The Great Locomotive Chase (1956)

This is based on a true story. During the Civil War, a Union spy, Andrews, is asked to lead a band of Union soldiers into the South so that they could destroy the railway system. However, ... See full summary »

Director:

Francis D. Lyon

Writer:

Lawrence Edward Watkin

Stars:

Fess Parker, Jeffrey Hunter, Jeff York

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fess Parker	...	James J. Andrews
Jeffrey Hunter	...	William A. Fuller
Jeff York	...	William Campbell
John Lupton	...	William Pittenger
Eddie Firestone	...	Robert Buffum
Kenneth Tobey	...	Anthony Murphy
Don Megowan	...	Marion A. Ross
Claude Jarman Jr.	...	Jacob Parrott
Harry Carey Jr.	...	William Bensinger
Leonard P. Geer	...	J.A. Wilson (as Lennie Geer)
George Robotham	...	William Knight
Stan Jones	...	Wilson Brown
Marc Hamilton	...	John Wollam
John Wiley	...	John M. Scott
Slim Pickens	...	Pete Bracken

Storyline

This is based on a true story. During the Civil War, a Union spy, Andrews, is asked to lead a band of Union soldiers into the South so that they could destroy the railway system. However, things don't go as planned when the conductor of the train that they stole is on to them and is doing everything he can to stop them.

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Plot Keywords:

railway | soldier | train | delay | freight train | 

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Taglines:

A true-life spy story of ultimate suspense. High speed and inconceivable bravery!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Family | War | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Andrews' Raiders

Filming Locations:

Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed on the Tallulah Falls Railway which went defunct in the early 1960s.

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Goofs

The engine representing the Texas is of 1870s vintage and is equipped with a Westinghouse air brake, which was not invented until 1872 and not in common use until the 1880s.

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Quotes

William Campbell: Do we have to be better Southerners than the Johnny Rebs themselves?
James J. Andrews: I went through pretty far tonight. Let me tell you this: If you can't drink their toasts and sing their songs, love Jeff Davis and hate Abe Lincoln by next Friday, you'll never reach Marietta.

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Connections

Referenced in Living Steam: Virginia and Truckee Then and Now at the Nevada State Railroad Museum (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Sons of Old Aunt Dinah"
Lyrics by Lawrence Edward Watkin
Music by Stan Jones

User Reviews

Connection to GWTW

This is really not a review as such, even though I really enjoyed this film when I saw it as a kid and am glad it is now available on DVD.I do hope they have included the "making of" that aired on Disneyland when the film was first released. My main comment is about the obscure connection of The Great Locomotive Chase,the actual event and Gone With the Wind. The conductor who chased Andrews, Capt William A.Fuller lived in Atlanta after the war and he had a daughter named Annie Laurie Fuller. Annie married Atlanta architect, artist and historian Wilbur G.Kurtz. Wilbur and Annie were friends of Margaret Mitchell. When GWTW was being filmed, Mitchell suggested Kurtz be the technical adviser on the film. The Kurtzs spent a great deal of time in Hollywood. Kurtz kept a diary of his work on the film that was published in the The Atlanta Historical Journal in the Summer 1978 issue, Vol XXII Number 2. Annie Laurie took some of the pictures that accompany the article. I found this connection to be interesting and if anyone out there is a GWTW junkie like myself, try to get a copy of the above mentioned journal. There is a wealth of information on the making of GWTW.