Much of which has a familiar ring over in the "Big Dawg" thread.

Ed

 

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Posted by wjstix on Monday, December 14, 2015 4:27 PM

Well it's "Cowen", variation of "Cohen". Gandolfini was way too big, Cowen was average or slightly below average height, and wasn't fat either. He went bald fairly young.

https://americangallery.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/t-e-stephens-joshua-lionel-cowen.jpg

Stix
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Posted by ctyclsscs on Monday, December 14, 2015 5:55 PM

Allen Arkin when he was younger unless it has to be the way someone looks now.

Jim

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Posted by 7j43k on Monday, December 14, 2015 7:27 PM

Why, oh why, would it have to be a "name" actor?

 

After watching years of Law and Order, I'm convinced that New York is full of excellent actors, some of which would look exactly like J. Lionel.

And since this kind of film is, uh, low budget; you might even have a chance of making it, if you didn't have to pay big bucks for an actor.

 

 

Ed

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Posted by maxman on Monday, December 14, 2015 8:25 PM
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Posted by stokesda on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 3:44 AM

Patrick Stewart

"A depot with a moving forklift that can load barrels onto a flat car?...

Make it so!"

 

Big Smile

Dan Stokes

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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 5:40 AM

What is a Lionel?

Oh yeah, that fake looking 3 rail stuff.  Heck, up here in the Chicago area, the only thing with three rails was the elevated mass transit.

I grew up on the real deal - - - American Flyer.

Rich

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Posted by Phoebe Vet on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 6:39 AM

I, too, grew up on American Flyer, which is now owned by Lionel.

Dave

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Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 7:38 AM

richhotrain

What is a Lionel?

Oh yeah, that fake looking 3 rail stuff.  Heck, up here in the Chicago area, the only thing with three rails was the elevated mass transit.

I grew up on the real deal - - - American Flyer.

Rich

 

I grew up on Long Island, tuning with three rails is totally prototypical there.

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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 7:54 AM

GP-9_Man11786

 

 
richhotrain

What is a Lionel?

Oh yeah, that fake looking 3 rail stuff.  Heck, up here in the Chicago area, the only thing with three rails was the elevated mass transit.

I grew up on the real deal - - - American Flyer.

Rich

 

 

 

I grew up on Long Island, tuning with three rails is totally prototypical there.

 

LOL

Well, that explains it.  

No matter, I still prefer American Flyer.  Cool

Rich

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Posted by tinplatacis on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 9:37 AM

Frank Fritz lol. Nah, probably... Hmmm. Christopher Loyd? (He was Doc brown in Back to the Future, right?)

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Posted by phrankenstign on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 9:50 AM

I think Bob Hoskins would be a good older Cowen.

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Posted by ADCX Rob on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 2:21 PM

Jason Alexander... He pulled off AC Gilbert, Give him a crack at Cowen!

Rob

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Posted by Firelock76 on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 6:00 PM

To tell the truth, Jason Alexander looks a LOT more like J.L. Cowan than he does A.C. Gilbert!

"Why a big name actor?" was said earlier.  Reason is you need a good "hook" to get people to watch, whether it's a theatrical release or a TV movie. As good as a no-name actor might be, without that "star" attraction there's no attention getting.

I'm not sure how you'd do this.  The young J.L?  The middle-aged J.L?  What era?

I think I'd do it like this:  Give it a title of, say, "Lionel, The Third Wing of Christmas." There's the attraction of the Lionel name, hey even non-train people know who Lionel is, and the attraction of a Christmas movie. In a two hour period do the rise, fall, and rise again of the company through the various eras centering on the Christmas season, you know, first trains around the tree and such, then trains around just about EVERYBODY's trees, then they go away, and then magically come back.

From the Cowan to the MPC to the Kughn to the Calabrese era. Tell the story of an American icon that refused to die.  Make it fast-paced and it just might work.  

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Posted by tinplatacis on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 7:42 AM

It might be a tad confusing to use the same guy for Cohen and Gilbert, just a minor point...

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Posted by cwburfle on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 10:12 AM

Oh yeah, that fake looking 3 rail stuff.  Heck, up here in the Chicago area, the only thing with three rails was the elevated mass transit.

Is there a need to start a my brand is better than your brand war?

 

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Posted by ADCX Rob on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 3:12 PM

tinplatacis
It might be a tad confusing to use the same guy for Cohen and Gilbert, just a minor point...

Not as confusing as Sally Field playing the roles of Tom Hanks' love interest in one movie and his mother in another, but hey, that's just me.

Rob

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Posted by Firelock76 on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 5:01 PM

cwburfle
 
Oh yeah, that fake looking 3 rail stuff.  Heck, up here in the Chicago area, the only thing with three rails was the elevated mass transit.

 

Is there a need to start a my brand is better than your brand war?

 

 

Hey, that war's been going on for decades.  Like the Civil War, it'll never really end.

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Posted by Penny Trains on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 6:43 PM

Thread got it's start on "the other side" if you get my meaning.

Trains, trains, wonderful trains.  The more you get, the more you toot!  Big Smile

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Posted by cwburfle on Thursday, December 17, 2015 5:36 AM

Hey, that war's been going on for decades.  Like the Civil War, it'll never really end.

American Flyer lost.

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Posted by tinplatacis on Thursday, December 17, 2015 6:43 AM

After all, who owns what now?

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Posted by Firelock76 on Thursday, December 17, 2015 6:32 PM

Ah, but remember S gauge ain't dead and American Flyer's still around, even if it's owned by, ahem, "The Enemy."

And THIS is coming from a three-rail guy! 

And even Confederate money's worth something now!

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