I just watched a great film noir, "While The City Sleeps" directed by Fritz Lang from 1956. It's a newspaper movie (and I love those) set in New York and there is a scene where the hero is chasing the bad guy into the subway and whatta you know, no third rail but trolley wires and Los Angeles Red Cars are running on the tracks! In New York! I'm pretty sure one of the 55 Ford police cars had a California plate. Well worth seeing and what a cast; Dana Andrews, Vincent Price, Ida Lupino, Thomas Mitchell, George Sanders and Howard Duff.
Film making budgets are tyrannical things. If you can't afford to film a New York story in New York you do the best you can and hope no-one notices.
One of the best newspaper / New York story films, if not THE best, is "Deadline U.S.A," filmed in 1952 and starring Humphrey Bogart. A lot of the movie was shot at the New York Daily News building and printing plant so it's got a great deal of authenticity to it. A great "Film Noir" worth watching.
Flintlock76Film making budgets are tyrannical things. If you can't afford to film a New York story in New York you do the best you can and hope no-one notices.
This is of a piece with the 'they won't notice' artifacts of the first films shot with true portable cameras and faster film stock 'on location' in actual trains in the '50s. As with many SMPTE wonder technologies this could lead to results like random boxcars moving in randomly opposite directions in the background of sequential frames in two-shots, an instant distraction even for many non-foamers...
Well, the movie was from RKO studios which obviously didn't have the money that MGM had. This was mostly an indoor movie and the few exterior shots were a set that I've seen in many films and was a kind of generic "city" that could be anyplace.
But here's a question- did the Red Car have any underground stations? I assume it may have been shot in a tunnel with a fake station set up.
54light15But here's a question- did the Red Car have any underground stations?
At least one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subway_Terminal_Building
The cable channel COMET has been celebrating Ray Bradbury's 100th birthday with a marathon of Ray Bradbury Theater episodes including this one where Jeff Goldblum rides a VIA RDC to the town of Erehwon (Canadian for the exact opposite of Willoughby): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNhm0Q618gM
(And keep a lookout for Ward Kimball as the stationmaster)
Last night it was John Ford's "The Long Grey Line" set at West Point. There is a scene set in 1917 where the troops board a train at the West Point station (it's still there) and the train is pulled by a camelback. I've never seen one in a movie, much less in real life.
54light15There is a scene set in 1917 where the troops board a train at the West Point station (it's still there) and the train is pulled by a camelback.
Yep, it's 774 all right. The film makers needed a steam locomotive for the 1917 sequence and the New York Central (That's the West Shore Line that runs through West Point) had none handy, so the CNJ's 774 was brought in.
Yes, it's a shame 774 missed being preserved. The CNJ had already donated a Camelback to the B&O Museum, and were willing to sell 774 to anyone who wanted it but there were no takers, or at least any takers who had the money to do so. Imagine if "crowd funding" existed back in those days, it might have been a different story.
Another Fritz Lang movie, "Clash by Night" from 1953 with Barbara Stanwyck and Marilyn Monroe. There is one scene with an SP locomotive running light. It's filmed in Monterey, CA where the canneries are or were and we've all read Steinbeck's Cannery Row. What he wrote about is what you will see.
"I Was a Male War Bride" directed by Howard Hawks with Cary Grant and Anne Sheridan. Not a lot of train action, but it's set in postwar Germany and you see the temporary narrow gauge railways laid on the streets to carry away rubble. Called Trummerbahns, I think.
For postwar railroading in (Occupied) Germany, I would suggest the first film produced in Germany after the war; Berlin Express: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlfLqa54mww&list=PL8BJNGacupQnHzQTd7kQFrKKFIA_Pvwbg
54light15 you see the temporary narrow gauge railways laid on the streets to carry away rubble. Called Trummerbahns, I think.
(There are different German plurals but this is a discussion in English...)
OvermodTo help make the artificial mountains in parks called Trummerbergs.
There's a semi-buried WW2 flak tower under one of those Trummerbergs in Berlin. (Some of it still sticks out a bit)
It was easier to bury the flak tower than it was to tear it down!
Just remembered this one, a 1972 Clint Eastwood film called "Joe Kidd."
I remember the ads, "If you're looking for trouble, he's Joe Kidd!"
A fun "shoot-'em-up" Western. It's got a serious premise, but it's also full of a lot of comic situations. Where does the train come in? Clint ( as Joe) runs a locomotive through a saloon to get the drop on the bad guys and wrecks the saloon in the process! The segment's hilarious!
ORNHOOFor those who haven't seen it recently (or at all) "Ring of Fire" starring David Janssen will be on TCM tomorrow (9-30-20).
Thanks! I've never seen that one. I have it set to record if I forget.
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
Woo-hoo! I just found Joe Kidd's saloon visit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78CM3oItu1U
I wonder if he asked about trackside service? Man, that was great!
54light15 I wonder if he asked about trackside service? Man, that was great!
It sure was! When I saw the film in 1972 with some friends it had us laughing so hard we almost choked! Too bad it's only 30 seconds long.
I found a longer version on YouTube but the video quality's awful, looks like it was shot off someone's TV.
I found a better expanded version, changed the link on the original post.
I was watching a documentary on Buster Keaton on TCM and found out about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYmcN12M97o
a short film he made for the Canadian National Railway.
Hmm- not to make a big deal out of that, but that is an official train movie (like Buster's The General) as opposed to the theme of this thread. Not complaining by any means. It's been discussed on another thread about a club in New York who fool around with Fairmont track speeders like the one that Buster rode.
"The Lineup" from 1958 with Eli Wallach at his evil best is a noir-ish picture filmed on location in San Francisco mainly in the port area where there are rail tracks serving the piers. You don't actually see any trains moving but tracks do play an important part. There are ships, a vintage airliner (DC-6?) and lots of period cars and a whole lot of men wearing hats. There are scenes filmed on an elevated freeway that I understand collapsed in an earthquake. Well worth checking out!
I imagine that everyone has seen the classic British comedy, "The Ladykillers?" Well, check this out!
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2020/oct/23/on-set-ealing-comedy-the-ladykillers-alec-guinness-in-pictures
54light15 I imagine that everyone has seen the classic British comedy, "The Ladykillers?" Well, check this out! https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2020/oct/23/on-set-ealing-comedy-the-ladykillers-alec-guinness-in-pictures
It was on UK tv this week. I have watched it many times.
A lot of the older, often black and white, UK 'who done it's' and comedies feature trains, either as stars or in supporting roles. It is probably due to the UK not becoming quite as car conscious as North America in those far off days.
Alan, Oliver & North Fork Railroad
https://www.buckfast.org.uk/
If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Lewis Carroll English author & recreational mathematician (1832 - 1898)
The last time I was in London I walked all around the Copenhagen Fields area, trying to find Mrs. Wilberforce's house but had no luck. I did see some areas that looked similar to scenes in the film. A part of my model railroad is based on that area just North of King's Cross and her house is just above a tunnel entrance and the "musicians" are walking toward the house. The "professor" is standing on a platform just below a semaphore. Fun stuff!
54light15The last time I was in London I walked all around the Copenhagen Fields area, trying to find Mrs. Wilberforce's house but had no luck.
It'll be interesting to see what they have done with the 'film quality' in the 4K release ... this is likely getting in the grain resolution range of the film stock...
I did see that but the thing I was looking for was the house above the tracks, I assumed it was closer to King's Cross than Frederica st. I was at the big model train show (the biggest I've ever attended) a couple of years ago at Alexandra Palace and there was an N scale diorama of the entire area depicted in the film from the West side of the tracks. It was a work of art, mixing fact with fiction and all in perspective.
There was a black and white movie set in the UK during WW=2. There was a train load of sea mines that a sabatouer was spotted . the trains was parked on a siding and a demolition expert was called iin. Believe it was played by Glenn Ford ?. Ended up having 2 bombs and last minute the woman showed up at the train, Anyone more info ?
It's a British movie called "Time Bomb" also "Terror On A Train" for the American release version. From 1953, and starring Glen Ford. Here's the story:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Bomb_(1953_film)
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.