The Great Locomotive Chase (film)
Encyclopedia
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
regiment
s 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 which the film is based ("The General") is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
in Kennesaw, Georgia
. Representing the locomotive in the film is American-type steam engine #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.
based on 316 votes, and a rating of 47% on Rotten Tomatoes
.
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.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
CinemaScope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
adventure film based on the real Great Locomotive Chase
Great Locomotive Chase
The Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J...
that occurred in 1862 during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The film stars Fess Parker
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...
as James J. Andrews
James J. Andrews
James J. Andrews was a Kentucky civilian who worked for the Union Army during the early years of the American Civil War. He led a daring raid behind enemy lines on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, known famously known as the Great Locomotive Chase...
, the leader of a group of Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldiers from various Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s who volunteered to go behind Confederate lines in civilian clothes, steal a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
train north of Atlanta, and drive it back to Union lines in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, tearing up railroad tracks and destroying bridges and telegraph lines along the way.
Written and produced by Lawrence Edward Watkin
Lawrence Edward Watkin
Lawrence Edward Watkin was an American author and scriptwriter. He has become known especially as a scriptwriter for a series of Walt Disney films of the 1950s....
and directed by Francis D. Lyon
Francis D. Lyon
Francis D. Lyon was an American film director and film editor. He and Robert Parrish won the Academy Award for Film Editing for the 1947 film, Body and Soul....
, the 85-minute full-color film also features Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers, and as Capt...
, John Lupton
John Lupton
John Rollin Lupton was an American film and television actor.Upon graduation from New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Lupton secured immediate stage work. Then he was signed as a contract player at MGM in Hollywood...
, Kenneth Tobey
Kenneth Tobey
Kenneth Tobey was an American stage, television, and film actor.-Early years:Born in Oakland, California, Tobey was headed for a law career when he first dabbled in acting at the University of California Little Theater...
, Don Megowan
Don Megowan
-Career:Born in California USA, Megowan starred in the Sci-Fi movies: The Werewolf in the role of sheriff Jack Haines, and in The Creation of the Humanoids as a captain in the army who must stop the Humanoids....
, and Slim Pickens
Slim Pickens
Louis Burton Lindley, Jr. , better known by the stage name Slim Pickens, was an American rodeo performer and film and television actor who epitomized the profane, tough, sardonic cowboy, but who is best remembered for his comic roles, notably in Dr...
. Paul J. Smith
Paul Smith (composer)
Paul J. Smith was an Academy Award-winning American music composer. He was born in Calumet, Michigan. Smith spent much of his life working at Disney as composer for many of its films' scores, animated and live-action alike, movie and television alike...
composed the score. Filmed in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, along the now abandoned Tallulah Falls Railway
Tallulah Falls Railway
The Tallulah Falls Railway, also known as the Tallulah Falls Railroad, "The TF" and "TF & Huckleberry," was a railroad based in Tallulah Falls, Georgia, U.S.A. which ran from Cornelia, Georgia to Franklin, North Carolina...
, 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
Davy Crockett
David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
. The film reteamed him with Jeff York
Jeff York
Jeff York was an American film and television actor who began his career in the late 1930s using his given name Granville Owen Schofield...
(Mike Fink
Mike Fink
Mike Fink called "king of the keelboaters", was a semi-legendary brawler and boatman who exemplified the tough and hard-drinking men who ran keelboats up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers....
).
The steam engine upon which the film is based ("The General") is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History is a museum in Kennesaw, Georgia, that contains a collection of artifacts and relics from the American Civil War, as well as from railroads of the state of Georgia and surrounding regions...
in Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Founded in 1887, Kennesaw has a past surrounded with railroad history...
. Representing the locomotive in the film is American-type steam engine #25 ("William Mason")
William Mason (locomotive)
"William Mason" is a 4-4-0 steam locomotive currently in operation at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It was built for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, carrying that railroad's number 25...
, built in 1856 and preserved in operating condition at the B&O Railroad Museum
B&O Railroad Museum
The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum when it opened on July 4, 1953. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the...
.
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.
Cast
- Fess ParkerFess ParkerFess Elisha Parker, Jr. was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955-56 TV mini-series and as TV's Daniel Boone from 1964-70...
as James J. AndrewsJames J. AndrewsJames J. Andrews was a Kentucky civilian who worked for the Union Army during the early years of the American Civil War. He led a daring raid behind enemy lines on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, known famously known as the Great Locomotive Chase...
, Union spy and leader of the volunteers - Jeffrey HunterJeffrey HunterJeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers, and as Capt...
as William A. FullerWilliam Allen FullerWilliam Allen Fuller was a conductor on the Western & Atlantic Railroad during the American Civil War era. He was most noted for his role in the 1862 Great Locomotive Chase, a daring espionage mission and raid conducted by non-uniformed personnel of the Union Army in northern Georgia...
, conductor of the Confederate train - Jeff YorkJeff YorkJeff York was an American film and television actor who began his career in the late 1930s using his given name Granville Owen Schofield...
as William CampbellWilliam Hunter CampbellWilliam Hunter Campbell was an Ohio civilian who worked for the Union Army during the early years of the American Civil War. He participated in a daring raid behind enemy lines on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, known famously known as the Great Locomotive Chase...
, Union soldier ("worth ten in a fight"){actually Campbell was a civilian volunteer} - John LuptonJohn LuptonJohn Rollin Lupton was an American film and television actor.Upon graduation from New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Lupton secured immediate stage work. Then he was signed as a contract player at MGM in Hollywood...
as Cpl. William PittengerWilliam Pittenger (soldier)William Pittenger was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.-Biography:...
, Union soldier - Eddie FirestoneEddie FirestoneEddie Firestone was a United States radio, television, and film actor.An early success was in the title role of radio's That Brewster Boy, which he left in 1943, during World War II, to join the U.S. Marine Corps...
as Robert Buffum, Union soldier - Kenneth TobeyKenneth TobeyKenneth Tobey was an American stage, television, and film actor.-Early years:Born in Oakland, California, Tobey was headed for a law career when he first dabbled in acting at the University of California Little Theater...
as Anthony Murphy, Confederate engineer - Don MegowanDon Megowan-Career:Born in California USA, Megowan starred in the Sci-Fi movies: The Werewolf in the role of sheriff Jack Haines, and in The Creation of the Humanoids as a captain in the army who must stop the Humanoids....
as Marion A. Ross, Union soldier - Claude Jarman, Jr. as Jacob ParrottJacob ParrottJacob Wilson Parrott was the first recipient of the Medal of Honor, a new military award first presented by the United States Department of War to several soldiers for their participation in the Great Locomotive Chase....
, Union soldier, first Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient - Harry Carey, Jr.Harry Carey, Jr.Harry Carey, Jr. is an American film actor. He appeared in over 90 films. He is mostly remembered for appearing in Western films — notably those by his friend John Ford — and in television programs.-Early life:...
as William Bensinger, Union soldier - Leonard P. Geer as James A. Wilson (as Lennie Geer), Union soldier
- George RobothamGeorge RobothamGeorge Robotham was a stuntman and actor.Robotham was born in 1921 and played American football at UCLA, where he was awarded a degree in business administration. He started his acting career as a stuntman and actor in Batman....
as William Knight, Union civilian train engineer/fireman - Stan JonesStan Jones (songwriter)Stan Jones was an American songwriter and actor.Stanley Davis "Stan" Jones was born in Douglas, Arizona, and grew up on a ranch. When his father died, his mother moved the family to Los Angeles, California. He attended the University of California at Berkeley, competing in rodeos to make money...
as Wilson Brown, Union civilian train engineer/fireman - Marc Hamilton as John Wollam, Union soldier
- John Wiley as John M. Scott, Union soldier
- Slim PickensSlim PickensLouis Burton Lindley, Jr. , better known by the stage name Slim Pickens, was an American rodeo performer and film and television actor who epitomized the profane, tough, sardonic cowboy, but who is best remembered for his comic roles, notably in Dr...
as Pete Bracken - Morgan WoodwardMorgan WoodwardMorgan Woodward is an American actor.He is probably best known for his recurring role in Dallas as Marvin "Punk" Anderson...
as Unnamed Confederate soldier on troop train - Dick SargentDick SargentRichard Stanford Cox , known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on the television series Bewitched...
as Unnamed Union soldier (uncredited) - Dale Van SickelDale Van SickelDale Harris Van Sickel was an American college football, basketball and baseball player during the 1920s, who later became a Hollywood motion picture actor and stunt performer for over forty years...
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 DatabaseInternet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
based on 316 votes, and a rating of 47% on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Releases
The film was released on DVD twice, first by Anchor Bay EntertainmentAnchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
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.