I just watched the Silver Streak with Gene Wilder. Lots of good train scenes. Anyone else catch it. It will be on again later this week if you get the right movie channels.
Seen it numerous times. Great movie to be an old one. Think I will DVR it. Haven’t checked to see if it is “On Demand”. It “hits” the guide off and on. I think that was the CP it was filmed on. Maybe someone knows for sure.
Great movie. One of my favorites for sure. I like it so much I couldn’t wait for the DVD to come out. I even got the CD soundtrack. Henry Mancini film music at his finest.
For Cable/Satellite viewing, avoid the version being shown on AMC. Too many commercials, and much of the great dialog is cut out. Try to watch it when shown on Fox Movie Channel (FMC). They show it uncut and without commercials…and most Satellite viewers get this station.
The trainset in the movie is definitely CP, lettered as AmRoad. If you look for it, there are loads of unmasked CP in the yard scenes. Most, if not all, of the train exterior scenes were shot in Canada.
Amtrak supposedly did not want to be a part of the movie. Hence the fictitious “AmRoad”.
Some rumors as to why Amtrak declined to participate include anything from the crash scene at the end to the scene near the beginning where George (Gene Wilder) accidentally opens the connecting partition door to Hilly’s (Jill Clayburg) bedroom…while she’s dressing.
However Amtrak does in fact appear in the movie. You have to know what you’re looking for and when to look for it. Amtrak appears when Jerry Jarvis (Fred Willard) is talking on the phone about a runaway Silver Streak in the dispatchers control room. Look to the clearly filmed background scene (meaning not really taking place outside the windows) of what appears to be an Alco switcher moving some baggage cars in the Chicago Union Station yards. These baggage cars are in Amtrak phase I paint. Oops. Guess Amtrak got in the movie after all.
This movie is well directed, has a great score, plus Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, and Patrick McGoohan are perfect. The movie was nominated for an Oscar for best sound, but did not win. It was the surprise hit summer movie for 1976.
If you haven’t seen it I totally recommend it.
And for all you train fans out there,
I think that I read somewhere that the engine was an EMD E-8 is this correct?I would like to get an old F-3 shell and replicate the “Amroad” livery dosen’t look too complicated!And I figure if I can paint a warbonnet (Which I did) then that loco should be easy for me!
Locos in the movie were FP7s. CP #4070 and CP #4067
Try and find CP F3s in the “Pacman” scheme, if they were made. Not being a big O scale modeler, I’m not too sure if any have ever been made. But that would be by far the easiest starting point. All you really would need are AmRoad decals to cover up the CP lettering.
Wow Matt! Certainly know a lot about the movie. I have it on tape, but have not watched it in some time. Regarding Amtrak not wanting to participate, I was told when we were trying to get a train for “Fireproof” that most railroads do not want anything to do with movies. Also told that the big brothers in the industry have been letting everyone know that they frown on such practices. A few reasons that were given:
Liability, PR(often the content of the movie doesn’t show the RR in a good light), and also for the tying up of track and crew with something that doesn’t bring in a lot of revenue (in our case, the RR spent over $1000.00 in fuel alone, never mind providing a full crew).
I think I will try to watch Silver Streak this week.
Dennis
Dennis…If I may ask, what was your involvment in Fireproof. My wife and I love that movie as well as Facing the Giants. Were you involved with that one also? If so I have another question, actually 2. The first is that I was told that Facing the Giants was the second movie. What was the first and finaly, are there any plans for another film?
I just realized that I got a bit off topic here and I want to apologize to everyone.
Strogey, I was a associate producer on Fireproof. Also did some consulting and am in it a few times. Glad you liked it. Regarding the other movies, I was only supportive, not hands on. Flywheel is the first movie. It was done on a budget of $20K, then Facing the Giants, which was done on a budget of $50K, and finally Fireproof. Both the earlier movies can be found at any video store, or even WalMart. You can also order from the church’s web site. Sherwood Baptist Church. As to another movie, yes we have one that we should be starting to film before long. I will be in the admin staff for that one also, but not sure exactly what my responsability will be.
Dennis