Customer Reviews

Great Locomotive Chase

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's been many years since I had seen "The Great Locomotive Chase", and it was a real pleasure to watch it again. With so many other reviews, I don't think I need to summarize the plot.

Anchor Bay, as usual, has given us a DVD that is beautiful to look at, with only a few areas where the age of the film is apparent. This is widescreen and I can't imagine watching this film any other way. The sound is pretty much what you would expect for a 1956 release.

Fess Parker and Jeffrey Hunter are fine as the lead protagonists, with Jeff York also registering as one of Andrews' Raiders who would rather fight, than follow the "cloak and dagger" routine. Of course, York played Mike Fink--"King of the River"--opposite Fess Parker's Davy Crockett.

This movie is a dream for railroad buffs--old steam trains still provide a thrill for many people. It is also noteworthy for people interested in the civil war, being based on actual events, although I suspect history scholars might find it too superficial. However, the purpose of this movie is to entertain fans of all ages--not to get bogged down in too much detail.

Parents should find this movie a delight to watch with their children, especially young boys. The plot is not complicated--there is plenty of action--and while shots are fired, and some fists fly, there is none of the more graphic violence that today's films seem to wallow in.

Like other reviewers, I would have liked some "extras". Comments from Fess Parker--now a successful California wine-maker--added a lot to Disney's Davy Crockett collection. Mr. Parker's memories of this film would have been a nice plus. Sadly, Jeffrey Hunter passed away at a young age, during the 1960s.
Perhaps some day there will be a "deluxe" edition from Disney--but, in the mean time, we must thank Anchor Bay for giving us this highly watchable version.

Again, recommended viewing for the whole family.

A very sad footnote, dated 20 March 2010. Mr. Fess Parker has passed away. I recall as a small boy in England seeing Davy Crockett, and being mesmerized by this tall, "straight-talkin' straight-shootin'" American, who was indisputably the "King of the Wild Frontier" ! Like millions of kids all over the world, I was soon running around with a coonskin cap, singing the Davy Crockett song. Thank you for the magical memories, Mr. Parker--God rest your soul.

The movie is outstanding. Fess Parker and the rest turn in excellent performances. This exciting story is based on the true to life incident that took place during the Civil War. From what I have heard there were only a couple minor changes in the recreation of the story. Walt Disney made wonderful movies during the Fifties and Sixties that were great for the whole family to enjoy together. I am ecstatic they are now releasing these movies to DVD. My only complaint is that there seems to be an issue with quantity instead of quality. They seem more interested in releasing a great number of movies than worrying about the condition of them. Now I'm am as anxious as the next person to get all their live action movies out but I hope they start taking the time to realize they need to monitor the quality control. I don't need the extras on this first release. Once they have released all the movies they use to run on "The Wonderful World of Disney" then they can go back and do Platinum Editions. I will be satisfied with just the movie since there are so many more they need to release like "Dr. Syn, alias Scarecrow" and "The Swamp Fox" that I can be satisfied with just the basics but I want the movie to have sharp picture and sound quality. Some of the recent live action movies have been great quality (e.g. Three Lives of Thomasina) and some have been poor (e.g. "The Journey of Natty Gann). I hope someone from Disney is paying attention to Amazons reviews because if they don't they may find their DVDs aren't selling so well. Fortunately this DVD picture and sound quality are nicely restored. There are no extra features.

The story of Andrew's Raiders and their adventures during the Civil War had served as the basis for Buster Keaton's classic silent comedy "The General." In 1956 Walt Disney produced a more serious and more historically accurate account with the studio's new star Fess Parker as James J. Andrews. A Union spy, Andrews puts together a group of volunteers who will pretend they are on their way to join the Confederate army, board a passenger train, and steal it. However, once they succeed in stealing a train they have to put up with its conductor, William A. Fuller (Jeffrey Hunter), who pursues them so relentlessly that you end up forgetting he is not the hero of this particular story. Despite all the obstacles they through as their pursuer, such as uncoupling a car to send rolling back at the other train and burning another car in the middle of a bridge, Andrews and his men are finally forced to abandon the train. However, they are all captured and now have to plot a daring escape from the Confederate stockade.

"The Great Locomotive Chase," directed by Francis D. Lyon, was filmed in beautiful county in northern Georgia on tracks that paralleled the actual route taken by the Andrews Raiders. You want to make sure you pick up the widescreen version that reflects the original CinemaScope proportions becuse there are several shots that take full advantage of the larger dimensions. What is most impressive about Lawrence E. Watkin's screenplay is not just the lengthy chase sequence but the fact that the Confederate conductor comes across as much of a hero as the Andrews himself. Whether you are an enthusiast of trains and/or a Civil War buff, this is an enjoyable film. Get a hold of "The General" and do a double-feature!

The Making: This motion picture was made during Walt Disney's passion period for trains. Walt participated personally in the filming, being onsite (if only so that he could run the locomotives!). The Story A stirring and true story, the movie accurately depicts a team of Union soldiers sneak behind enemy lines. Their objective: steal a locomotive and steam north, burning bridges and tearing up track and telegraph lines behind them. Led by Andrews, they do not count on a relentless pursuit by the conductor of the stolen train (played by Jeff Hunter.) Fess Parker is fine as the spy-leader Andrews, and the cast is well rounded out. Plenty of live locomotive action (great care was taken on the detail of the steam era) this is also a rousing Adventure story. Joe Foss

The surviving members of the Union team were the first recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Read the other reviews for a plot synopsis. Be aware that this film is presented in "Letterbox" widescreen, not anamorphic (although the menu pages & even the copyright warning page are anamorphic widescreen). The picture quality is mediocre, as is the sound. I thought that Disney (who released the original film to the theaters in 1956) would treat this film with some respect, but alas, as seems to be happening with all major studios' DVD releases now, they appear to be taking the cheapest way out. The film is a very good historical action piece that deserves better, especially from Disney. I just hope they treat the upcoming Davey Crockett release better.

The story of the Andrews Raiders, who envisioned striking a fatal blow to the Confederacy with their raid into Georgia, is told in a straight-forward and touching manner in this Disney film. The film-makers told the tale with about as much historical accuracy as possible within the constraints of film-making itself, perhaps with a couple of ommissions here and there. While the raiders were the first to receive the Medal of Honor, Jacob Parrott was the first, not William Pittenger -- that was just a little license since Pittenger wrote several books and articles on the raid. James J. Andrews had a full beard, and quite a long one, dark and curly -- I guess they couldn't talk Fess Parker into that. Andrews never met with Fuller, and was hung before the other seven men were executed. And the front truck wheels on the "General" were spoked -- well, they had to use whatever American 4-4-0 locomotives were available, and the real "General" just wasn't available. But an excellent historical piece. For those interested in "the rest of the story," read "Daring & Suffering: A History of the Andrews Raiders" by William Pittenger, just reprtinted and available from the Kenesaw Civil War Museum. Their web site can be reached at "thegeneral.org" Too bad this film isn't available any more!

I remember seeing this fine film in original release and on television when I was a young girl. I was fascinated by the real-life Civil War spy story, the brave men fighting hard for their respective causes, the high drama and colorful action of the train chase through the north Georgia countryside (shot where it had originally taken place), and the attention to detail. (I also thought that Jeffrey Hunter and Fess Parker were the handsomest men I'd ever seen in my short life!) I always hoped to see it again as an adult, but like many Disney features of the 1950's it simply vanished from view.

In the 1980's I moved to Big Shanty (now Kennesaw), Georgia, living very near where that fatal stop for breakfast was made at the Lacy Hotel. I was delighted to find that the little museum that housed the real "General" locomotive also had a copy of "The Great Locomotive Chase" that it screened on rare occasions. Despite the faded and scratchy 16mm print, I renewed my acquaintance with the story and appreciated the film's fine production values, direction, and performances. Since then, I've become familiar with the the drama that took place practically in my back yard.

I'm delighted that Anchor Bay has re-released "The Great Locomotive Chase" with a quality print on DVD so I, my children and grandchildren can enjoy it together for years to come. My one wish is that the company would consider adding enhancements to future editions. For example, how interesting it would be to have Fess Parker's film commentary, or an interview recorded with him, while he is still with us. Contemporary memorabilia is available in Georgia for background features, as are local people who worked on the production. Still, the film is fine all by itself, and I recommend it as worthy of being in your collection.

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The Great Locomotive Chase is an excellent piece of Disney historical-event filmaking, one of the better ones done by the studio. It holds up well over time. Played "straight", both Fess Parker's Andrews and Jeffrey Hunter's Fuller are good characters. The chase literally becomes one man's refusal to be beaten by the situation, and Conductor Fuller of the Western & Atlantic Railroad is an admirable hero no matter which army you side with. The action adventure side of things is perfectly done. The railroad practice is perfect to the period, with link and pin couplers, "flying switch" moves that are professionally done, and the correct use of railroad and period terminology. The script uses these lightly, not in a heavy-handed way, so you actually feel as if you were watching this event transpire right in front of you in 1862. It is good moviemaking, good history, and my 8-year old nephew watched it twice when he got a copy of the video. Note, however, that the video is almost impossible to find. Disney Stores do not have it, it is NOT available at Kennesaw Mountain Railroad Museum (home of the "General") any longer, or from Pertrax Railroad Videos (they were all out in Jan. ' 99). I finally borrowed a copy from a friend to see it for the first time since about 1959 or so. And then, like my 8-year old nephew, I watched it twice, too. Good luck finding this little jem. It's worth the search if you can find it.

After two previous releases by Anchor Bay, one would assume this release by the movie producer, Disney, would be the ultimate issue of this film. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Besides having zero....none, nyet....bonus features....not even a trailer, this release is riddled with problems. While the menu and FBI warnings are anamorphic, the movie itself is not. If the transfer had been halfway decent, this would be somewhat forgiveable. However, the transfer is grainy, the color pulses, and edge enhancement is frequent throughout. Certain portions of the movie even appear to be in the wrong ratio....as if the screen were squeezed top to bottom.

Another problem I encountered....and basically the last straw....was the random appearance of foreign subtitles as I watched the movie. Whether this is a problem with all DVD players, I do not know [mine is a Toshiba]....but on a quality product, this should never be a problem on any player.

While the movie is somewhat enjoyable [typical 50's Disney-style drama], I'd avoid this DVD [wish I HAD] based purely on the lack of effort Disney put out in assembling it.

Figures....Disney finally releases some of its movies in their entirety [not the destructive pan & scan], and they still put out a lousy DVD.

Fess Parker ("Davy Crockett:King of The Wild Frontier"/1956)stars as James J.Andrews,leader of the Union spies,who steal a train in broad daylight,from Confederate troops.Jeffrey Hunter (who is probably best remembered for his role as Jesus Christ,in "King of Kings"/1961), plays William A.Fuller,a brave Rebel,and a Patriot. The Great Locomotive Chase perfectly captures the essence of it's subject,in script,performance,and good Cinematography.Many memorable scenes,including the inevitable Locomotive Chases,an Empty box car sent down the track (on fire) by James Andrews,in order to crash into the approaching Locomotive,carrying William Fuller,amongst others,the actual run up to,and theft.And then the ending,inevitable for anyone who knows their History,never-the-less,an exciting one.About the Transfer of this film to DVD:Anchor Bay have done a very good job!Now this film can be seen properly,the Cinematography looks superb,justified by just the right amount of colour depth,and contrast inparticular,spot-on.Original Aspect Ratio,2.35:1,Sharp,detailed,and only a handful of scenes that show even slight traces of dirt.4.5/5. The Sound quality of this DVD:Considering the age of the material,i expected the sound on this DVD to be somewhat inferior.Again,as with the picture quality,i was very surprised,it is very clear,especially the speech.No hissing,or distortion related problems,but on rare occasion i did hear a slight glitch in the form of a popping noise,on i think,a reel change.Overall,for the sound:3.5/5. So,as a DVD,The Great Locomotive Chase,has been given very good treatment by anchor bay,having now seen this film in it's original theatrical aspect ratio,so clearly,was almost like watching it the first time,again.A great film,that keeps you hanging on,right until the end.My only real complaint to Anchor bay would be:Where are the additional materials?!