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Author
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Topic: The Block Signal (1926) Feature
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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted January 28, 2010 12:30 AM
BLOCK SIGNAL (1926) 5 x 200 ft (834ft) Standard 8mm - silent B/W (Perry’s Movies) - Original price £10
Dir – Frank O’Connor
Cast –
Jean Arthur - Grace Ryan
Ralph Lewis - 'Jovial Joe' Ryan
Hugh Allan - Jack Milford
George Chesebro - Bert Steele (as George Cheeseboro)
Sidney Franklin -'Roadhouse' Rosen
Leon Holmes - 'Unhandy' Andy
Missouri Royer - Jim Brennan
PLOT/STORY – Grace Ryan (Arthur) works at the train depot where her father Jovial ‘ Joe’ (Lewis) has been running a train called Old Betsy for many years, maybe too many years because he has to take an eye test that he is worried he might not pass. At the same time Bert Steele is the upstart that is trying to win the heart of Grace at the same time he wins the train conductor job away from her dad. He pulls a fast one causing Joe to wreck Old Betsy and lose his job, which opens the door for him. Problem is that just as he thinks he is about to get the job, the girl and the glory, newcomer Jack Milford (Allan) arrives in town and steals away Grace. While the youngsters are worrying about love, Joe is developing a special brake that will make sure the wreck that cost him his job will never happen to anyone else. Hard work wins out in the end, and the good guy gets the girl….Oops I ruined it for everybody..
ANECDOTES – A good little train film, and a must for fans of the genre, even though is focuses more on the story than the actual train action. There are few memorable scenes including the big crash. The biggest star in the film has become Jean Arthur, but at the time it was the old gent, Ralph Lewis who plays her dad. Lewis had been in some of Griffiths’ important films such as The Avenging Conscience (1914) and Birth of a Nation (1915) and a handful of train films as well. Arthur, however still had a few more years of being lower billed to actresses such as Louise Brooks in Canary Murder Case (1929) and Clara Bow in Saturday Night Kid (1929) before she would break out in the 1930’s and 40’s. The other actor in the film of note is Hugh Allen who plays good guy Milford. Allen played the antagonist in the last film I reviewed Annapolis and unlike the others was out of films before he was 30 years old.
The 9.5mm company Pathescope also released a truncated version of the film entitled The Tragic Railway in 1932. One of these days I want to pick up a copy of the Pathescope version and check out the differences in quality if nothing else.
PRINT SPECIFICS- Released in 1973 by Perry’s Movies. The ads first showed up in issue 12 of their Home Movies magazine. The quality looks quite dupey with most of the white washing out. The main and end titles’ have been replaced (perhaps to eliminate any copyright notices). The intertitles are original and some of them are quite nice, but the lab work was a tad lacking as there was one spot where it jumps out of frame within the 8mm frame. There are a few other spots with jumps on the source material but nothing too disturbing, especially for a print of this age.
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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"
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David Pannell
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1072
From: Horsham, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted January 28, 2010 10:03 AM
Whilst we're on the subject of train movies, I might suggest "Danger Lights". Full of action and intrigue, and again starring Jean Arthur in the main role.
1930, sound. I have it on 16mm, but I don't know if an 8mm or super 8 version exists. Perhaps someone knows. A 16mm review might be an idea at some point, but in the meantime here is a quote from IMDb:-
""Danger Lights" is one of the best railroad movies ever made, and this was made in 1930! If you are a railfan (railroad enthusiast), you can appreciate the detail and authenticity that went into the making of this movie, as most of the operations depicted were authentic. Perhaps the high-speed run was a little over the top (a little artistic license, perhaps?) but it was not unusual for an engineer in the days before two-way radio to run his train over 100 miles per hour to make up a few minutes in his schedule. There's hardly a dull scene in the movie, and in general it is a quality project.
Whether you are a railfan or not, you'll certainly enjoy this movie. "Danger Lights" set a precedent for all the railroad-themed action movies that would follow. Those who are fans of movies such as "The General," "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three", "Von Ryan's Express," "The Great Train Robbery" and "Runaway Train" will appreciate this movie as well as those who admire action flicks in general".
End of quote!
Enjoy.
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Dave.
Valves and celluloid - a great combination!
Early technology rules OK!
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