The Great Train Robbery (1903)

Writers:

(more)

Release Date:

1 December 1903 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Western

Plot:

A group of bandits stage a brazen train hold-up, only to find a determined posse hot on their heels.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Posse | Sheriff | Hold Up | Bandit

Awards:

1 win

Cast

A.C. Abadie	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson	...	Bandit / Shot Passenger / Tenderfoot Dancer (uncredited)
George Barnes	...	(uncredited)
Justus D. Barnes	...	Bandit Who Fires at Camera (uncredited)
Walter Cameron	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
John Manus Dougherty Sr.	...	Fourth Bandit (uncredited)
Donald Gallaher	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Frank Hanaway	...	Bandit (uncredited)
Adam Charles Hayman	...	Bandit (uncredited)
Morgan Jones	...	(uncredited)
Marie Murray	...	Dance-Hall Dancer (uncredited)
Mary Snow	...	Little Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Edwin S. Porter		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Scott Marble		story (uncredited)
Edwin S. Porter		uncredited

Cinematography by
Blair Smith
Edwin S. Porter		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Adam Charles Hayman	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Blair Smith	....	additional camera (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Edison Manufacturing Company

Distributors

• Edison Manufacturing Company (1903) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kleine Optical Company (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) (2003) (Germany) (TV)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

11 min (18 fps) (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (hand-colored)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Dover, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Edison Manufacturing Company

Trivia:

The final shot of a gun being fired toward the camera had a profound effect on audiences. As cinema was in its infancy, many people who saw the film thought that they were actually about to be shot.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the guard riding with the money in the baggage car is shot he throws his arms straight up in the air and falls to the floor with them extended. He was shot more then once, but while laying on the floor he holds his right arm up off the floor while his attackers search his body. Once they get up, he crosses his right arm across his face.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Historia del cine: Epoca muda (1983) (V)

It's Easy To See How It Got Its Reputation

It's easy to see why this was such a sensation in 1903, and why today it is still considered to be an icon in movie history. You can enjoy this either as a historical landmark for its use of such a variety of then-new skills, or you can simply watch it for the story. To be sure, the plot is of a now-familiar type, but this is what so many other movies have imitated over the years.

The story-telling is very good, and it is almost not even necessary to add 'for its time', because much of it still holds up quite well. It tells an action-packed story with plenty of detail, and it uses a good variety of effective techniques to increase the excitement, suspense, and realism. From the motion effects in the scenes inside the train, to the occasional use of color tinting, to the use of outdoor scenes, almost everything works nicely. There are only a few occasions when can you tell that it is almost a century old. There are even things like some basic cross-cutting and a pretty good panning shot. There is plenty to see, and it's worth watching more than once to see what else you can notice.