Silver Streak (1976)

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 | Police | Book | 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:

The locomotive used as "AM ROAD"'s 4070, was actually CP Rail's (formerly Canadian Pacific) 4070. For the filming, the AM ROAD decal was placed over the CP markings and "Multimark" pac-man logo. At the end on the shoot, the decals actually damaged the engines real paint job. The production company had to pay for the repainting of the engine, which took place in the CP Rail Transcona shops in Winnipeg Manitoba. The locomotive is a FP7A built by GMD in 1952. In 1982, CP sold it to STCUM, where it was re-numbered to 1300 in 1983. As of 2002, she is now sitting in "non-operational" storage in Montreal.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Reace fires two or three shots at Caldwell in the train corridor, the sound effect is that of a silenced gun. However, both before he shoots and after, he can be seen to be holding a long-barreled revolver with no silencer.

Quotes:

Roger Devereau: We'll take care of Mr. Caldwell when the time comes, but in the meantime, we're going to take EXTREMELY good care of you.

Movie Connections:

Edited into The N Word (2004)

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.