Movie: It happened to jane

[railroad65]

I just seen this movie on tape. I know it was made in 1958-59 era and was wondering if anybody knows anything about the Locomotive used and the locations. I can tell it they used NH F-units in some shots, relettered the E&P.

[M636C]

The movie was made on the New Haven. There are details provided of the locations in Staufer's "New Haven Power", book, including stills from the movie. The steam locomotive was NH 2-8-2 3016 (I think, I'll check), although a full size mock up of the locomotive was also used for some scenes. NH 3016 was about the same size as a USRA light mikado, but was an NH design.

I'll check the book and get back to you with the available details.

Peter

[Anonymous]

It's a real funny movie. Ernie Kovacs plays the part of the railroad president. It also features Doris Day, Jack Lemmon and the character who used to do New Englander Titus Moody in Allen's Alley on the old Fred Allen radio shows.

[M636C]

The filming took place during June and July 1958 in Connecticut, in Colchester, Plainfield, Hartford and New Haven. The big scene with the blocked FL9s on the passenger train was at Plainfield. The filming of this movie was the last use of 3016 and the last steam operation on the New Haven.

Peter

[railroad65]

Thank all of you so much for the information. You are right, it's a funny movie, but also it takes us back to a morepeaceful time in this country.

[jockellis]

Was this the one where Doris Day got mad at the railroad for some reason and the RR quit stopping at her town's depot. And then some newspaper reporter with $5,000 in the bank comes to report on the situation? My parents sent me off the the corner theater in east Atlanta while they were playing bridge with friends. I loved the movie at age 10 and would probably still love it.
Jock Ellis

[rrnut282]

Yes, the plot revolves around her effort to get the E&P to pay for a damage claim. IIRC, her "helper" was a country lawyer, who advised her to impound the local train as compensation for her claim, etc...

[AntonioFP45]

Interesting thing about this movie is that while it was denied years back, Ernie Kovacs character of the railroad president "is a take-off" of then New Haven's president "McGinnis".

As most of us know the NH was in bankruptcy for years before being included in the Penn Central merger. McGinnis, while he wanted the NH to be successful, was supposedly very stubborn and made some bad business decisions, including the one to get rid of New Haven's very tough and reliable high horsepowered electric locomotives that could easily pull long freight trains. It took 4 diesels to pull what one EP3 could haul. He was stil convinced that to save money NH needed to fully dieselize, and eliminate the electrification. Fortunately the board of directors stopped him.

The E33 electrics that they purchased at a bargain from Virginian proved to be more reliable than the diesels they purchased from Alco and EMD.

10-4!