The Great Locomotive Chase

Fess Parker stars as James Andrews, Yankee spy, who takes an extremely dangerous mission during the Civil War. Parker has his trademark easy-going smile on throughout the entire film, as he and a group of Union soldiers try to steal a train and destroy about a 1000 miles of train track, in an effort to cut the supply lines of the Rebel army and deal the South a fatal blow. Jeff Hunter and Kenneth Tobey are loyal Southern train officials who try to stop them by using every means under their disposal, which include running after the train for miles, using a handcart and stealing another engineer's engine. Jeff York, Dick Sergeant, Harry Carey Jr., and John Lupton, plus a lot of other character actors, round out Fess' Union forces.

This film is pretty accurate, as historical Disney movies go, and is based on a true story. Buster Keaton's silent film "The General" is also based on the same Civil War event.

Disney just released the movie on DVD, in its original widescreen format; the picture is sharp and detailed, with wonderful, bright colors and fine, clear sound. This is an excellent way to see this movie, and is well worth the money. It would be great if Disney would put out Fess' other films, the original 3 part "Davy Crockett" and the hilarious "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" in this format, too, as well as "Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow". In fact, I'd love to see all their live action films on DVD and in their original aspect, and done as well as "The Great Locomotive Chase".

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.

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.

The movie was compelling overall. Some parts of it made me bored enough to pause and do something else for a bit, but when I was watching I was engaged. The writing successfully builds a form of tension that doesn't beg the question of "what's gonna happen in half an hour" but rather "what happens next". Not that either system is superior, of course, but I find that action films and history documentaries (of which this film is a hybrid) generally benefit more from the latter system. That said, the movie is certainly not perfect. Fess Parker's character, James J. Andrews, is introduced early on but in such a way that I genuinely asked myself why that interaction was even presented. There was nothing interesting about it, it doesn't help to describe the world the characters are in or the characters themselves, and there was not even the slightest hint that Andrews would be the protagonist. Parker's poor acting efforts at that particular moment didn't help at all, either. Thankfully, Parker's acting vastly improves in the next few minutes of run time, though it quickly takes a nosedive into "talking plank of wood" territory towards the conclusion of the film. Especially that last scene with Andrews and William A. Fuller, the antagonist - a disappointing bore at best. Still, all things considered, this is a well-made movie that manages to keep impressively accurate to history at least as well as I know it.

I watched this western for the third time today, and in LBX frame please, far better than the average and unbearable garbage can pan and scan one. This western is unique in its kind, with thrilling and so inventive locomotive chase, as its title says so. And I would not have expected such a story and directing from a Disney production; this film is not actually for juvenile audiences, although kids can perfectly see it. No gratuitous violence here. Yes, an exciting film with another surprise that no other comment has talked about.

THERE IS NO WOMAN CHARACTER HERE !!!!

Surprising for a western, especially a Disney production. Even the most violent films nearly always have a woman in the stories, at least supporting characters; here, no gal at all. That doesn't bother me but only surprises. That's all.