7.6/10
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The Signalman (1976)

| Drama, Horror, Short | TV Short 22 December 1976
The Signalman Poster
A lonely Signalman is visited by a stranger.

Director:

Lawrence Gordon Clark

Writers:

Charles Dickens (story), Andrew Davies (adaptation)

Stars:

Denholm Elliott, Bernard Lloyd, Reginald Jessup | See full cast & crew »
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Photos

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Denholm Elliott ... The Signalman
Bernard Lloyd ... The Traveller
Reginald Jessup ... The Engine Driver
Carina Wyeth Carina Wyeth ... The Bride
See full cast »
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Storyline

For this the sixth of the BBC's "A Ghost Story for Christmas" series we are presented with an adaptation of a Charles Dickens story rather than one by M.R. James. A traveler (Bernard Lloyd) sees a railway signalman (Denholm Elliott) in a lonely location. The signal box is situated between two steep sided hills close to the entrance to a tunnel. The traveler, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun with one arm, waves to the signalman and cries out "Hallo, Below There". But he is puzzled when the railway worker not only does not reply to him but actually seems to be afraid of him. When the traveler reassures him that there is nothing to fear about him, the signalman welcomes the stranger into his signal box and begins to tell him a remarkable story. Written by Mark_a_Wood <markawood@hotmail.co.uk>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

based on short story | voice over flashback | flashback | mysterious man | dream sequence | See All (61) »

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Short

Parents Guide:

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Mark Gatiss described Lawrence Gordon Clark's "The Signalman" as "matchless". See more »

Goofs

The hat of the Traveller is of a slightly earlier period than the rest of the costumes in the film. Whilst accurate for the time judging by his cravat and collar he is fairly well-to-do, and by 1900 the high bowler was more lower class wear. See more »

Connections

Featured in Timeshift: Between the Lines: Railways in Fiction and Film (2008) See more »

User Reviews

 
Chilling
27 April 2006 | by SBULGACS1 – See all my reviews

I remember watching this movie as a kid and then again late at night a few years ago. I had to be honest totally forgotten about it until I was recently researching ghost stories. Well to say that I had totally forgotten about it is wrong, when watching movies such as The others this movie always sprung to mind. This short is full of atmosphere and suspense it is a ghost chiller in the purest sense and we are never really sure if the entire thing is in the signalman's mind or not. This pure fact alone makes it superior to most modern Hollywood attempts, were you work out in the first five minutes what is going on and how it will all work out. I would recommend this short to all fans of chillers as the ending even when watched in the day is still shocking. If you are a sensitive type though I would keep clear.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1976 (UK) See more »

Also Known As:

The Signalman See more »

Filming Locations:

Birchen Coppice Cutting and Tunnel Mouth, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England, UK See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
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