The Last Journey

Despite the decades of subsidised film study in Britain, little is known about their pre-Korda years. Critics and thesis writers have been inhibited by the lack of plagiarisable material and the awfulness of much of what was about.

The neglect of Maurice Elvey's films is the most obvious result but here is a modest English program entertainment which reverses expectations. Script and performance are less than imposing as passengers with problems accumulate but the energy is startling in the staging of the story of the demented engine driver taking the Mulchester (!) local round the curves at lethal speed, filmed air to rail, road to rail and rail to rail as the racing car, plane and goods trains run level with the speeding passenger local, in the best silent serial traditions.Rail freaks will be delighted by the documentary like coverage of procedures and equipment.

Director Vorhaus developed a following when David Lean named him as mentor but most of his output is mediocre or worse. This one suggests Lean may have known something we don't.

A definite must for railway buffs (in fact it would easily figure on the top ten), thanks to the wholehearted co-operation of the Great Western Railway which has produced some absolutely staggering scenes and effects. Aside from a bit of obvious under cranking right at the very beginning of the movie, technical credits are extremely proficient. Direction and camera-work strike even a casual viewer as especially skillful. The script is serviceable enough too, though some of the players, particularly Julien Mitchell as the mad engineer, are inclined to over-do things a little. Olga Lindo is also a bit of a pain as the overly sympathetic wife, but that's the fault of the script. Judy Gunn makes a pleasant heroine, and it's nice to see Eve Gray laying on the charm as a confidence girl.

Although only an hour long, The Last Journey is a very gripping vintage British thriller.

A train driver, just about to undertake his last job before retiring discovers his fireman is having an affair with his wife, so he takes a gun and threatens him with it and he forces him to keep putting coal into the fire to make the loco go faster. As a result, the train misses all its stops and arrives at its destination early. One of the passengers manages to get the driver to slow down. There is a rather motley collection of passengers on board including a newly married couple on honeymoon, a pair of crooks, a woman who tells everyone not to drink alcohol, a couple with some very lively children, a Frenchman and a lone boy.

Despite its low budget and age, I enjoyed watching this movie. It is available in the UK on VHS as a double feature with The Ghost Camera.

A must for all vintage movie fans and also rail enthusiasts. Excellent.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

In the spring of 1986 I enjoyed the pleasure of sitting in a large audience on London's South Bank thoroughly lapping up this Twickenham quickie dynamically directed by Bernard Vorhaus who was actually there to introduce the film.

Vorhaus singled out for praise the unique Sydney Fairebrother, his one major regret being making a passenger's stutter a source of humour; while Elliot Makeham is cast spectacularly against type as a "dirty little rat" in a bowler.

On his last few days employed as an engine driver on an express train before he retires, Bob (Julien Mitchell) is not exactly looking forward to retirement and suspects his wife (Olga Lindo) of having an affair with a friend and colleague and plots his revenge, putting the lives of his passengers and everyone else in danger.

An interesting, if at times questionable action melodrama that leads to an exciting lengthy climax.