Country singing star Jimmie Rodgers sings three songs in this short: "Waiting for a Train", "Daddy and Home", and "T for Texas", all his own compositions.Country singing star Jimmie Rodgers sings three songs in this short: "Waiting for a Train", "Daddy and Home", and "T for Texas", all his own compositions.Country singing star Jimmie Rodgers sings three songs in this short: "Waiting for a Train", "Daddy and Home", and "T for Texas", all his own compositions.
- Directors
- Star
Photos
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThere were two versions of the film released, slightly different from each other - and both are in circulation. The 1929 release credits Jasper Ewing Brady as director, the 1930 version seen on the DVD credits Basil Smith. They're not the same man. The story behind that credit switch needs to be uncovered.
- GoofsJimmie Rogers is supposed to be a railroad brakeman, wearing his work shirt, overalls, a bandanna, and a railroad hat. But when he crosses his leg, he is clearly wearing dress shoes and silk socks.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Beatles Anthology: July '40 to March '63 (1995)
- SoundtracksWaiting for a Train
Written and Performed by Jimmie Rodgers
Featured review
Two Directors, Two Versions -- Watch BOTH!
As others have noted, this short film was made TWICE on the same set. The rough version with poor sound quality was directed by Jasper Ewing Brady. The cleaner version, with better sound quality and, frankly, better cinematic direction, was directed by Basil Smith.
If you watch one, you MUST watch the other! They are both currently on Youtube. Line up the two frames side-by side on your screen and get past the opening credits (the Brady version has a longer intro credit, with the Columbia gal at the beginning) and set them to where the jazz band music stops and the short begins. Run one or two lines from each version, back and forth. The result is MIND-BLOWING! First, we see what a huge difference good direction makes. There is better framing of each shot, and better use of the two women bit-players, especially the one brewing the coffee and cleaning up the kitchen, who can be seen standing in the screen door and also smiling and laughing in the Smith version and is almost absent in the Brady version. (And boy, she really does crack a happy smile at the line, "I'm gonna shoot poor Thelma, just to see her jump and fall!") But most importantly, we see Jimmie Rodgers, the finely-honed stage performer, producing two almost -- but not quite! -- identical performances. Watch his moves, his ad libs, his extended bars and grace note additions. Notice his habit of looking at his left hand, his way of singing out of the side of his mouth. I cannot begin to tell you how much sheer INFORMATION about the man is packed into the fact that there are TWO VERSIONS of this film!!! Being able to watch and compare the two entirely different takes of this under-ten-minute short, which happens to contain two of my favourite Jimmie Rodgers compositions ("Waiting for a Train" and "Blue Yodel No. 1 - T For Texas") has made this day, November 12, 2011, one of the most exciting days of my 64-year-old life! I am not kidding! It simply does not get much more musically exciting than this. Thank you, Youtube! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jimmie Rodgers! And thank you, Misters Brady and Smith!
If you watch one, you MUST watch the other! They are both currently on Youtube. Line up the two frames side-by side on your screen and get past the opening credits (the Brady version has a longer intro credit, with the Columbia gal at the beginning) and set them to where the jazz band music stops and the short begins. Run one or two lines from each version, back and forth. The result is MIND-BLOWING! First, we see what a huge difference good direction makes. There is better framing of each shot, and better use of the two women bit-players, especially the one brewing the coffee and cleaning up the kitchen, who can be seen standing in the screen door and also smiling and laughing in the Smith version and is almost absent in the Brady version. (And boy, she really does crack a happy smile at the line, "I'm gonna shoot poor Thelma, just to see her jump and fall!") But most importantly, we see Jimmie Rodgers, the finely-honed stage performer, producing two almost -- but not quite! -- identical performances. Watch his moves, his ad libs, his extended bars and grace note additions. Notice his habit of looking at his left hand, his way of singing out of the side of his mouth. I cannot begin to tell you how much sheer INFORMATION about the man is packed into the fact that there are TWO VERSIONS of this film!!! Being able to watch and compare the two entirely different takes of this under-ten-minute short, which happens to contain two of my favourite Jimmie Rodgers compositions ("Waiting for a Train" and "Blue Yodel No. 1 - T For Texas") has made this day, November 12, 2011, one of the most exciting days of my 64-year-old life! I am not kidding! It simply does not get much more musically exciting than this. Thank you, Youtube! Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jimmie Rodgers! And thank you, Misters Brady and Smith!
helpful•41
- Catherine-Yronwode
- Nov 11, 2011
Details
- Runtime8 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.20 : 1
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