The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953): A Review by Kyle Edwards

The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) is an early-1950s British comedy which tells a story similar to many real occurrences throughout the world. After Britain's large, nationalized railroad company "British Railways" decides to cease operations over a rural branch line, a small group of concerned locals spring into action to buy the lot of it and save their treasured train. Despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the ragtag group manages to defy the odds and preserve the rail line.

This film is the Orient Express of cinema, providing a scenic, entertaining connection between varied points; these being suspense, clever humor and heartwarming satisfaction. The primary antagonists in the film are a pair of gentlemen who wish to gain from the closure of the rail line by offering bus service in place of the train. After these men fail to block the new railroad from gaining government approval to operate, they take matters into their own hands. Several devious attempts at sabotaging the railway are made — all appear successful at first. However, the ingenuity, determination and teamwork displayed by the group aboard the train prevails every time. Throughout the film, the rails are blocked, the critically essential water tower is ruined and drained, and the entire train is even set loose and forced to derail. Wherever the bus company men do their worst... the railroad men and women do far better.

The Titfield Thunderbolt has a captivating storyline, solid cinematography and a skilled cast. The plot itself, though fictional, is based on the story of the Talyllyn Railway in Wales — which became the world's first railway to be preserved by volunteers in 1951. In a broader sense, the film is very representative of things to come in the years that followed. As railroads around the globe experienced increasing overall decline throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s, many groups appeared from thin air and saved historic railways and equipment from total destruction. In this film, there's some truth behind the added element of the seemingly-evil bus operators trying to destroy the railway. Motorcoach, trucking, automobile and airline companies all applied heavy pressure on the railroad industry in their formative years — both directly and by pushing for government regulations that lined their pockets at the expense of the high iron.

This movie beautifully captures the inherent nostalgia of the railroad and the love that many people — of all ages — have for the steam train. Although many historic rail lines have been lost forever, The Titfield Thunderbolt's success story, though fictional, provides a burst of joy that makes the viewer grateful for the existing real-life success stories. As with the preservation of any object, machine or place, there must be a lot of care and determination for there to be any resulting positive outcome. This film, though light and humorous, highlights the perseverance of those who wish to save things that are at risk for obliteration. Just like a real rail line, this film has plenty of ups, downs and unexpected twists. But it's fun, thrilling and very much worth the ride.

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The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) is available on Blu-ray from Film Movement.

Thank you to Film Movement for providing a copy for review.

Kyle Edwards of Trainiac Productions

"I enjoy long walks on the beach, but prefer to study railroad history, photograph the giant machinery in action and enjoy any films from days gone by. I love to create as much as I love to enjoy the creations of others."

Whisky Galore (1949): Review by Kate Gabrielle

It’s 1943 in wartime Scotland and the residents of the small island of Todday are fighting a battle far worse than anything they could have ever imagined when World War II began — they are plumb out of whisky! In Whisky Galore, a colorful group of characters band together to salvage cases of alcohol from a sinking supply ship that ran aground near the island, while the daughters of the town’s postmaster (and most fervent admirer of whisky) contemplate marriage to their respective suitors. After the initial comical scenes depicting the moment when the "water of life" went dry, the film drags a bit, spending a little too much time on exposition for storylines that don't pay off until the end.

But once the townspeople concoct their plan to plunder the ship full of whisky, things really pick up the pace and all of the exposition starts coming together. In what is perhaps the most rewarding payoff, a mild-mannered man who lives under the roof - and thumb - of his overzealous fire-and-brimstone mother finally works up the nerve to speak up for himself once he's poured several glasses of pilfered whisky down the hatch. And an early scene on the effectiveness of roadblocks on an island with only one main thoroughfare finally comes full circle during a thrilling car chase!

A cast of regular Ealing players combined with local extras from the on-location island of Barra makes for a realistic, vibrant, and distinctive bunch that's reminiscent of Ballykissangel (1996-2001) and Waking Ned Devine (1998). The star of the film is definitely the town as a whole, but top-billed actors Basil Radford and Joan Greenwood (ironically the only non-Scottish members of the cast) pull their weight as the Home Guard commander and one of the postmaster's daughters.

Greenwood doesn't have very much to work with here -- her scenes consist of pretty much a loop of applying lipstick, answering the telephone in her father's shop and gazing lovingly at her fiance -- but, as was her custom, she takes those small scenes and turns them into works of art. Exuding composure and calm indifference, every line that she utters in her signature gravely voice elevates the script beyond the written words.

Radford - who you may recognize as one half of the popular Charters and Caldicott duo - transitions throughout the film from a somewhat bumbling Home Guard commander into something of a Javert character, determined to sabotage the whisky theft and hold accountable any and all townspeople who had anything to do with the heist. It is a small saving grace that his wife seems to be rooting for him to fail, and finds great pleasure in the moment he gets his comeuppance!

Despite the lag in pace in the first quarter of the film, this was a very pleasant and delightful film! Once it found its footing it was so lively and cheeky! And there are so many small moments that feel like they could only come from a British film of this era. An elderly man storing whisky in his hot water bottle; the sound of bagpipes being used to drown out the ranting and raving of a stuffy old woman; a man agreeing to allow his daughter's betrothal on the condition that his future son-in-law procure him whisky for the rèiteach. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite scene in the film, a montage of villagers hiding their whisky in the most inventive and creative places in their homes. It's reminiscent of scenes from other wartime movies where people banded together for the good of the country - or in this case, for the sake of whisky!

The Film Movement Blu-Ray is a beautiful print with crystal-clear sound, something that I appreciate all the more in movies like this one that take place in a seaside setting, where the sound of the waves and seagulls are an essential part of the experience. Bonus features include an audio commentary by John Ellis, a documentary about the film, a featurette about the real life events that inspired the movie, and a 16-page booklet. You also get the 1954 film The Maggie, starring Paul Douglas.

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Whisky Galore is available on Blu-Ray from Film Movement.

Thank you to Film Movement for providing a copy for review.

Kate Gabrielle is an illustrator and classic film fan. You can find her classic movie inspired artwork on her website, kategabrielle.com, and 10 years of film musings on her blog The Films in My Life.

The Ghost of Peter Sellers

"For 43 years I covered up this very dark spot of my life. I carried this grudge against myself. After all these years, I'm here and I'm lost. What have I done?" - director Peter Medak

Peter Sellers developed a reputation for being difficult. By the time he started filming Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1974) he was not in a good place. He and Liza Minnelli had just broken up and he was feeling lonely and out of sorts. And he was about to make director Peter Medak's life a living hell. Four decades later Medak would live to tell the tale.

The new documentary The Ghost of Peter Sellers paints the portrait of a temperamental star on the path of self-destruction and a young director with a tormented past who remained hopeful even in the most dire of circumstances. Directed, narrated and starring Medak himself, this is a cathartic exploration of a production that has haunted him for many years. Viewers follow along as Medak interviews those who were involved with the film or had a connection with key players especially Peter Sellers himself. Interview subjects include writer Spike Milligan's agent Norma Farnes, producer and financier John Heyman, directors Joe McGrath and Piers Haggard who had worked with Sellers on other films, Sellers' personal assistant Susan Wood, actor Murray Melvin, Tony Franciosa's widow Rita Franciosa and many others. For a brief moment we hear from actor Robert Wagner who co-starred with Sellers in The Pink Panther (1963). Medak sits down with his friends and colleagues trying to reconstruct what exactly happened and takes us to Cyprus where the filming took place.

Medak interviewing McGrath and Haggard

"Making this documentary film was probably the craziest exercise I have ever done. It meant reaching deep inside and travelling alone through the memories of the worst directing experience of my entire life, reliving every moment again and walking in my own shadow of what happened on my movie 46 years ago." - Peter Medak

Ghost in the Noonday Sun was a high seas comedy starring Peter Sellers, Peter Boyle and Tony Franciosa. If you've never seen or even heard of this film there is a reason why. It was a disaster of a production and Columbia Pictures decided not to give it a theatrical release. Medak was an up-and-coming director. His film The Ruling Class (1972) had been nominated for a Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His wife was pregnant with their second child, money was tight and he needed his next production to be a sure thing.

Sellers was at the height of his fame. A new Sellers production had the potential to be bought sight unseen. Resting on the laurels of the Sellers dynamic was Medak's biggest mistake. What the hell had he just gotten into? Even with the foreboding sense of an impending disaster the hopeful young director trudged forward.

 "I have a name of being difficult but I'm not difficult at all. I just can't take mediocrity. I cannot take it on any level." - Peter Sellers

You'd think that Sellers would be the villain of the story but that really isn't the case. Yes his behavior is inexcusable but it is clear that there was more going on behind the scenes. Medak clearly admires Sellers comedic genius and mourns his long lost colleague.

The Ghost of Peter Sellers is an enthralling documentary that offers insights into the filmmaking experience and how a person's actions have ripple effects that last long after they have passed on. If you're at all interested in Peter Sellers, film history and the filmmaking process, give this documentary a watch.

The Ghost of Peter Sellers is available today on VOD including Amazon Prime and Google Play.