Movies About Trains, Train Horns and Intrigue Pt. 2
I don't know what it is about winter, but where I am at, with the snow falling and the holidays just around the corner, all I want to watch is movies about trains, train horns and mystery. Here is a list of a few of the best train-themed movies ever made.
"Once Upon a Time in the West"
This epic Italian spaghetti western from the man who created the genre, Sergio Leone, was his grand achievement, and one of Henry Fonda's most interesting roles, playing against type as a blood hungry villain. At the heart of the film's plot is the story of a family who won't give up their land in the Old West of America to make way for a railroad. The motif of the railroad as a symbol for a lost time in America is constantly referenced in the film. In the end, no one really wins, with Fonda and Bronson finally battling it out, one of them surviving, but no one happy.
"Shanghai Express"
Josef von Sternberg directed this vehicle for his popular leading lady, Marlene Dietrich, in 1932. IN the midst of a civil war divided China, British Captain Doc is traveling on the express train from Beiping to Shanghai when he meets his former love, and a mysterious woman named Shanghai Lily. Much of the film takes place in the Shanghai Express where the movie got its name from, and is one of Marlene Dietrich's most famous roles, even it her Yellowface role as a woman of Eastern ethnicity seems politically incorrect today.
"The General"
Buster Keaton was at the top of his game in this hilarious train themed fim. Keaton plays a Southern railroad engineer who divides his time between his love for his train engine and his woman, Annabelle Lee. Keaton performed all of his own stunts, showing that he was a genius at comic timing and slapstick humor.
"Lady on a Train"
This black and white comedy from 1945 stars Deanna Durbin, one of the lesser known stars of the 40s and 50s. The film is a comedic mix of musical, film noir and mystery stories. When a young woman witnesses a murder in a building while passing by on the train, she goes to the police but finds that no one believes her story.
"Once Upon a Time in the West"
This epic Italian spaghetti western from the man who created the genre, Sergio Leone, was his grand achievement, and one of Henry Fonda's most interesting roles, playing against type as a blood hungry villain. At the heart of the film's plot is the story of a family who won't give up their land in the Old West of America to make way for a railroad. The motif of the railroad as a symbol for a lost time in America is constantly referenced in the film. In the end, no one really wins, with Fonda and Bronson finally battling it out, one of them surviving, but no one happy.
"Shanghai Express"
Josef von Sternberg directed this vehicle for his popular leading lady, Marlene Dietrich, in 1932. IN the midst of a civil war divided China, British Captain Doc is traveling on the express train from Beiping to Shanghai when he meets his former love, and a mysterious woman named Shanghai Lily. Much of the film takes place in the Shanghai Express where the movie got its name from, and is one of Marlene Dietrich's most famous roles, even it her Yellowface role as a woman of Eastern ethnicity seems politically incorrect today.
"The General"
Buster Keaton was at the top of his game in this hilarious train themed fim. Keaton plays a Southern railroad engineer who divides his time between his love for his train engine and his woman, Annabelle Lee. Keaton performed all of his own stunts, showing that he was a genius at comic timing and slapstick humor.
"Lady on a Train"
This black and white comedy from 1945 stars Deanna Durbin, one of the lesser known stars of the 40s and 50s. The film is a comedic mix of musical, film noir and mystery stories. When a young woman witnesses a murder in a building while passing by on the train, she goes to the police but finds that no one believes her story.
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