The Train (1964)

Director:

John Frankenheimer
(more)

Writers:

Franklin Coen (screen story) and
Frank Davis (screen story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 March 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | War | Action

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.

Plot Keywords:

Train | French | German | Art | Painting

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

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)
Jean-Claude Bercq	...	Major (as Jean-Claude Berco)
Howard Vernon	...	Dietrich
Louis Falavigna	...	Railroad Worker
Richard Bailey	...	Grote
Christian Fuin	...	Robert
Helmo Kindermann	...	Ordnance Officer
Roger Lumont	...	Engineer Officer
Gérard Buhr	...	Corporal (as Gerard Buhr)
Christian Rémy	...	Tauber (as Christian Remy)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Victor Beaumont	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jacques Blot	...	Hubert (uncredited)
Michel Charrel	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
Max Fromm	...	Gestapo Officer (uncredited)
Bernard La Jarrige	...	Bernard - Doctor (uncredited)
Jean-Jacques Leconte	...	Lieutenant of Retreating Convoy (uncredited)
Daniel Lecourtois	...	Priest (uncredited)
Wolfgang Sauer	...	Bit Part (uncredited)

Directed by
John Frankenheimer
Arthur Penn		(uncredited; fired, replaced by John Frankenheimer)

Writing credits
Franklin Coen		screen story &
Howard Dimsdale		uncredited &
Nedrick Young		uncredited and
Frank Davis		screen story
Franklin Coen		(screenplay) and
Frank Davis		(screenplay)
Rose Valland		(book "Le front de l'art")
Walter Bernstein		uncredited
Albert Husson		French version (uncredited)

Produced by
Jules Bricken	....	producer
Bernard Farrel	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Jean Tournier		(photographed by)
Walter Wottitz		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
David Bretherton
Gabriel Rongier		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Willy Holt

Makeup Department
Georges Bouban	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Serge LeBeau	....	unit manager (as Serge Lebeau)
Robert Velin	....	production manager

Art Department
Marc Frédérix	....	assistant production designer (as Marc Frederix)
Roger Volper	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Jacques Carrère	....	sound re-recordist
Joseph de Bretagne	....	sound (as Joseph De Bretagne)
Jacques Maumont	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Lee Zavitz	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Jean Fouchet	....	optical effects (as Jean Fouchet F.L)

Stunts
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
André Domage	....	camera operator
Vincent Rossell	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Zay	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor

Other crew
Jules Bricken	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Les Films Ariane
• Les Productions Artistes Associés
• Dear Film Produzione

Distributors

• United Artists (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1964) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1964) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1978) (Finland) (TV)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Societé Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF)  thanks (as French National Railways)
• French Ministry of Defense  thanks (as French Military Forces)
• Westrax  sound recording (as Westrax Recording System)

Also Known As:

"John Frankenheimer's The Train" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

133 min | UK:140 min

Country:

France | Italy | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1965) | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | West Germany:16 (f) | Canada:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Acquigny, Calvados, France

Company:

Les Films Ariane

Trivia:

The air raid on the yards was filmed at Gargenville yard, outside Paris. More than 50 people under Lee Zavitz needed six weeks to plant and wire all the charges, which were blown up in less than a minute. This was done by a special arrangement with the French National Railway, which had been seeking to modernize the yard but lacked the funds to do so.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: As Pesquet moves the armored locomotive out of the engine shed, the hissing sound of steam blowing from the cylinder drain cocks can be heard, but no steam can be seen coming from the cocks.

Quotes:

Resistance leader:Right after dawn, all switching tracks and trains in the area will be bombed. The art train is not to be destroyed. Orders are to mark it so that the planes will pass it up.
Labiche:Mark it!
Resistance leader:White paint, on the top of the first three cars. London has decided the paintings must not be damaged.
Labiche:Paint it? For von Waldheim-- make him a present? To hell with London! We started this whole thing for one reason: to stop the train, because the Allies were going to be here! Well, where are they? Every day they've been due, and every day a man has been killed for thinking they were just over the next hill. I say to hell with them. Now they want us to paint the train? Let 'em blow it up!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Peerless war movie

The movie is about the Nazis taking 'degenerate' modern paintings out of Paris as the allies are approaching. The officer in charge of the spoils, Colonel Von Waldheim, is secretly in love with the art he is supposed to hate; his official motivation is based on "cash value." The French train workers, led by Labiche, have no appreciation for the art and are unaware of its cultural importance, but nevertheless fight the Germans out of patriotism, against their better instincts.

Frantic, weary tension comes from the closeness of end of the war, a desperate time that drives the characters well past sane restraint. The Germans can no longer deny their impending doom. Grit comes from massive steam locomotives shot in black and white. The mortal struggle plays out on a personal level. The action is relentless.

The director, John Frankenheimer, relies on the intelligence and empathy of the audience to convey his story. Much of the movie is concerned with the mechanicals of how a railroad works. It shows the dignity and solidarity of the workers, and their huge effort.

The theme is the waste, the cost of war -- what is worth fighting for, what you actually do fight for even though it does not seem to be worth it, and the capricious outcome. The tally comes at the final scene.

"The Train" is a perfect action-adventure war drama.