IMDb > The Train (1964)
The Train
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Train (1964) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
The Train (1964) -- A French railway inspector goes up against the Nazis in order to prevent a trainload of France's most treasured paintings from being stolen.

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   4,230 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Franklin Coen (screen story) and
Frank Davis (screen story) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Train on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 March 1965 (USA) more
Genre:
Thriller | War | Action more
Tagline:
It carried their hopes, their nation's honour!
Plot:
In 1944, a German colonel loads a train with French art treasures to send to Germany. The Resistance must stop it without damaging the cargo. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
Actor Paul Scofield Dies at 86
 (From IMDb News. 20 March 2008)

User Comments:
A personal favorite and semi-overlooked classic more (102 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Burt Lancaster ... Labiche

Paul Scofield ... Von Waldheim
Jeanne Moreau ... Christine
Suzanne Flon ... Mlle Villard
Michel Simon ... Papa Boule
Wolfgang Preiss ... Herren
Albert Rémy ... Didont (as Albert Remy)
Charles Millot ... Pesquet
Richard Münch ... Von Lubitz (as Richard Munch)
Jacques Marin ... Jacques
Paul Bonifas ... Spinet
Jean Bouchaud ... Schmidt
Donald O'Brien ... Schwartz (as Donal O'Brien)
Jean-Pierre Zola ... Octave
Arthur Brauss ... Pilzer (as Art Brauss)
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Il treno (Italy)
John Frankenheimer's The Train (USA) (complete title)
Le train (France)
more
Runtime:
133 min | UK:140 min
Country:
USA | France | Italy
Language:
English | German
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Filming Locations:
Acquigny, Calvados, France more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Burt Lancaster was forced by United Artists to make four films for $150,000 a picture in the 1960s: The Young Savages (1961), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Train (1964) and The Hallelujah Trail (1965) rather than his normal fee of $750,000, because of cost overruns at his production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, for which he was personally responsible. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Once the train starts on its run to Germany, it passes through all the stations without stopping (except briefly at "St. Avold" for the phone call). In reality, the steam locomotive would have had to stop at occasionally to take on water. more
Quotes:
Miss Villard: I knew of books being burned, other things... I was terrified that these would be lost.
Colonel von Waldheim: A book is worth a few francs; we Germans can afford to destroy those. We all may not appreciate artistic merit, but cash value is another matter.
Miss Villard: You won't convince me that you're cynical. I know what these paintings mean to you.
Colonel von Waldheim: You are a perceptive woman.
[Schmidt enters, with several other soldiers.]
Colonel von Waldheim: We're removing the paintings. Pack them carefully.
Miss Villard: Where are you taking them?!
Colonel von Waldheim: To a safe place.
Miss Villard: But no place is as safe as Paris!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
40 out of 59 people found the following comment useful.
A personal favorite and semi-overlooked classic, 29 November 2001
Author: ggh6 from Pennsylvania, USA

A standout WWII drama, loosely based on a true story. In 1944, as the Allies spread across France from the Normandy landings, the Nazis looted Paris art museums and loaded the works onto a train, with the intention of carrying them back to the Fatherland and selling or bartering them for scarce war materials. A fairly hare-brained scheme, to be sure, and in reality the train never made it further than a siding just east of the city, but that shouldn't hinder one's enjoyment of what turns out to be a classic action film.

The centerpiece of the movie is a clash of wills between Von Waldheim, a cultured but iron-backed Nazi colonel (well-played by Paul Scofield) charged with getting the stolen artworks to Germany, and a taciturn railway troubleshooter named Labiche (Burt Lancaster). Von Waldheim first enlists Labiche as 'insurance' against any monkey business during the train's journey. Labiche, though, happens to have Resistance connections and, with serious reservations, is drawn into a desperate, improvised plot to stop the train, preferably without damaging the precious artifacts inside.

Although easily enjoyed as a straight action flick, what gives the film weight is the supporting story, in which Labiche at first argues against wasting precious lives on a few crates of paintings he's never seen, then gradually comes round as he begins to understand that the Nazis are effectively carrying off a large piece of the heart of France. Beautiful deep-focus black and white photography, and solid supporting performances by a mostly French cast (of which Jeanne Moreau may be the best-known), convincingly evoke the bleak misery of the Occupation. John Frankenheimer's economical direction manages to present highly-charged action scenes without glossing over the human cost, as Von Waldheim exacts savage reprisals against escalating efforts to hinder the train's passage.

Lancaster, who performed his own stunts, is excellent, furiously athletic as he slides down ladders, leaps onto moving locomotives, and charges over ridges and fields in pursuit of the train. At the same time, he manages to effectively bring a subtle authenticity to his portrayal of the weary, fatalistic railwayman.

Finally, the action set-pieces are nothing short of stunning, and include the train's mad dash through an Allied carpet-bombing attack, a strafing raid on a speeding locomotive, and several wrecks and derailments, all staged full-scale with period equipment donated by the French national railway. Well worth obtaining on DVD, the film may be hard to find on broadcast television these days.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (102 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Train (1964)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The tank engine beckersheinz
Remake steve_vanes
The aircraft used in the filming fennmeister2000
Tracking shot Mark_Alldridge
Albert Remy dubbed? Clanallan
Unnecessary Destruction of France's railway heritage. de_niro_2001
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Longest Day Mr. Klein Valkyrie Paris brûle-t-il? The Great Escape
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Thriller section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.