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Was watching the 1959 Hitchcock classic (again) on our local PBS station tonight, and I made it a point to pay careful attention to the scenes at Grand Central, on the Century, and at Chicago.
It looked to me like the GCT scenes were filmed on location, even extending to the famous red carpet at trackside. Does anyone know for sure? The New York Central-liveried sleeper car pictured was No. 10006, "Imperial State", and it looked real to me. The continuity was correct because the same car is shown when Cary and Eva Marie arrive in Chicago. I bet Gil Norman knows if "Imperial State" was an actual NYC sleeper or not. I also bet he knows which Chicago station is pictured in the movie; looks almost like an elevated or at least street-level (open) station.
Of course, the scenes in the dining car were filmed using some kind of rear-screen projection for the scenery going up the Hudson, BUT this scenery was amazingly accurate and must have at one time actually been shot going up the "water level route".
Best line in the movie for me, a railforumer, is when Cary Grant asks Eva Marie Saint in the diner, "What do you do besides lure men to their doom on the 20th Century Limited?"
ScottC4746 Member # 3323
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Long as we are speaking of trains in movies...Some Like it Hot with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Those I am sure were sets. I do remember one blooper is they say they are in Miami, yet the hotel is most assuridly Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. The mountains give it away.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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The film NxNW was shot on location at both GCT and LaSalle St Station. The "out the vestibule' shots along the Hudson are for real, however the Diner and Drawing Room scenes were all stage sets.
At GCT, the equipment was set on Track 34 and the Red Carpet was for real, however at LaSalle St, there was a movie shoot set assembled and was filmed on Rock Island, West Side, of the station (Central used the East).
I think anyone with even railfan knowledge of then-contemporary industry affairs could add a few. They do note the obvious; SP never served Rapid City SD.
I'll confirm that "Imperial State' was an NYC 4-4-2 built 1939. If there ever were an "in your face" Pullman name series, "Imperial--" had to be it. DPM's favorite was NYC #10000 "Imperial Chariot'.
Finally a note of possible interest. The #10XXX road numbers were added to Central's Sleepers only after they withdrew from Pullman during 1958. Back in a day when railroad payroll checks were prepared manually, Central was comparatively "techno cutting edge', and numbers were more compatible to 'electro mechanical" data processing back then.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Gilbert B. Norman wrote (about goofs in the film):
"I think anyone with even railfan knowledge of then-contemporary industry affairs could add a few. They do note the obvious; SP never served Rapid City SD."
You mean like the ticket clerk at GCT telling Cary Grant that the sleepers are all sold out, but he could go coach. I don't think so; not on the 20th Century Ltd.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Mike, from 1958 onward, the Century had Coaches in its consist, unless it was Jan 1 1963 when I rode aboard all Sleeper #1-25 (Coaches and Slumbercoaches were #2-25).
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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I didn't know that, Gil, so this was a non-goof, as the film was from 1959 and supposedly set in "real-time." My bad!
sojourner Member # 3134
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The Hudson definitely looks right in North by Northwest; I think of that film often when I am riding along the Hudson. I also think that this film, and the fact that I do often ride along the Hudson, are way up there in reasons I developed such a liking for train travel.
Another film that had a train shot along the Hudson (though much briefer) was Tootsie. The bar scenes were filmed in Hurley, NY, in case you are interested; don't know where the "farmhouse" was.
I am off on my travels manana, in fact! But I am going South by (just a little) SW, to South Florida.
ScottC4746 Member # 3323
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Does anyone remember Silver Streak and campy as that was?
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Ah, yes, "Silver Streak", the movie that was filmed on CP Rail as Amtrak (AmRoad)refused to cooperate in its production. It's kind of a "North By Northwest" with tongue-in-cheek. Good flick, and an extra star if you're a fan of Richard Pryor or Gene Wilder.
Judy McFarland Member # 4435
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Every time I visit the Great Hall at Chicago Union Station, I think of Silver Streak and smile. I'm not worried that life will imitate art since the Great Hall is not on track level - a minor detail in the scheme of things!
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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So long as discussion of Silver Streak II is moving forth at a topic addressing "North by Northwest", Fox Movie Channel seems to hold the TV rights to Silver Streak II - and just as well. In order to have FMC, I would have to subscribe to a Comcast "upgrade" package. Oh but guess what, they'll "throw it in' if I subscribe to their VOIP telephone service (sorry; the phone comes from the phone company - period).
Otherwise, the storyline of Silver Streak is absurd, the one thing authentic is the numerous railroad safety violations that for some reason the producers think are oh so "camp'. Amtrak indeed made a wise decision not to provide production assistance to that farce.
Sorry, but I find no informational, or even entertainment, value in that 'excuse' for a movie. A few "don't try this at home' disclaimers would be the order of the day.
quote:Originally posted by ScottC4746: Does anyone remember Silver Streak and campy as that was?
Safety violations not withstanding, it was a fun movie if you like dome cars and F-units.
I like dome cars and F-units.
irish1 Member # 222
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i may be dead wrong because it has been awhile but i could swear the train at the end of the movie was a SOUTHERN RAILWAY and not the SOUTHERN PACIFIC. i will look hard next time it comes on. can anyone verify?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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quote:Originally posted by irish1: I may be dead wrong....
Let's leave it at mistaken, Mr. Irish.
Southern Pacific - and in their locomotive "Black Widow' freight livery.
quote:Originally posted by Judy McFarland: Every time I visit the Great Hall at Chicago Union Station, I think of Silver Streak and smile. I'm not worried that life will imitate art since the Great Hall is not on track level - a minor detail in the scheme of things!
Actually the Great Hall you see in Silver Streak, (with the train crashing through the wall) is Toronto's Union Station. I well remember the changes that were made at Union Station to disguise it as an American railway station. All signs with anything in French were covered up, and the Royal York Hotel sign was also changed to suggest a destination in the U.S. Also, for whatever reason, long after the cameras, lights, actors etc. departed, those strange signs remained in place for several weeks. I always wondered how many real passengers were sent off to non-existent destinations by signs meant to direct fictional passengers.
rresor Member # 128
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The "Imperial" series were 4-4-2 cars (four bedrooms, four compartments, two drawing rooms) on NYC, PRR, SP, and UP (others?). We used to get PRR "Imperial" cars all the time on the Florida trains of my youth. I remember they had small upper-berth windows that we children really liked.
My favorite names in the series were "Imperial Elf" and "Imperial Empire".
I really enjoyed "North by Northwest". Never got to ride the Century, so that was as close as I came.
palmland Member # 4344
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For a time in the mid 60's I kept track of the Pullmans that passed through Ashland, Va on the Florida trains. In the Imperial series, these were spotted on the Meteor, Champion(s), and Florida Special.
Imperial Terrain, Fields, Rock, Point, Lawn, Bird, Plateau, County, Road, View, Mantle, Race, Point, Bench, Bower, Range, Pass. All were PRR.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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TCM aired this film Sep 22;
PullmanCo Member # 1138
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Imperial was the Pullman fleet name for 4-4-2 cars. Other cars built to the same Plan include the UP City of Los Angeles cars such as Arcadia. ATSF had some cars named for various Indians.
Stephen W Member # 6059
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If you want a real laugh at how to make a train film look bad watch "Terror by Night" (1946) with Bail Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes on the "Scotch" Express from London to Edinburgh. The carriages are quite obviously American and the moving shots are all miniatures of a rather poor train set. It is quite watchable apart from these distractions!
20th Century Member # 2196
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Ah! The 20th Century Ltd. was the standard for first class rail travel. The Broadway Ltd. was also quite a show. It was a long time ago (1948 or 1949) when I was a preschooler who was fortunate to travel from GCT to Los Angeles in a sleeper (Pullman?) on the Century, or the Commodore Vanderbilt. The same sleeper was switched to the Santa Fe. The Commodore was more/less identical with the exception of the roll out of the red carpet.
amtrak92 Member # 14343
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The train scenes on North By North West were great. I really liked when they were getting off in La Sale St station because you get an awesome view of the locomotives.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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20th Century, I would say that the Century was NOT more/less identical with the Commodore Vanderbilt. The biggest difference was that the CV had coach (reserved) accomodations, the Century in its heyday did not.
20th Century Member # 2196
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Thanks Mike. I thought it's beginnings were as an all room accomodation but in the early 50's it started to carry reserved coaches.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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To perfect Mr. Century, Summer 1957 is when your train added Coaches. April 1958 "Form 1001" showed the Commodore as discontinued and the Century a Coach-Sleeper (as distinct from Pullman as Central had withdrawn from such) train, albeit a mighty nice one.
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Thanks. Were the slumbercoaches also added in 1958?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Affirm, with the Fall "Thousand and One"
irish1 Member # 222
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i just watched this movie again and the locomotives at the end of the movie definetly said southern only and not southern pacific. but the coaches did look like sp livery. why would they black out pacific? oh well.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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For that matter, what is Southern Pacific or Southern doing in South Dakota? This was one of the many "goofs" in the movie, according to another website.
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According to the Make-Believe 1958 ORG, SP served Rapid City 7X daily with accommodations express trains to Chicago, Provo, Oakland, and Temple. One of the line's most famous trains was called the Coal Country Limited. Only a 200-yard stretch of the old SP track remains. It belongs to the Koufax, Mays, & Shamsky shortline RR. The long-forgotten Rapid City SP line branched off of the Quesadilla Cut-Off in Utah. It was featured in the 1954 film, "Mommie By Mistake."
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Make-believe is right! According to my 1956 OGR, only the CNW and Gil's Milwaukee Road (The Friendly Railroad of the Friendly West) actually had passenger service to Rapid City, SD.
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