Silver Streak (1976)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writer:

Colin Higgins (writer)

Release Date:

3 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

It's the Most Hilarious Suspense Ride of Your Life!

Plot:

On a long-distance train trip, a man finds romance but also finds himself in danger of being killed, or at least pushed off the train.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Chicago | Book | Police | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Gene Wilder	...	George Caldwell
Jill Clayburgh	...	Hilly Burns
Richard Pryor	...	Grover Muldoon
Patrick McGoohan	...	Roger Devereau
Ned Beatty	...	Bob Sweet
Clifton James	...	Sheriff Oliver Chauncey
Ray Walston	...	Mr. Edgar Whiney
Stefan Gierasch	...	Prof. Schreiner / Johnson
Len Birman	...	Chief Donaldson
Valerie Curtin	...	Plain Jane
Lucille Benson	...	Rita Babtree
Scatman Crothers	...	Ralston
Richard Kiel	...	Reace
Fred Willard	...	Jerry Jarvis
Delos V. Smith Jr.	...	Burt (as Delos V. Smith)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | West Germany:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

Brea, California, USA

Company:

Frank Yablans Presentations

Trivia:

When the scene where Grover puts the shoe polish on George's face to make him appear to be black was first filmed, a white man walked in and believed George was black. Richard Pryor was uncomfortable with the scene and felt it would be funnier if a black man walked in and is not fooled at all. Pryor asked Arthur Hiller for a re-shoot but Hiller refused. Pryor walked off the set and refused to return to filming until the scene was changed. Hiller relented and Pryor's idea was used for the final cut.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the train enters the station after the cars have been uncoupled, it crosses all the way to the right hand side and enters the station on the last approach track, but when it cuts to the next two shots tracks even further to the right of the train are visible.

Quotes:

Ralston: Damn Hippies.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Century of Black Cinema (2003) (V)

All Aboard The Silver Streak Casting Directors Dream

The talent in this cast is amazing. Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Ray Walston, Richard Kiel, Scatman Carruthers, Patrick Magohan, Jill Clayburgh represent a lot of talent. What is interesting is Arthur Hillers direction. He makes a comedy film go at a slow and easy pace. Then a well put together finale at the Chicago station.

The film does have some UN-even paces and sequences. In the latest viewing I had of it on IFC there was some toning down of the language - particularly Gene Wilders. In 1976 the censors were more tolerant than the cable TV sensors are now.

Wilder & Clayburgh have decent chemistry though their classes are cut short by the bad guys. This makes for a little action. While some folks liken this to North By Northwest, this is at best a very distant relative. What makes this film stand out at all is the train crashing into the station sequence near the end of the film. Without that, this film is very ordinary.

Still, it is one of the few examples of this kind of talent being cast together. Overall I think it is a pleasant film with 3 or 4 murders going on, but the sequences do get a little choppy a times.