The Ghost Train (1941)

High jinks and chills ensue when a group of people become stranded at an isolated station and a legendary phantom train approaches.

Director:

Walter Forde

Writers:

Arnold Ridley (based on the famous play by), J.O.C. Orton (scenario)

Stars:

Arthur Askey, Richard Murdoch, Kathleen Harrison

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Arthur Askey	...	Tommy Gander
Richard Murdoch	...	Teddy Deakin (as Richard {Stinker} Murdoch)
Kathleen Harrison	...	Miss Bourne
Peter Murray-Hill	...	R.G. Winthrop
Carole Lynne	...	Jackie Winthrop
Morland Graham	...	Dr. Sterling
Betty Jardine	...	Edna
Stuart Latham	...	Herbert
Herbert Lomas	...	Saul Hodgkin
Raymond Huntley	...	Price
Linden Travers	...	Julia Price
D.J. Williams	...	Ben Isaacs

Storyline

Mismatched travellers are stranded overnight at a lonely rural railway station. They soon learn of local superstition about a phantom train which is said to travel these parts at dead of night, carrying ghosts from a long-ago train wreck in the area. The travelers eventually get to the bottom of the things that go bump in the night. In between the scary bits, comedian Arthur Askey plays the gags with his Vaudeville style humor, to the constant irritation of his fellow passengers.

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Plot Keywords:

train | ghost | railway | hat | thunderstorm | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 May 1941 (UK)

Also Known As:

El tren fantasma

Filming Locations:

Gaumont-British Studios, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gainsborough Pictures, Gaumont British Picture Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (British Acoustic Film Full Range Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film received its USA premiere when it was telecast in New York City Tuesday 29 August 1950 on WNBT (Channel 4).

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Goofs

The station-master manages to escape out of the side office without anyone seeing him, despite the fact that the room had only one door and no window (only the ticket box opening). There was always someone in the waiting room through which he would have had to pass to escape.

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Quotes

Gander: It's a far far wetter thing I go to.

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Connections

References Charlie Chan in London (1934)

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Soundtracks

Oh Dear what can the matter be
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by Arthur Askey

User Reviews

Would have been better without Arthur Askey

Train passengers are stranded overnight at a train station due to the hijinks of an obnoxious man named Tommy Gander (Arthur Askey), who pulled the brake so he could go get his hat he dropped off the train. That's the first of this guy's annoyances in this movie, but hardly the last. He spends the entire film being annoying. While they're at the station, they're told the station is haunted and a ghost train passes at night. If anybody looks upon the train they will die. At this point I was cheering for Gander to see the train.

I'm a sucker for a train movie so I really wanted to like this. I did like the train station set, particularly the platform outside with the moody matte painting backdrop. The mystery elements aren't bad. I would rate this one a lot higher if not for Askey's overbearing character and the fact we seem to get little relief from him in the movie. As one other reviewer rightly noted, whether or not you will enjoy this film depends on how you feel about Arthur Askey's performance. For me, he was unfunny, irritating, and unlikable. You might think he's the funniest person who ever lived. Watch it and see for yourself.