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The Great Locomotive Chase
Release Date June 6th,
1956
SYNOPSIS:
After
commandeering a Confederate locomotive, heroic Yankee soldiers known as the
Andrews Raiders try to bring about an early end to the Civil War by crippling
the Southern railroad network. But their efforts are hampered by the
unrelenting bravery of a single Rebel patriot.
FUN FACTS:
The Great Locomotive Chase is a 1956 Walt Disney
Productions CinemaScope adventure film based on the real Great Locomotive Chase
that occurred in 1862 during the American Civil War. The film stars Fess Parker
as James J. Andrews, the leader of a group of Union soldiers from various Ohio regiments
who volunteered to go behind Confederate lines in civilian clothes, steal a Confederate
train north of Atlanta, and drive it back to Union lines in Tennessee, tearing
up railroad tracks and destroying bridges and telegraph lines along the way.
Written and produced by Lawrence Edward Watkin and
directed by Francis D. Lyon, the 85-minute full-color film also features Jeffrey
Hunter, John Lupton, Kenneth Tobey, Don Megowan, and Slim Pickens. Paul J.
Smith composed the score. Filmed in Georgia and North Carolina, along the now
abandoned Tallulah Falls Railway, it was released in U.S. theaters by Buena
Vista Distribution Company on June 8, 1956, and capitalized on Parker's growing
fame as an actor from his portrayal of Davy Crockett. The film reteamed him
with Jeff York (Mike Fink).
The steam engine upon whose exploits the film is based,
the "General", is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and
Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia. Representing the "General"
in the film is American-type steam engine No. 25 ("William Mason"),
built in 1856 and preserved in operating condition at the B&O Railroad
Museum.
The final locomotive used by Conductor Fuller and the
pursuers, the "Texas", has been restored and is on display at Grant
Park in Atlanta, also home to the Cyclorama mural painting of the Battle of
Atlanta. In the film, "Texas" is represented by the similar Inyo,
which is now preserved in working order at the Nevada State Railroad Museum.
Cast
- Fess
Parker as James J. Andrews, Union spy and leader of the volunteers
- Jeffrey
Hunter as William A. Fuller, conductor of the Confederate train
- Jeff York
as William Campbell, Union soldier ("worth ten in a
fight"){actually Campbell was a civilian volunteer}
- John
Lupton as Cpl. William Pittenger, Union soldier
- Eddie
Firestone as Robert Buffum, Union soldier
- Kenneth
Tobey as Anthony Murphy, Confederate engineer
- Don
Megowan as Marion A. Ross, Union soldier
- Claude
Jarman, Jr. as Jacob Parrott, Union soldier, first Medal of Honor
recipient
- Harry
Carey, Jr. as William Bensinger, Union soldier
- Leonard
P. Geer as James A. Wilson (as Lennie Geer), Union soldier
- George
Robotham as William Knight, Union civilian train engineer/fireman
- Stan
Jones as Wilson W. Brown, Union civilian train engineer/fireman
- Marc
Hamilton as John Wollam, Union soldier
- John
Wiley as John M. Scott, Union soldier
- Slim
Pickens as Pete Bracken
- Morgan
Woodward as Unnamed Confederate soldier on troop train
- Dick
Sargent as Unnamed Union soldier (uncredited)
- Dale
Van Sickel as Alonzo Martin (uncredited)
Reception
The film received mixed reviews upon its release. Though
given acceptable reviews by most critics, the film was not as successful as
Walt Disney had hoped it would be. This may have been due to the film's primary
focus on retelling a historic event as opposed to an entertaining film for
movie goers, lacking in romance or otherwise entertainment for the typical
Hollywood demographic. Moreover, some felt the film to be rather depressing or
downbeat since the main characters are unsuccessful in their mission and some,
including the lead character, get executed. The film currently holds a rating
of 7.1 on the Internet Movie Database based on 316 votes, and a rating of 47%
on Rotten Tomatoes.
Releases
The film was released on DVD twice, first by Anchor Bay
Entertainment in 2000, and by Disney in 2004, but these DVDs have been seldom advertised,
as well as being rather "bare bone" releases (not having any bonus
material, etc.), and have not been released outside of the United States.
Song
"Sons of Old Aunt Dinah" - lyrics by Lawrence
Edward Watkin and music by Stan Jones
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