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Author
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Topic: The Engine Driver (1947)
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Steve Klare
Film Guy
Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted February 21, 2007 11:46 AM
There are those of us in the Small Gauge Cinema Universe (…and a small “universe” it is!), who are also crazy about trains. There are others who are not. “The Engine Driver” (1947, 1x200’, B&W) is one of those films that bridges the gap and will likely please everyone.
This is not one of those “…and this represents an early application of Walshaerts valve gear to an engine of this wheel arrangement” kind of productions that are meant solely for people… well…like me, but rather a brief sweep of action, music and skillful cinematography that will reach out and grab people’s attention and maybe wake them up a little. It was produced by Pathe as an educational film, probably meant to keep a generation of British schoolchildren (…especially the boys) happy during recess on rainy days. The story is simple, the images are compelling and before you are ready, it is over.
We meet our Hero leaving his London flat in the morning to walk over to the sheds and take the throttle of a steam powered LMS passenger express to Manchester. He and his fireman oil around, test the brakes and then take the engine down to the station to couple onto their train. The camera seems to be mounted on the drive rods at times and moves up and down with the motion of the drive wheels. Up until now, the soundtrack has been a combination of ambient sounds and the familiar song “Puffin’ Billy”, but now it gets serious and the music goes away.
This is high speed rail ala 1947. Rather than a rush of air and the hum of electric motors, steam moves the train through the scenes with a frenzy of moving machinery and a roar of exhaust. The camera is used very effectively to convey the train blazing up the line. Shots are done right next to the drive wheels with the rods moving so fast they are almost invisible. Shots at trackside are often taken very close and the train seems to burst past. Interior shots of the train show the passengers comfortably oblivious to the great speed they are traveling.
Soon enough, we slow down and glide past a cathedral’s spire into the station in Manchester. Our driver steps down from the footplate to enjoy some hot tea as “Puffin' Billy” rises to its final notes, and why not? He’s put on quite a show for our benefit.
All of this is in wonderful black and white with a great sound track. Earlier prints are on black and white stock, and later ones on color. Derann printed this until just a few years ago from excellent source material, and they are pretty commonly available as used prints. This is one of those films that had it been produced originally in color, it might have lost some of its magic. The atmosphere and the stock go hand in hand.
This is also one of those films that goes up exponentially in impact with the size of the screen. On a good sized movie screen the size, energy and speed of the train seem to fill the room, however I suspect if it was ever shown on a TV screen it would be no more impressive than the average beer commercial!
http://www.britishpathe.com/thumbnails.php? id=87745&searchword=london%20manchester%20driver&searchword=london%20manchester%20driver
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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted February 21, 2007 02:55 PM
Hi Steve,
Thank's for that nice review. I have a print of this film, mine being on color stock, and the sharpness and black and white contrast is exceptional. As you and Mal say, a really great little film, and a real eye opener to todays kids (particularly here in the USA) who have never travelled by train, never mind about a steam train!
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