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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Richard Lester used the opening comedic train sequence as the inspiration for the similar sequence in A Hard Day's Night (1964).

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Goofs

When Teddy shoots at the 'ghost' on the platform, he uses what appears to be a 1910 Model Browning automatic, a popular police and civilian pistol of the time; but when he re-enters the waiting room he is holding a 1901 Model Browning, quite different in appearance. Later when the villain Price threatens the passengers on the bus, he now has the M1910.

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Quotes

Gander: [about a ghost story] As they were pushing the bodies in...

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Connections

Version of The Ghost Train (1937)

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Soundtracks

The Seaside Band
Written by Kenneth Blain
Performed by Arthur Askey (uncredited)

User Reviews

My brief review of the film

With mostly gags and very little plot, this is an entertaining film overall but hardly a brilliant one. It improves a great deal after the one-hour mark though when the horror finally starts to seep through. The thriller and comedy elements of the film only work about half the time themselves, however there are still some amusing bits and the plot is reasonably intriguing. It is easy to see that the film was intended to be a showcase for Arthur Askey's talents. He does show talent here, but it can be questioned as to whether his comic antics could have been put to better use. On the positive side, the characters are relatively interesting, and those beginning credits are great. The film makes an interesting companion piece to 'Rome Express', also directed by Walter Forde, and also set on a train. This film is the weaker of the two but it is a slightly different approach to friendships between strangers on trains. It is worth a look in the end. If not a great film, it is a fairly enjoyable ride.

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (British Acoustic Film Full Range Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1