Silver Streak (1976)

On a long-distance train trip, a man finds romance but also finds himself in danger of being killed, or at least pushed off the train.

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writer:

Colin Higgins

Stars:

Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Jill Clayburgh

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Wilder	...	George
Jill Clayburgh	...	Hilly
Richard Pryor	...	Grover
Patrick McGoohan	...	Devereau
Ned Beatty	...	Sweet
Clifton James	...	Sheriff Chauncey
Ray Walston	...	Mr. Whiney
Stefan Gierasch	...	Professor Schreiner & Johnson
Len Birman	...	Chief
Valerie Curtin	...	Plain Jane
Lucille Benson	...	Rita Babtree
Scatman Crothers	...	Ralston
Richard Kiel	...	Reace
Fred Willard	...	Jerry Jarvis
Delos V. Smith Jr.	...	Burt (as Delos V. Smith)

Storyline

A somewhat daffy book editor on a rail trip from Los Angeles to Chicago thinks that he sees a murdered man thrown from the train. When he can find no one who will believe him, he starts doing some investigating of his own. But all that accomplishes is to get the killer after him.

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Plot Keywords:

train | murder | sidekick | police | book | 

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Taglines:

It's the Most Hilarious Suspense Ride of Your Life!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

El expreso de Chicago

Filming Locations:

Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$51,079,064, 31 December 1977

Company Credits

Production Co:

Frank Yablans Presentations, Miller-Milkis Productions, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the scene where Grover (Richard Pryor) puts the shoe polish on George's (Gene Wilder's) face to make him appear to be black was first filmed, a white man walked in and believed George was black. Richard Pryor was uncomfortable with the scene, and felt it would be funnier if a black man walked in and is not fooled at all. Pryor asked Arthur Hiller for a re-shoot, but Hiller refused. Pryor walked off the set and refused to return to filming until the scene was changed. Hiller relented and Pryor's idea was used for the final cut.

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Goofs

The train is shown entering "Central Station" in Chicago. By 1976, Central Station had been torn down. The station used in the movie for those scenes was Chicago and North Western Station and train-shed. All the way up to the bumping post is the far West track in the old CNW station. Great shots of the old CNW-style signals are seen as well. Also, "Rockdale" is on the old Rock Island main line to the SOUTH side of Chicago, so if they had been coming in to a Chicago Station, it should have been La Salle St. Station. The only correct Chicago 'Tower" scenes were when Jerry Jarvis is on the telephone with the cop, you can see BN railroad switchers doing station work at "Union Station" in Chicago, where the "Am Road" train should have been going.

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Quotes

George Caldwell: I've never milked a cow before.
Rita: Cut the gas, Steve, you're a grown man. I'm sure you've had some similar experience.

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Connections

Featured in Lørdagshjørnet: Gene Wilder (1978)

User Reviews

fast track to fun

If you can get through the meandering first 15 minutes, you should enjoy the rest of this adventure comedy. Wilder is heading from LA to Chicago by train when he falls into a fling with Clayburgh. During foreplay he sees her boss outside the window, falling off the train. She doesn't believe him, and when he tries to look into it further, he's chucked off the train as well...but alive. He finds his way back to the train with the help of crack-up wacko farm lady Benson. More problems ensue when he catches up with Clayburgh as the killers reveal themselves. Pryor is later thrown into the mix as a good-hearted thief who helps Wilder in his quest. For 1976, this was pretty well advanced in terms of racey dialogue and stunts, and still holds up nicely today. The most memorable thing is Wilder's classic line when falling off the train. Sadly, you're reminded of the age of the film because of so many of the cast members that have died, and how it makes you think that others probably aren't far off. But it also makes you think of how great they all were as an ensemble that provided a good amount of laughs and suspense.