When author Michael Crichton published a novel entitled The Great Train Robbery, many people were confused as to whether it was fact or fiction. So Crichton re-titled this film version of his novel as The First Great Train Robbery. And a very exciting picture it is too. Not only is the story itself thrilling, but it incorporates some really hair-raising stunts. According to the press release, Crichton insisted that his stars perform all their own stunts. So, allegedly it is Sean Connery himself that we see leaping from carriage to carriage of the speeding train and almost being knocked off his precarious perch by a low-clearance bridge. Another fine actor whom Crichton cajoled into doing his own stunts is Wayne Sleep who makes a palm-sweating escape from prison by clambering up a four-storey wall. Yes, all the performances in this film are engrossing, but Lesley-Ann Down deserves a special mention. In the course of the plot, she adopts a number of very convincing disguises and manages to change her voice so successfully as to fool even me at times. But exciting as the story is, the feature I like best in this film is its authentic atmosphere and its detailed recreation of Victorian London. No expense has seemingly been spared. The sets are huge and there are hundreds and hundreds of costumed extras milling around. And how about the train itself? Here's a real vintage steam train let loose on a glorious jaunt through the British countryside! Yes, The First Great Train Robbery is a movie that would appear to hold all the ingredients for a top commercial success, including a great cast, a strong story, straightforward direction and extremely lavish production values. And yet the film flopped!
Review of The Great Train Robbery
