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Trains in old movies but not necessarily train movies

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Posted by Penny Trains on Sunday, April 26, 2020 7:33 PM

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

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, April 26, 2020 7:57 PM

Big Smile  Smile, Wink & Grin  Wink

Well in the late 60's, it might as well have been!  

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Posted by Miningman on Sunday, April 26, 2020 8:19 PM

Nice find Penny! Funny , good post. 

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Posted by 54light15 on Sunday, April 26, 2020 10:52 PM

That's funny- I was in a bar in Buffalo- Cole's to be exact and it was playing in the background. I said to a guy, "You Americans have the coolest national anthem." He listened and then cracked up laughing. 

Another thing- I just watched "After The Thin Man" and it's a sequel to the original film from 1934 and takes up where the original left off. There are exterior shots of the train that Nick and Nora Charles are riding (stock footage I am sure) in and it's got double headed steam locomotives. I have never seen double headed engines on a movie train before. I can't quite make out the railroad name on the tenders, but it is fairly dark in the shots. Later on there is a train with a Vanderbilt tender pulling a passenger train arriving in San Francisco- that was the S.P, right? Were there others that used that type of tender? 

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Posted by M636C on Saturday, May 2, 2020 6:57 PM

A couple of additional movies I've watched during the lockdown:

The post WWII "Thirty Nine Steps" with Kenneth More....  The trip to Scotland on a train hauled by a Gresley A4, which proceeds north also behind 60022 Mallard (in the scene leaving Edinburgh Waverley) and of course on the scenes on the Forth Bridge (with pretty realistic passing scenes with Peppercorn Pacifics, and good scenes of More climbing on the bridge with car ferries passing below). This is available in full and in colour on Youtube.

I'm about to watch "Number Seventeen"  a B&W Hitchcock mystery with a number of scenes using a Gresley Pacific on a freight train to a train ferry port, with some good night scenes of the real train combined with the usual model shots.

Peter

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Sunday, May 3, 2020 10:03 AM

Speaking of Mallard, has anybody else noted the model of Mallard in the morgue in the series "NCIS"?  It's located over Dr. Mallard's (played by David McCallum) desk.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 10:23 AM

No!  I'm ashamed of myself, that's one of the few (very few) TV shows I watch and enjoy.  How could I miss that?

I'm going to pay stricter attention from now on, trust me.

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 3, 2020 11:01 AM

Flintlock76
No!  I'm ashamed of myself, that's one of the few (very few) TV shoes I watch and enjoy.

I had not realized that technology had moved along so dramatically, and so well, since the days of Maxwell Smart!

Now, I do remember the first day the Japanese showed a wrist-TV receiver, a thing that itself was a 'creeping-featurism' amazing future technology from the Dick Tracy strip (improved from "2-way wrist radio" on the police bands).  But screens on the footgear... what a concept!

Why didn't I think of it? -- don't worry, Bob, you will...

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Posted by SD70Dude on Sunday, May 3, 2020 11:09 AM

Flintlock76

No!  I'm ashamed of myself, that's one of the few (very few) TV shoes I watch and enjoy.  How could I miss that?

I'm going to pay stricter attention from now on, trust me.

At one point someone asked Gibbs what Ducky looked like when he was younger.  His answer:

"Illya Kuryakin"

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 12:05 PM

Crap!  Fat-fingered the keyboard again!  Something else to fix!

By the way, I enjoyed "Get Smart!" too! 

A bit of "NCIS" trivia.  When the role of Dr. Mallard was being cast star and co-producer Mark Harmon said "I want Illya Kuryakin!"   Yeah, he's old enough to remember "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."

And I suppose by now you have to be at least 65 to remember who Illya Kuryakin was, unless you caught the show in re-runs.  Time flies, doesn't it?

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 3, 2020 12:41 PM

Flintlock76
And I suppose by now you have to be at least 65 to remember who Illya Kuryakin was, unless you caught the show in re-runs.

I'm not that old, but old enough to remember 'Ilya' only has one L.

Anyone remember "The Russians Are Coming"?

Emergency!  Ev'rybudy to get from street!

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Posted by SD70Dude on Sunday, May 3, 2020 1:03 PM

Most sources online (IMDB, Wikipedia, multiple fan sites) spell it with two L's.

When searching, Google autocorrects "Ilya Kuryakin" to "Illya Kuryakin".......

I'll confess, I originally spelled it with one L when writing my post, then went back and edited it a few minutes later. 

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 3, 2020 1:46 PM

SD70Dude
Most sources online (IMDB, Wikipedia, multiple fan sites) spell it with two L's.

That's fascinating.  I watched The Man From Uncle diligently in the '60s and don't remember ever seeing it, in credits or wherever, spelled with anything but one L.  That's the only reason I'd correct it.  Must be one of those alternate-history things.

There are forms of it that have two Ls in romanization, but not the Russian -- it means Elijah, by the way.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 1:51 PM

For those wondering just what and who the hell we're talking about, here's Illya himself.

And honestly, I thought he was WAY cooler than Napoleon Solo!  So did everyone else for that matter!

So go ahead and "Open Channel D..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5_48RQha9U  

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, May 3, 2020 2:18 PM

Overmod

 

 
SD70Dude
Most sources online (IMDB, Wikipedia, multiple fan sites) spell it with two L's.

 

That's fascinating.  I watched The Man From Uncle diligently in the '60s and don't remember ever seeing it, in credits or wherever, spelled with anything but one L.  That's the only reason I'd correct it.  Must be one of those alternate-history things.

There are forms of it that have two Ls in romanization, but not the Russian -- it means Elijah, by the way.

 

That's interesting; perhaps many think he is sick?Smile Or, are they trying to anglicize his name?

 

Johnny

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 3:20 PM

I think the double L has it:

 

York1 John       

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 3, 2020 3:39 PM

Sure has two Ls in the season 1 credits, too.  I doubt you can get more authentic than that...

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Posted by 54light15 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 5:36 PM

Get Smart! I loved it! Written by Buck Henry and Mel Brooks, two pioneers of television. Max early in the series drove up in a Sunbeam Tiger and if you're not familiar with those, it's a little English sports car with a Ford V-8 crammed into it. Worth a fortune today and that was Don Adams own car, by the way. 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 5:48 PM

Makes you wonder, where's Don's car now?  It's doubly-collectible when you come right down to it.

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Posted by Erik_Mag on Sunday, May 3, 2020 6:38 PM

Flintlock76

And I suppose by now you have to be at least 65 to remember who Illya Kuryakin was, unless you caught the show in re-runs.  Time flies, doesn't it?

I thiought it was Ilya Nutcrakin as in:

"What does A.U.N.T.I.E. stand for?"

"Association for Unbelievably Nauseating Television and Idiotic Entertainment and thank God I'm through with it!"

(From the "Middle of the Road Issue" of a recently departed magazine)

Sigh, just realized that issue came out maybe a few days from 55 years ago.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 6:57 PM

Did you hear Mort Drucker, the best  cartoonist that "Recently departed magazine" had died recently?

When Mort drew a celebrity in one of their satires, there was never  any doubt as to who the subject was!  RIP Mort, you'll never be forgotten by those us who remember.

A couple of trivia questions.

What does "U.N.C.L.E." stand for?

And this one's a trick question, what does "THRUSH" stand for?

(It's OK if you cheat and look it up, you'll be as surprised as I was!)

And I found Don's Sunbeam Tiger!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_Tiger#In_popular_media   

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 8:45 PM

I had to look it up:

UNCLE = United Network Command for Law and Enforcement

THRUSH was a little harder.  Wikipedia says that it was never disclosed what it meant.  Other sites agree.

One site claims it meant, "Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity".

Maybe it was better we didn't know what it meant.

York1 John       

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 3, 2020 8:53 PM

"Law AND Enforcement?"  I thought it was just 'Law Enforcement'.

I also thought with that picture of the UN in the opening credits that it was United Nations related somehow and that's why men of 'all nations' were on the teams.  I actually remember looking around while walking from the Hippodrome Garage (no machine guns) to see if I could spot Del Floria's tailor shop...

I loved the Sunbeam Tiger as the 'Aston Martin lite'.  Not too far from the ACECA Ace given the same motor, when you think about it...

I still chuckle thinking about the Cone of Silence.  And Max having an afterthought and getting his nose clipped...

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 8:58 PM

Overmod
"Law AND Enforcement?"  I thought it was just 'Law Enforcement'.

I thought so, too.  But Wikipedia has the word and in there.  Maybe they don't have it right.

York1 John       

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 3, 2020 9:07 PM

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffin' glue.

Says it right in there.  Law and Enforcement.

Kids hear what they expect to make sense, I guess...

Funny how McCallum's accent doesn't sound at all Russian any more, either.  And let's not go into why I had trouble separating Cosmo Topper from Alexander Waverly.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, May 3, 2020 9:56 PM

Don't feel bad man, it's the same trouble everyone  had!

Leo G. Carroll was  Cosmo Topper! 

And of course you just knew  Mr. Waverly was just as adventurous as Napoleon and Illya are in his younger days, just from his demenor around those two.

Fine actor, Leo G. was!

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 3, 2020 10:05 PM

And then, of course, there was April.  April Dancer.

 

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Posted by M636C on Sunday, May 3, 2020 10:52 PM

The movie "The Rebel" is playing today here in Australia.

It is a vehicle for an English comedian of the 1950s, Tony Hancock.

Hancock leaves his office job in London to become an abstract artist in Paris, despite having no abilities as an artist. However, work by a friend is mistaken for that of Hancock and he becomes a celebrity.

At the beginning of the movie, Hancock is travelling to London on Southern Region electric trains. Instead of joining the crowd on the London platform, he stands on the opposite platform. Trains arrive from both directions at once, and Hancock just crosses through one train and boards the other, getting his seat before those on the correct platform can board. This of course requires the hand operated doors used by the trains at the time.

Otherwise similar to many British comedy movies of the period.

I mentioned "Number Seventeen" earlier. Most of the movie is relatively disjointed and attempts to fit the "Film noir" style, with dark scenes and ominous shadows.

The rail scenes show Gresley A1 2547, from the second batch of Pacifics built by North British. The first scene shows the locomotive from above in a yard with the safety valves blowing off. It then departs with a freight train with a number of well lit night views.

I think the Pacific might have been chosen since a number of good scale models were available for a number of scenes, including final crash scene.

One interesting feature was that full size mock ups were built for some scenes where criminals climb over wagons during the journey and even climb over the tender and kill the loco crew (for no clear reason...). But as they climb over the tender, and shoot the fireman, it is clear that the (mock up) tender is a corridor tender...

Peter

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Posted by York1 on Monday, May 4, 2020 7:34 AM

Leo G. Carroll -- was in quite a few Hitchcock movies.  In this forum thread, he was in the mentioned movies Strangers on a Train and North by Northwest.

York1 John       

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, May 4, 2020 9:17 AM

Overmod

And then, of course, there was April.  April Dancer.

 

 

The less said about "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E" the better.

Nothing against Stephanie Powers by any means, she was a hottie!  Or against Noel Harrison for that matter.  That show was just dull, dull, dull.

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