Silver Streak

I saw this film in the cinema as a teenager when it came out. It was sold, I think, as a Hitchcock parody and I thought parodies were great. Gene Wilder was the star, that was one more reason for me to see it, as I had greatly enjoyed his performance in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. Stuff like that attracted me much more than movies with Robert Redford or Charles Bronson who then were the big male heroes of the screen.

Now, a good 30 years later, I watched Silver Streak a second time. It is an unusual mixture of comedy, action thriller and disaster movie. Characters like the ones played by Wilder, Clayburgh or Pryor seem to have become extinct – in the movies, I mean. They just seem to be so ... ordinary and normal and also kind hearted. Everything about Silver Streak is so unpretentious, seeing it today that really was a kind of a revelation to me.

A lot of the movie deals with masculinity and the assertion of it. It all happens in a very relaxed manner. Nothing and nobody is taken too seriously, conquests are made without effort, failure is accepted with grace. In a strange way, this movie really represents a better, unattainable world. I doubt if someone like Gene Wilder wold make it as a movie star today – the public, it seems, needs the grimaces of Jim Carrey to be amused. Pity.

Come to think of it, in France they had a movie comedian who looked very similar to Wilder. His name was Pierre Richard and his fame reached its zenith at about the same time as Wilder's before fizzling out somewhere in the eighties, when the Stallones and Schwarzeneggers took over.

Silver Streak is an entertaining and – in a positive way - forgettable movie. It has a pleasant musical score by Henry Mancini, this great eclecticist of the 20th century. The older I'm getting the more I enjoy his music and respect his enormous body of work.

Silver Streak is directed by Arthur Hiller and written by Colin Higgins. It stars Gene Wilder, Jill Clayburgh, Patrick McGoohan, Ned Beatty and Richard Pryor. Music is by Henry Mancini and cinematography by David M. Walsh. It is the first of four films that Wilder and Pryor would make together. Story finds Wilder as book editor George Caldwell, who upon boarding the Los Angeles to Chicago train finds himself mixed up with art forgers who are only too happy to commit murder to keep their dealings quiet. Fun, frolics and high speed danger will follow.

Amiable film that just about manages to blend Hitchcockian thriller values with silly comedy shenanigans; even throwing in a good old rousing disaster movie staple for the last quarter. Even though Pryor doesn't feature until the halfway point in the piece, this is very much a film that succeeds due to the chemistry between himself and Wilder. Sure the action is well handled, and the other major players are performing well (McGoohan sinister/ Clayburgh sweet/Beatty ebullient), but it's noticeable that the film considerably picks up on comedy value once Pryor enters the fray. With that in mind, picture feels too long at just under 2 hours, but it's never less than entertaining and was popular enough with cinema audiences to ensure Wilder and Pryor would go on to make the wonderful Stir Crazy 4 years later. 7/10

The first film to team legendary funny men Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, "Silver Streak" is a respectful Hitchcock homage done with much style and humour. It's got thrills, spills, gags, intrigue, and romance. Wittily written by Colin Higgins ("Harold and Maude") and efficiently directed by Arthur Hiller ("Love Story"), it runs pretty long at an hour and 54 minutes but is breezy enough to never *feel* that long. It's got a hell of a good cast to make it all go down very easy.

The ever likable Wilder plays George Caldwell, an ordinary guy book publisher travelling cross country by train. He chances to meet secretary Hilly Burns (an appealing and radiant Jill Clayburgh) and they quickly enter into a steamy liaison. Unfortunately, by doing so, George makes himself vulnerable to the machinations of a smooth villain, Roger Devereau (Patrick McGoohan); soon George is accused of murder. As the story plays out, George is forever getting on and off the train as he works overtime to prove himself innocent and hopefully save Hillys' life.

"Silver Streak" is one of those great films that successfully balances comedic and serious elements. It really comes to life when Pryor shows up (later in the film than you'd expect) as an amiable thief who becomes a willing and helpful sidekick. The comedic highlight comes when he tries to pass Wilder off as a black man. The two stars really shine throughout this whole sequence. They prove to be such a good team that they subsequently got reunited in "Stir Crazy", "See No Evil, Hear No Evil", and "Another You". Wilder makes for an unlikely romantic lead but he and Clayburgh do get some chemistry going.

The supporting cast is full of familiar faces: Ray Walston, Stefan Gierasch, and Richard Kiel (in what is very much a "Jaws" type role, complete with dental work) are McGoohans' henchmen, Ned Beatty is a hearty passenger on the train, Scatman Crothers is the easygoing Ralston, Clifton James plays another one of his patented redneck lawmen, Lucille Benson is the dotty old Rita Babtree, and Fred Willard appears late in the film as the flustered Jerry Jarvis.

Wonderful photography, lovely Canadian locations, and a great old-fashioned kind of score by Henry Mancini are all credits in this superior bit of entertainment, which delivers one hell of an action-packed and destructive finale.

Eight out of 10.

I see Silver Streak as a mild Hitchcock parody that is a nice little blend of comedy and mystery.Gene Wilder,while not at his absolute best,impresses nonetheless here.Jill Clayburgh is credible as the love interest.Yes it is the first film in which Wilder teamed with Richard Pryor,yet Wilder and Pryor are only together for a small percentage of the overall film.The film,though,has a strong enough foundation in terms of story and performances to where Pryor and Wilder do not really need to be together throughout.In fact,this is their best teaming ever despite that fact.To top it all off,the ending is a rather exciting one.A definite worthwhile watch.

Most people remember Gene Wilder as the frazzled haired wild man in such Mel Brooks classic films as THE PRODUCERS, BLAZING SADDLES and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. Others will recall him as the mad genius that held our attention in WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, but there was a 3rd phase to Wilder's career - his unlikely partnership with Richard Pryor - that started with 1976's SILVER STREAK.

Set aboard the titular passenger train, SILVER STREAK is part Alfred Hitchcock "wrong man" suspense thriller, part comedy and part action flick with strong performances at the center anchoring the action.

Surprisingly, Wilder brings a sincere quality to his "everyman" hero of this tale. His book editor, George Caldwell, just wants a quiet 2 1/2 day trip on the train from Los Angeles to Chicago. You root for George from the start. Wilder's performance is deftly tailored to this movie, keeping a lid on his more frenetic energy that helps keep his character grounded. He pairs nicely with Jill Clayburgh (remember her from the '70's?) as a women he meets (and falls in love with) along the way. Clayburgh burst into the spotlight with this performance - and the 2 have tremendous chemistry together.

They are joined by a bevy of wonderful character actors - Ray Walston, Richard "Jaws" Kiel, Ned Beatty, Clifton James, Valerie Curtin, Fred Willard and the great Scatman Crothers. All bring life and energy to this film. Patrick McGoohan is perfectly cast as the villain of the piece. His "buttoned-up" bad guy is the perfect balance to the Wilder's character.

But, of course, the person who steals this film is the great Richard Pryor as Grover T. Muldoon, a petty thief, con-man and "street-wise" hood who aids George in defeating the bad guys. Pryor doesn't show up in this movie until about 1/2 way through, but when he does, the energy (and pace) of this film picks up considerably and the roller coaster ride begins. The comedic partnership between Wilder and Pryor is magnificent, they play off each other very well and they will end up pairing together in 3 other films after this.

Director Arthur Hiller (THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY) does a strong, professional job of keeping the movie moving, keeping events grounded until a thrilling conclusion that is satisfying, indeed.

A fun action-thriller that is perfect summer fodder.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)