Date
1 - 20 of 25
Roaring Rails
|
Al and Patricia Westerfield <westerfield@...>
The film was more melodrama than railroad. However, there were several AT&SF Bx-Os in evidence. Also steam shovel and dump cars. It appeared that the film was shot both on SP and Sante Fe trackage. The view of the drivers was of a much earlier loco than the long shots. Road names were painted out on the tenders.
The boy, Frankie Darro became a silent star billed as “Darro”. He appeared in a famous film, Wild Boys of the Road. He never grew and played jockeys on the take for a decade. He was inside Robbie the robot of Forbidden Planet fame but was fired for being drunk on the job. He appeared as late as the late-1950s in Have Gun Will Travel, his good looks decimated by drink. – Al Westerfield [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
Joel Holmes <lehighvalley@...>
Hi All,
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I agree with Al's view of the movie. However, it is good in that it showed us some good views of early cars and other equipment. Although the plot was nothing to grow about, I did enjoy the movie. Joel Holmes The film was more melodrama than railroad. However, there were several |
|
|
|
bill davis <billcheri72@...>
Al,You're right it was more a melodrama but for me little 0-4-0t and dump cars, the steam shovel & dump cars was worth watching the film. Love the old model T car too the big guy had.I have a copy of "Wild Boys" and it has some great train scenes in it.Another good old film is the original "Silver Streak" with the Burlington zephyr.BILL
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
--- On Thu, 12/15/11, Al and Patricia Westerfield <westerfield@...> wrote:
From: Al and Patricia Westerfield <westerfield@...> Subject: [STMFC] Roaring Rails To: STMFC@... Date: Thursday, December 15, 2011, 10:33 PM The film was more melodrama than railroad. However, there were several AT&SF Bx-Os in evidence. Also steam shovel and dump cars. It appeared that the film was shot both on SP and Sante Fe trackage. The view of the drivers was of a much earlier loco than the long shots. Road names were painted out on the tenders. The boy, Frankie Darro became a silent star billed as “Darro”. He appeared in a famous film, Wild Boys of the Road. He never grew and played jockeys on the take for a decade. He was inside Robbie the robot of Forbidden Planet fame but was fired for being drunk on the job. He appeared as late as the late-1950s in Have Gun Will Travel, his good looks decimated by drink. – Al Westerfield [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
MDelvec952
I caught this film as well. The plot and story are typical of the time, as was the acting. That Ten Wheeler 2276 is similar to SP 2248 in service in Grapevine, Texas, today. The tank engine pulling the side-dumps on rickety track was terrific, as were the scenes showing the Santa Fe BX-0s. There were places were models were used in the wreck scenes.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
What I always enjoy while viewing films of this era is that the context of life and railroading is real for that era (except for all of that make-up). This was filmed in 1924 when steam and that passenger consist was typical of the day, as were the freight cars. This story references World War I in about the same reference of memory as we would, say, the George "Dubya" presidency. ....Mike -----Original Message-----
From: Al and Patricia Westerfield <westerfield@...> To: STMFC <STMFC@...> Sent: Thu, Dec 15, 2011 11:33 pm Subject: [STMFC] Roaring Rails The film was more melodrama than railroad. However, there were several AT&SF Bx-Os in evidence. Also steam shovel and dump cars. It appeared that the film was shot both on SP and Sante Fe trackage. The view of the drivers was of a much earlier loco than the long shots. Road names were painted out on the tenders. The boy, Frankie Darro became a silent star billed as “Darro”. He appeared in a famous film, Wild Boys of the Road. He never grew and played jockeys on the take for a decade. He was inside Robbie the robot of Forbidden Planet fame but was fired for being drunk on the job. He appeared as late as the late-1950s in Have Gun Will Travel, his good looks decimated by drink. – Al Westerfield [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
Hi,
Be careful about statements such as "those old movies show what the 'real' railroading was like in those days". What you are seeing may or may not be "real railroading" ... It is just as possible that the producer/director/crew that was doing the film back then made a decision based upon what was 'available' (and how much it cost) then as it is today. When the train in the scene is part of the background - you can probably rely upon it. But if it is part of the actual story line of the movie ... it may not be. However it was common practice then ... and still is today ... to use some "stock footage" to suplement the story line and so the train in the scene is often "as real as it can get". For instance - it was -very- common for a shot of an SP train somewhere in the L.A. area to be used as an 'extra' for a story that was placed on the East Coast (or vice versa). Sometimes you can rely upon it. Sometimes you can't. Geez, that kind of sounds a lot too much like whether or not I'll get the garbage out to the curb for pickup on the right day of the week! - trying to sort the garbage from the "good old stuff" ... Jim P.S. If you love trains - and movies - check out Yahoo group "MovieTrains". |
|
|
|
William Bryk <wmbryk@...>
I must admit that, while watching movies from the 1930s and 1940s with my
wife, I occasionally comment to her about how amazing it is to see a SP Pacific hauling a passenger train into Chicago. Regards, wb -- William Bryk Attorney and Counsellor-at-Law 578 74th Street Brooklyn, New York 11209-2614 Tel/Fax: (347) 497-5972 |
|
|
|
I recall an episode of Star Trek where they "time travelled" to Detroit
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
and suddenly in one scene you can see mountains in the distance! Ya just gotta love Hollywood. I don't think anyone in the biz has ever taken a geography class. On freight cars .. the scene in "It Happened One Night" when the motorcade driving through New Jersey is blocked by a local Southern Pacific freight! And an episode of The Fugitive TV show where he's hiding in a cave somewhere in Pennsylvania, and catches a passing freight led by D&RGW F units winding through a deep canyon... Tim O'Connor I must admit that, while watching movies from the 1930s and 1940s with my |
|
|
|
Andy Carlson
Currently getting a lot of TV exposure, "White Christmas" has the Danny
Kaye/Bing Crosby characters riding from Florida to Vermont in both a Santa Fe Warbonnet F unit powered train, and an SP Black Widow train. -Andy Carlson Ojai CA ________________________________ From: Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...> To: STMFC@... Sent: Sat, December 17, 2011 11:19:52 AM Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: Roaring Rails I recall an episode of Star Trek where they "time travelled" to Detroit and suddenly in one scene you can see mountains in the distance! Ya just gotta love Hollywood. I don't think anyone in the biz has ever taken a geography class. On freight cars .. the scene in "It Happened One Night" when the motorcade driving through New Jersey is blocked by a local Southern Pacific freight! And an episode of The Fugitive TV show where he's hiding in a cave somewhere in Pennsylvania, and catches a passing freight led by D&RGW F units winding through a deep canyon... Tim O'Connor I must admit that, while watching movies from the 1930s and 1940s with my [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
Anthony Thompson <thompson@...>
Tim O'Connor wrote:
I recall an episode of Star Trek where they "time travelled" to Detroit and suddenly in one scene you can see mountains in the distance! Ya justNot true at all, Tim. In fact, there is typically a whole crew of "continuity" and "scene dressing" people, who are forever deciding what is important enough to do correctly and what isn't. That we train enthusiasts often find a train discrepancy just means it was regarded as not important, and you can be sure that an awful lot of the public would agree. And besides, it provides entertainment for us. <g> Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA 2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com (510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@... Publishers of books on railroad history |
|
|
|
And because a LOT of people rode trains back then, I'm sure many
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
of them noticed the goof. Kind of like if a contemporary film was going to show someone flying out of O'Hare and then showed them getting out of the taxi at Orlando International, which many people will recognize. Currently getting a lot of TV exposure, "White Christmas" has the Danny |
|
|
|
Al and Patricia Westerfield <westerfield@...>
My favorite is the film Union Station where someone arrives in Los Angeles and then take a NYC elevated. – Al Westerfield
From: Tim O'Connor Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2011 5:39 PM To: STMFC@... Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: Roaring Rails And because a LOT of people rode trains back then, I'm sure many of them noticed the goof. Kind of like if a contemporary film was going to show someone flying out of O'Hare and then showed them getting out of the taxi at Orlando International, which many people will recognize. Currently getting a lot of TV exposure, "White Christmas" has the Danny [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
Joel Holmes <lehighvalley@...>
Hi William,
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
There was the time Barney was returning to Mayberry on the train and it showed him riding on either a ATSF or a UP train. (Can't remember which.) Amazing that those trains could get so far east. Joel I must admit that, while watching movies from the 1930s and 1940s with my |
|
|
|
tbarney2004
I personally find it funny in one scene in "Rudy" (which historically was just after list time ends in the mid-60s, but SHOULD have featured plenty of STMFCs in the form of hopper cars in scenes filmed at the steel mill) when Sean Aston as Rudy is walking out of the mill at end of shift while a string of Conrail hopper cars passes nearby.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Tim Barney On 12/17/2011 6:48 PM, Al and Patricia Westerfield wrote:
My favorite is the film Union Station where someone arrives in Los Angeles and then take a NYC elevated. – Al Westerfield |
|
|
|
Kurt Laughlin <fleeta@...>
Exactly. People just don't seem to realize that the movie is about the
*story*, not the scenery. I see similar discussions on the military modeling groups whenever a war movie comes out. Everybody thinks their little arcane corner of life should be presented with absolute accuracy, regardless of cost, effort, or effect on the film. If you want an idea of what these threads look like to normal people, imagine reading . . . "Did you see "The Red Caper"? It was OK, but, my gosh, don't the producers know anything? It was supposed to be set in 1949, but the lead character was wearing a Bulova "Cubic" watch - which wasn't released until 1956!! I mean, it would be so easy to just ask someone who knows something about watches! Instead they just show whatever stock jewelry they have in the prop trailer - It's like they don't even care." KL Tim O'Connor wrote: I recall an episode of Star Trek where they "time travelled" toNot true at all, Tim. In fact, there is typically a whole crew of "continuity" and "scene dressing" people, who are forever deciding what is important enough to do correctly and what isn't. That we train enthusiasts often find a train discrepancy just means it was regarded as not important, and you can be sure that an awful lot of the public would agree. And besides, it provides entertainment for us. <g> |
|
|
|
William Bryk <wmbryk@...>
Exactly. I derive amusement, not contempt, from seeing these gliches. I
wonder too whether I would do any better if I worked in Hollywood and had to dress the set with airplanes or automobiles, of which I don't know much. Trains, yes; airplanes, not necessarily. Regards, William Bryk On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 10:30 PM, Kurt Laughlin <fleeta@...> wrote: ** -- William Bryk Attorney and Counsellor-at-Law 578 74th Street Brooklyn, New York 11209-2614 Tel/Fax: (347) 497-5972 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
Anthony Thompson <thompson@...>
Kurt Laughlin wrote:
If you want an idea of what these threads look like to normal people, imagine reading . . .Excellently put, Kurt. "Nuf said. Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA 2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com (510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@... Publishers of books on railroad history |
|
|
|
cj riley <cjriley42@...>
I have to relate a story from Craig Thorpe, noted railroad artist, who did a fund raising painting for the restoration of the Snoqualmie depot in Wa. He researched the depot colors, the loco and passenger cars, the dairy truck name and myriad details to get them right. At the ceremony for the painting, an elderly lady approached him and asked about the year represented. He named the year with confidence that all was correct, but she pointed the Irish Setter in the scene was a breed unknown in the US until several years later. Always a rivet counter.
CJ Riley Bainbridge Island WA ________________________________ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|
|
Anthony Thompson <thompson@...>
cj riley wrote:
I have to relate a story from Craig Thorpe, noted railroad artist, who did a fund raising painting for the restoration of the Snoqualmie depot in Wa. He researched the depot colors, the loco and passenger cars, the dairy truck name and myriad details to get them right. At the ceremony for the painting, an elderly lady approached him and asked about the year represented. He named the year with confidence that all was correct, but she pointed the Irish Setter in the scene was a breed unknown in the US until several years later. Always a rivet counter.Indeed. Next we will have to revive the Cavendish banana story (not). Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA 2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com (510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@... Publishers of books on railroad history |
|
|
|
Steve Haas
<<I have to relate a story from Craig Thorpe, noted railroad artist, who did
a fund raising painting for the restoration of the Snoqualmie depot in Wa. He researched the depot colors, the loco and passenger cars, the dairy truck name and myriad details to get them right. At the ceremony for the painting, an elderly lady approached him and asked about the year represented. He named the year with confidence that all was correct, but she pointed the Irish Setter in the scene was a breed unknown in the US until several years later. Always a rivet counter.>> T'is how we learn. Steve Haas Snoqualmie, WA |
|
|
|
Scott Pitzer
Kurt Laughlin wrote:=======================If you want an idea of what these threads look like to normal I thought there was a system in place to prevent normal people from seeing these threads! Scott Pitzer [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
|
|