L'infernale poursuite

For a 1956 family film based on a true story, Walt Disney didn't pull any punches. "The Great Locomotive Chase" doesn't skirt the fact that the northern raiders were captured and the leaders executed. The film handles this carefully and without undue gore or bloodshed.

The story is based on a true event, and as other reviewers have noted, it sticks close to the actual details. The train chase is portrayed somewhat longer here than it was, but otherwise this is a decent treatment of an historical event during the American Civil War.

Fess Parker handles the role of James Andrews very well. Parker will always be known for his role as Davy Crockett in the Wald Disney TV series. But, he was a talented actor and played in a variety of films. Jeffrey Hunter is good as William Fuller, and all the roles are done very well. Hunter was an excellent actor whose career was cut short when he died of a stroke at age 42 in 1969.

"The Great Locomotive Chase" is the true story of the most famous train chase in the American Civil War, headed by Andrews' Raiders. They were Union spies who sank deep into the south and stole a Confederate train, and headed north. The goal was to destroy the lines of communication for the South and their supplies. Ultimately though, the mission was a failure and the Union spies were captured.

This film is told from the perspective of the Union forces and stars Fess Parker as Andrew and Jeffrey Hunter as the southerner who fails their mission. One of the best Fess Parker films to come out of the Disney Studio in the 1950's.

The idea for the film came from Buster Keaton's silent era film, "The General (1927)," which he had starred in and directed. It is told from the perspective of the South, unlike "The Great Locomotive Chase." The best scene involves the burning of a train car and explosives to try to collapse a bridge. For a brief moment, the viewer might believe the Union spies will get away. This is a superb film, 9 of 10!!

In the wake of his burst of popularity after becoming that iconic figure for Fifties kids Davy Crockett, Fess Parker starred in The Great Locomotive Chase. The film is based on a true incident from the Civil War involving an espionage mission where several Union soldiers are sent under the leadership of a civilian who knows the territory. The idea is to seize a train and destroy as much railroad equipment and track between Marietta, Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The fact that Fess Parker as John J. Andrews is a civilian is cause for much dissension in the ranks of these soldiers who are not used to operating with stealth tactics. One of them, Jeff York, is obstreperous to the point of mutiny.

Although Parker is the star, depending on your point of view the real hero is Jeffrey Hunter who is the conductor of the train Parker and his men steal. Hunter is courageous, cunning, and resourceful and every bit a match for Parker and his tricks.

From back in the day I remember that the Disney Studio was marketing toy trains based on the locomotives used in this film. No amount of begging could get my parents to part with any money for one of those. But somewhere some folks around my age have those models and I daresay they're worth a fortune.

The Great Locomotive Chase is a fine well constructed film that is as fresh today as when I saw it in theaters way back when. A must for any Civil War film festival.

Exciting Disney adventure, filmed in CinemaScope, about an actual event that happened during the Civil War. It's the story of a group of Union soldiers, led by civilian spy James J. Andrews (Fess Parker), who go behind Confederate lines and steal a locomotive in Georgia. The men attempt to take the train back to Union lines in Tennessee but find themselves doggedly pursued by the train's conductor (Jeffrey Hunter). It's the same story that inspired Buster Keaton's classic silent comedy "The General." This one's no comedy and, while the chase itself is certainly the highlight of the film, it should be noted that this isn't just an action movie, either. There's some fine dramatic work here with good characterizations and a smart script. Parker and Hunter are both fantastic in their roles. The fine supporting cast includes Jeff York, Kenneth Tobey, Don Megowan, and John Lupton. It's a beautiful-looking film with excellent use of real locations and trains. History buffs and train enthusiasts should like it a lot. A real gem that I definitely recommend you give a chance.

This is really not a review as such, even though I really enjoyed this film when I saw it as a kid and am glad it is now available on DVD.I do hope they have included the "making of" that aired on Disneyland when the film was first released. My main comment is about the obscure connection of The Great Locomotive Chase,the actual event and Gone With the Wind. The conductor who chased Andrews, Capt William A.Fuller lived in Atlanta after the war and he had a daughter named Annie Laurie Fuller. Annie married Atlanta architect, artist and historian Wilbur G.Kurtz. Wilbur and Annie were friends of Margaret Mitchell. When GWTW was being filmed, Mitchell suggested Kurtz be the technical adviser on the film. The Kurtzs spent a great deal of time in Hollywood. Kurtz kept a diary of his work on the film that was published in the The Atlanta Historical Journal in the Summer 1978 issue, Vol XXII Number 2. Annie Laurie took some of the pictures that accompany the article. I found this connection to be interesting and if anyone out there is a GWTW junkie like myself, try to get a copy of the above mentioned journal. There is a wealth of information on the making of GWTW.