The Great Locomotive Chase (1956)

A Masterpiece!

A lot of fun.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

For a 1956 family film based on a true story, Walt Disney didn't pull any punches. "The Great Locomotive Chase" doesn't skirt the fact that the northern raiders were captured and the leaders executed. The film handles this carefully and without undue gore or bloodshed. The story is based on a true event, and as other reviewers have noted, it sticks close to the actual details. The train chase is portrayed somewhat longer here than it was, but otherwise this is a decent treatment of an historical event during the American Civil War. Fess Parker handles the role of James Andrews very well. Parker will always be known for his role as Davy Crockett in the Wald Disney TV series. But, he was a talented actor and played in a variety of films. Jeffrey Hunter is good as William Fuller, and all the roles are done very well. Hunter was an excellent actor whose career was cut short when he died of a stroke at age 42 in 1969.

This is really not a review as such, even though I really enjoyed this film when I saw it as a kid and am glad it is now available on DVD.I do hope they have included the "making of" that aired on Disneyland when the film was first released. My main comment is about the obscure connection of The Great Locomotive Chase,the actual event and Gone With the Wind. The conductor who chased Andrews, Capt William A.Fuller lived in Atlanta after the war and he had a daughter named Annie Laurie Fuller. Annie married Atlanta architect, artist and historian Wilbur G.Kurtz. Wilbur and Annie were friends of Margaret Mitchell. When GWTW was being filmed, Mitchell suggested Kurtz be the technical adviser on the film. The Kurtzs spent a great deal of time in Hollywood. Kurtz kept a diary of his work on the film that was published in the The Atlanta Historical Journal in the Summer 1978 issue, Vol XXII Number 2. Annie Laurie took some of the pictures that accompany the article. I found this connection to be interesting and if anyone out there is a GWTW junkie like myself, try to get a copy of the above mentioned journal. There is a wealth of information on the making of GWTW.

Quite often history throws up a story that is equally, if not more, exciting than anything a screenwriter can dream up. The story of Andrews' Raiders is one such example. These true events took place during the American Civil War and formed the basis for the 1927 Buster Keaton film "The General". In "The Great Locomotive Chase", a 1956 offering from Disney, the story is dealt with more seriously and earnestly than in Keaton's comedic version. While "The General" is easily the better film - indeed, one of THE greatest films of all-time - this version has much to recommend it too.Union spy James J. Andrews (Fess Parker) works deep in the Confederate territory and is totally trusted by his southern foes. He is asked by a Union general to lead an audacious raiding party deep behind enemy lines. Their mission is to destroy a series of bridges that carry a vital rail line from Atlanta to Chattanooga, so that the Union army can advance on Chattanooga without having to worry about the enemy strengthening itself with reinforcements. Andrews enlists a group of bored Union soldiers led by William Pittinger (John Lupton) to help him in his mission. The men pose as Kentuckians planning to join the Confederacy, and trek deep into rebel territory. They seize control of a locomotive called The General and use it to travel along the line, tearing up track and cutting telegraph wires as they go. But as they approach the first bridge that they have been ordered to destroy, they realise that a group of Confederates are hot on their heels, led by an indomitable train conductor, William Fuller (Jeffrey Hunter), who worked on The General before it was stolen and is determined to get it back. There ensues an exhilarating chase during which both sides are stretched to the limit in terms of determination, courage and ingenuity."The Great Locomotive Chase" is an almost forgotten film that has not retained its popularity or reputation like so many of the Disney productions. It is rather sad that the film has faded into obscurity - there is certainly enough here to keep audiences engrossed. While Parker is a somewhat stolid hero, the performance of Hunter as his challenger is very energetic and enjoyable. Francis D. Lyon directs the film at a sprightly pace, especially during the train chase sequence which is full of sustained excitement. The film is pretty much pared to the bone, so that the story is very brisk and involving, completely unburdened with extraneous detail. There is even some surprising depth to the proceedings - in one particularly memorable scene Andrews and Pittinger discuss how much one can learn to hate one's own lies and deception when engaged in spy work. "How do you stand it?" asks Pittinger in a moment of anguish, a man clearly tormented by the underhand nature of the job he's carrying out. "The Great Locomotive Chase" is a solid and enjoyable little film that deserves a viewing.

Fess Parker stars as James Andrews, Yankee spy, who takes an extremely dangerous mission during the Civil War. Parker has his trademark easy-going smile on throughout the entire film, as he and a group of Union soldiers try to steal a train and destroy about a 1000 miles of train track, in an effort to cut the supply lines of the Rebel army and deal the South a fatal blow. Jeff Hunter and Kenneth Tobey are loyal Southern train officials who try to stop them by using every means under their disposal, which include running after the train for miles, using a handcart and stealing another engineer's engine. Jeff York, Dick Sergeant, Harry Carey Jr., and John Lupton, plus a lot of other character actors, round out Fess' Union forces.This film is pretty accurate, as historical Disney movies go, and is based on a true story. Buster Keaton's silent film "The General" is also based on the same Civil War event.Disney just released the movie on DVD, in its original widescreen format; the picture is sharp and detailed, with wonderful, bright colors and fine, clear sound. This is an excellent way to see this movie, and is well worth the money. It would be great if Disney would put out Fess' other films, the original 3 part "Davy Crockett" and the hilarious "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" in this format, too, as well as "Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow". In fact, I'd love to see all their live action films on DVD and in their original aspect, and done as well as "The Great Locomotive Chase".