The Phantom Express (1932)

A railway is threatened by mysterious wrecks, which turn out to be caused by criminals using a unique deception.

Director:

Emory Johnson

Writers:

Laird Doyle, Emory Johnson

Stars:

William Collier Jr., Sally Blane, J. Farrell MacDonald

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Collier Jr.	...	Bruce Harrington
Sally Blane	...	Carolyn Nolan
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	D.J. 'Smokey' Nolan
Hobart Bosworth	...	Mr. Harrington
Axel Axelson	...	Axel, the Fireman
Lina Basquette	...	Betty
Eddie Phillips	...	Dick Walsh
Robert Ellis	...	Reynolds
Claire McDowell	...	Ma Nolan
David Rollins	...	Jackie Nolan
Tom O'Brien	...	Red Connelly the Telegraph Operator
Huntley Gordon	...	President of Rival Railroad
Brady Kline	...	Slim - a Thug
Jack Pennick	...	Bubba - a Thug
Jack Mower	...	Head Thug

Storyline

An engineer at the throttle of a locomotive speeding through a tunnel sees the lights of a train approaching from the other end. Although the signals say the track is clear, he still sees the train's lights. He grinds the train to a halt, derailing it. He survives, but many passengers are killed. He is fired in disgrace, but sets out to prove his innocence by finding the "phantom express."

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Plot Keywords:

train | railway

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Il lampo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Majestic Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Good little movie that deserves not to be lost

Trains are crashing thanks to the sudden appearance of a phantom train on the tracks ahead of them. As the stock of the railroad plummets thanks to the crashes, the son of the railroad's owner begins to investigate.

Very good little movie that tells a rather exciting story of sabotage. The train scenes are all exciting, even if they were done with models, and the fact that we get a good number of them helps to keep the tension up. If there is a problem with the movie is that some of the middle section is a bit too talky since its a bit too clear why things are happening, even if we don't know how.

Definitely worth a look, especially on a rainy night