MULTIPLE TRAINS OF THOUGHT Part Two

Alistair MacLean's BREAKHEART PASS (1975: Dir. Tom Gries)

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (1974) had been a big boost to the train movie genre, so producer Elliott Kastner, decided to cash in by reuniting with best-selling author Alistair MacLean (Where Eagles Dare), to adapt his mystery-western novel Breakheart Pass for the big screen. Starring a typically taciturn Charles Bronson at the height of his box office clout, this intriguing shell-game might be schematically similar to Christie with its conspiracies and red herrings, but being set on a troop train in 1870s America goes a long way towards providing variety for any jaded whodunit fan. Director Tom Gries, who was just coming off a big hit with Bronson in Breakout (1975), knew how to employ his star for maximum value, keeping him shrouded in secrecy as the rogue's gallery of passengers act out in all manner of amusing Western stereotypes. The guessing game is also enhanced by a plethora of cliffhanger-type thrills excitingly devised by veteran stunt co-ordinator Yakima Canutt (Ben-Hur). Add in an evocative and propulsive score by Jerry Goldsmith and you have a very pleasing Saturday afternoon's entertainment. DVD & BLU-RAY

                                           SILVER STREAK (1976: Dir. Arthur Hiller)
                                                                           

One of my favourite train movies and the first of two films on my list that utilize Canadian railway locations to rip-roaring effect. Set in the U.S. Midwest but shot mainly in Alberta, the home province of director Arthur (The In-Laws) Hiller, Silver Streak is a delightful comedy thriller with a screenplay by Colin Higgins (Foul Play) that mixes chuckles with jeopardy in near perfect proportions. The inspired pairing of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor was a seminal pop-culture event, demonstrating how two apparently incompatible comic actors can create a unique alchemy when their mutual affinity for each other shines through. They are joined by Jill Clayburgh, whose subtle daffiness and sparkling beauty help to ground the actions of the other characters whenever the plot threatens to descend into outright silliness. For proud Ontarians, the climax is an absolutely unforgettable set-piece that sees a train engine burst through the The Great Hall of Toronto's Union Station. Witnessing this shocking smash-up left an indelible impression on my train-loving childhood self, and re-visiting the film recently has done nothing to dim this fond memory. DVD & BLU-RAY
                     
                        THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1978: Dir. Michael Crichton)

There have been many train heist films but only a select few involve a locomotive on the move. The Great Train Robbery is a slightly fictionalized recounting of the first train robbery ever attempted in transit, the 1855 Folkstone Great Gold Robbery. Immeasurably aided by writer-director Michael Crichton's unerring eye for accuracy and period detail, it was was however, a surprising change of pace for this auteur of speculative science fiction and medical thrillers. Surpassing expectations, Crichton delivers a jaunty and amusing caper film made with sophistication and wit, containing many visual delights including the luscious Lesley Anne-Downe in a super sexy corset, sumptuous Victorian production design by Maurice Carter (Becket), and the astonishing sight of star Sean Connery running and jumping across the roof of an actual train in full steam. Sadly the film contains the final completed work of famed cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth ( Murder on the Orient Express, Superman), whose signature diffused lighting style brings to life a bygone era of gaslight and stove pipe hats. Fittingly, these larcenous shenanigans are set to the infectious melodies of maestro Jerry Goldsmith, the third in a trilogy of train dominated scores (Breakheart Pass, The Cassandra Crossing) that he wrote in the Seventies. Despite enthusiastic notices, The Great Train Robbery, met with only middling box office success, denying Connery the full-blown hit he had enjoyed as James Bond. DVD & BLU-RAY