Western Railroad Discussion > 100 Greatest Railroad Movies

Train's movie critic made a really screwed up list, missing some notable movies in their special issue. I was thinking we could make our own list here. First I'll need to compile a list of at least 100 true railroad movies where railroading played a key part of the movie. I'll start off with the movies I know. Add any that I miss.

Emperor of the North
The Train (Burt Lancaster)
Silver Streak
Danger Lights
Breakheart Pass
Ring of Fire
Union Pacific
Denver & Rio Grande
Under Siege 2
Tough Guys
Runaway Train (1980's)
3:10 to Yuma
The General (Buster Keaton)
Broken Arrow
Switchback

I've probably missed some obvious ones. After we compile a list, I'll figure out a way to poll the movies, by having everyone pick their top ten.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/10 14:46 by funnelfan.

Here is my list of fav train films (with rating) most of which I own on DVD:

Silver Streak 5/5 - We all pretty much know this classic film starring Richard Pryor & Gene Wilder
The Taking Of Pelham 123 5/5 - (The Original) - Quality film!
The Train 5/5 - Excellent World War II film from 1964 starring Burt Lancaster
Emperor Of The North 5/5 - Another classic film from 1974
The Station Agent 4/5 - Pretty good indi flick about a dwarf foamer who inherits an old depot in NJ!
Breakheart Pass 4/5 - Some good shots in this western starring Charles Bronson
Terror Train 2/5 - Unfortunately I think I do have this somewhere. Might be on VHS!
Runaway Train 4/5 - Used to love this film as a kid!
Tough Guys 4/5 - Also loved this one as a kid. Great train chase at the end with SP 4449
North By Northwest 5/5 - Love the secens on the old Twentieth Century Limited!
Strangers On A Train 5/5 - Really enjoy this film! Recently watched it again!

Tony



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/10 15:13 by zuco74.

foew more not memtioned;
Kansas Pacific
Night Freight
original Silver Streak
End of the line
Canadian Pacific
Best Friends [not really a railroad movie but much of movie takes place on train]
JB

I agree with just about everything on your list.

I would add Iron Will. A Disney film shot during the winter of 1992-93 in and around Duluth, Minnesota. The train is an essential ingredient in the film.

Throw Momma From The Train is also one of my favorites.

Going to print this out for sure and see if Netflix has any of them. I saw Switchback and that will have you sitting on the edge of your caboose. Aaron 22

There was a film done by the National Film Board of Canada in 1964 with Buster Keaton. I do not recall the film but it involves a British fellow who literally walks into the Atlantic ocean from somewhere in the UK and comes out at the Nova Scotia shore. He spies a RR worker and highjacks his speeder and proceeds to cross Canada on it. I recall seeing it in school at the time and IIRC it was shown as part of Canada's Centennial celebrations while we were in school.

I have seen that this is available on DVD and need to gain a copy for my library.

http://blog.nfb.ca/2009/12/11/buster-keaton-rides-the-rails-in-canada/

Rick



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/10 16:33 by rschonfelder.

The Great Locomotive Chase takes place during the Civil War.

Fess Parker was a star in it

Disney film I believe

DHF

Please add:
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), Spencer Tracy
Flashback (1990), Dennis Hopper & Kiefer Sutherland
Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Albert Finney
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Paul Newman & Robert Redford
—Mac



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/10 17:18 by MacBeau.

Add "Where the Hells that Gold" with Gene Hackman and "Timberjack" to the list.

If we're counting CG movies, I would have to say that "The Polar Express" impressed me because of all of the loud, realistic steam engine sounds echoing through the theater. :)

One of my favorites is Narrow Margin with Gene Hackman. Anyone remember this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrow_Margin

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

The Grey Fox, with Richard Farnsworth, 1981. Canadian train robberies.

Disaster on the Coastliner in the 80's

Western Pacific Agent

One you don't see mentioned a lot; 1959, It Happened to Jane. Doris Day, Jack Lemmon, and the evil railroad guy, Harry Foster Malone (I forget who played him).

Just did an IMDB search - Ernie Kovacs was the evil Foster Malone, and it was filmed in Chester, CT. Couldn't find what railroad was actually used - supposed to happen in Bangor, Maine, but was not shot there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/10 19:13 by Railfool03.

Union Station, filmed at Los Angeles but called Chicago IIRC.

Just got my copy of "100 Greatest RR Movies"; of course selecting the 100 Greatest of anything will start a discussion. I would have added "Tough Guys" (in addition to 4449 on the big screen, the former Pacific Electric Toluca Substation building has a "cameo") and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (admittedly, the PE cars are studio mockups) and subtracted two of the more obscure foreign films. There was also a "B-minus" flick from the 50's ("Night Freight"?) that starred Modesto & Empire GE 70-ton switchers "playing" main line locomotives. One quibble I have with the commentary is the use of "Hollywood" lingo such as "helmed" for "directed" and "lensed" for "photographed" or "shot". They are listed as legitimate verbs in my dictionary, but they still look like they belong in "Daily Variety". That said, the book is fascinating, well worth the price and should send many railfans off to the video rental or an on-line DVD mart. It's truly amazing how many rare and unusual movies are available with a few clicks of a computer mouse.

My favorites are: Other Men's Women
Human Desire
Hurricane Express
Danger Lights
The Train
Zentropa
Closely Watched Trains
The Station Agent
And of course Terror Train(cough).

Tom



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/10 20:09 by 90mac.

"Emperor of the North" gets my top vote. Classic railroad stuff with Marvin and Borgnine at their best! "End of the Line", with Wilford Brimley was a real stinker of a movie if you could call it that.

A Ticket to Tomahawk
Denver & Rio Grande
Night Passage.
Frozen Passage (Runaway here)

Rob