8/10
One for railroad buffs!
12 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Director: BERNARD VORHAUS. Screenplay: H. Fowler Mear, John Soutar. Based on an original screen story by J. Jefferson Farjeon. Photography: William Luff, Percy Strong. Supervising film editor: Jack Harris. Film editor: Lister Laurance. Art director: James A. Carter. Hair styles: Charles. Music director: W.L. Trytel. Production supervisor: John Brahm. Assistant director: James Davidson. Sound recording: Baynham Honri, Leo Wilkins. Visafone Sound System. Producer: Julius Hagen. Filmed with the full and courteous co-operation of the Great Western Railway. Cars supplied through the courtesy of Messsrs A.C. (Acedes) Cars, Ltd.

A Twickenham Film Studios Production, released in the U.K. through Twickenham Film Distributors: October 1935. U.S. release through Olympic Pictures. Not copyrighted in the U.S.A. Not theatrically released in Australia. 66 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: The driver of an express train suffers a breakdown.

COMMENT: A definite must-see for railway buffs (in fact it would easily figure on the top ten), thanks to the wholehearted co-operation of the Great Western Railway which has produced some absolutely staggering scenes and effects.

Aside from a bit of obvious under-cranking right at the very beginning of the movie, technical credits are extremely proficient. Direction and camerawork strike even a casual viewer as especially skillful. The script is serviceable enough too, though some of the players, particularly Julien Mitchell as the mad engineer, are inclined to over-do things a little. Olga Lindo also seems a bit of a pain as the overly sympathetic wife, but that's the fault of the script.

Judy Gunn makes a pleasant heroine, and it's nice to see Eve Gray laying on the charm as a confidence girl.
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