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Railways in films

  • Thread starter Thread starter glaciermint
  • Start date Start date
What about the film featuring the overnight mail train.KInd of a documentary from the '40s/'50s.I think it had some of W H Audens poetry in it.
Keegs
 
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Pelham1961 said:
Not really a film about railways as such, but I always liked 'The Ladykillers' (1950, I think) for the railway and station scenes that feature in it. Great film.
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Pelham, the film comes from 1955, directed by Alexander Mackendrick. If you have the spare cash both for the special player and the special discs involved, BluRay have reissued the film in tip-top condition;to start with in America but i would expect later this year for this country and Europe.

In the meantime, here's a shot of the railway station goods entrance scene, captured particularly for the older vehicles.

(Scene included from the internet, details kept on file, for non-commercial educational purposes).
 
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keegs said:
What about the film featuring the overnight mail train.KInd of a documentary from the '40s/'50s.I think it had some of John Betchamans poetry in it.
Keegs
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Is this it

This the Night Mail crossing the border.

Bring the cheque and the post order

Happy school days
 
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Big Gee said:
Hi Glaciermint,

my missus always asks why I watch The Railway Children whenever it's on...I tell her because I am incredibly interested in steam trains....

Big Gee
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Just a few items from my cuttings collection from the London and local newspapers. Many others, but at the mo my scanner is up the creek....Hope you notice the ex-Futurist in Birmingham.
 
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something wrong with the "Night Mail" film keeps stopping? shame really quite one the most atmospheric films made of steam trains.
 
How about the 'Great St Trinians Train Robbery' and childrens film 'Runaway Railway' both filmed on the old Longmore Military Railway and from America 'Emperor of the North' with Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine, plenty of steam trains.
 
Re: NIGHT MAIL.
I still enjoy this iconic information film after countless viewings. The poem is very Betjemenesque although, as Keegs points out, it is W H Audens. What happenned was that the Film Unit ran out of money to enable the film to be finished with the addition of a sound track. The producers found an out of work poet, Auden, and a similarly unemployed composer, Benjamen Britten to add the words and music. Amazing!
Ted
 
motorman-mike said:
How about the 'Great St Trinians Train Robbery' and childrens film 'Runaway Railway' both filmed on the old Longmore Military Railway and from America 'Emperor of the North' with Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine, plenty of steam trains.
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N/S Bordon circa 1948, travelled on the Longmoor Military on a train nicknamed the "Bordon Bullet" it was that slow i saw passengers get off and walk by the side of the train!!. Len.
 
One of my favorites,Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes.Margaret Lockwood/Michael Redgrave version,not that later 1970's abomination.
Keegs
 
If we can include American films too,how about The Silver Streak.Gene Wilder,Richard Pryor and one of the best train wrecks ever at the end!
 
Did no one remember the film of our very own great train robbery in 1963 with Ronnie Biggs & his gang ??
The film is called ' Buster' starring Phil Collins 1988.

With ref to 'Ghost train' that was written by the wonderful Arnold Ridley who played private Godfrey in Dads Army
 
On the TV last week London to Brighton in 4 Minuit's was featured again -I don't think the one shown in the 50's featured the 'Brighton Belle' and had a lot more steam in camera. There must have been more than one film made.
 
"Train of events", in which the story of how four travellers came to be on a train which crashed - as shown here - and obviously only model trains were destroyed!
 
For all you Railway film and Jenny Agutter fans the 40th anniversary special edition DVD of the Railway Children is out on Monday 3rd May.

Polly :)
 
Thanks Polly, not sure I could look Jenny Agutter in the eye after "Walkabout" :sweat: - recommended ;)
 
Thanks for the tip though Polly. Just watched my old copy of the Railway Children and blubbed in all the usual places... :cry:
 
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