Review of The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) by John T — 18 Oct 2009

A classic old Ealing comedy made during their golden era. They'd just come off the Oscar-winning success of The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), so director Charles Crichton and writer T.E.B. Clarke, (who had won the Oscar for his screenplay), reunited to do another film, this time in colour, and it's a lovely little comedy which shows a side of England that just doesn't exist anymore, and a time when everyone used to rely on the railways.

Set in the small country hamlet of Titfield, the villages railway, which nearly everyone relies upon there is under threat of closure by British Railways, but a group of local railfans, from Reverend Sam Weech (George Relph), Squire Gordon Chesterford (John Gregson) and the wealthy local Walter Valentine (Stanley Holloway) decide to try and convince the Ministry of Transport to keep it open, but they find a bit of competition from the local bus company, ran by Pearce (Ewan Roberts) and Vernon Crump (Jack MacGowran), but our rail enthusiasts won't give up without a fight.

It is a very funny little film, done with a light touch and it paints a lovely picture of 1950's England, it also makes one pine for the railways of old. They should bring back railways because of this film, it's a better way to travel.