Wonderful character development!

Sadly Over-hyped

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I watched this western for the third time today, and in LBX frame please, far better than the average and unbearable garbage can pan and scan one. This western is unique in its kind, with thrilling and so inventive locomotive chase, as its title says so. And I would not have expected such a story and directing from a Disney production; this film is not actually for juvenile audiences, although kids can perfectly see it. No gratuitous violence here. Yes, an exciting film with another surprise that no other comment has talked about.THERE IS NO WOMAN CHARACTER HERE !!!!Surprising for a western, especially a Disney production. Even the most violent films nearly always have a woman in the stories, at least supporting characters; here, no gal at all. That doesn't bother me but only surprises. That's all.

Excellent film! I enjoyed every minute of this rather short, but greatly superb film on Great Locomotive Chase of 1862 near Chattanooga. The real story makes this film even more interesting, and the whole work is awesome. Excellent musical score, great scenery, decent performance of all actors, very thrilling trains, shoot-outs, North and South clashing, real drama, real feelings, very good details, very accurate depiction of moral and habits of people of those times.All of these makes this Old Style Hollywod film a very good watch. I do recommend this to all Civil War buffs!And even common film viewers will like this film and find it very brisk and very cool

The Great Locomotive ChaseWhile watching "TGLC" with my mother, she informed me that her father was a brakeman for the railroad. "A brakeman is a train board rail transport worker in the U.S. Historically, the brakeman was the person who would walk the length of a train atop the cars while the train is in motion and turn the brake wheel on each car to apply the train's brakes" from Wicipeda. A movie like this conjors up several different thoughts of wonder. What was it like to despise your fellow countrymen? What was it like to live in a country where you had no instant means of communication and travel? The movie paints an interesting historical picture that highlights the animosity between the North and the South during the civil war. It also presents us with the first recipients of the Congressianl Medal of Honor. Did I get that right? TGLC does have some impressive chase sequences that ended rather disappointedly for the Northerns. I guess I really thought they were going to get away with stealing a train. They would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for that rotten train conductor William Campbell (Jeffrey Hunter) and his mangy dog. It's also fun to see Jeff York (Mike Fink) and Fess Parker (Davy Crockett) on hand to lend personality to this Civil War light family drama.My mother enjoyed it more than I did. This is one of those movies I can appreciate but don't necessarily like. It just didn't draw me in to the train ride. It didn't roll me down the tracks. I was busy writing another movie review at the time, so maybe the distraction derailed me a tad bit. I would perhaps watch it again sometime and give it more of a fair chance. I did like at the end how the Fess Parker Character (James Andrews) even though he was going to hang for stealing a confederate train, wanted to make peace with the man whose train he stole, William A Fuller. (Jeffrey Hunter). He knew the war would end and that both sides would have to shake hands in peace and that he wanted to do it now because he wouldn't be alive to do it later. He didn't beg for his life, didn't insult his enemy, wasn't hoping to not be hanged, but just wanted to make peace with his enemy thus making peace with his God. This powerful scene of redemption and forgiveness makes up for any boring element I may have found in the picture.A good film that deserves a rental for those interested in learning about history in a fun way.

Quite often history throws up a story that is equally, if not more, exciting than anything a screenwriter can dream up. The story of Andrews' Raiders is one such example. These true events took place during the American Civil War and formed the basis for the 1927 Buster Keaton film "The General". In "The Great Locomotive Chase", a 1956 offering from Disney, the story is dealt with more seriously and earnestly than in Keaton's comedic version. While "The General" is easily the better film - indeed, one of THE greatest films of all-time - this version has much to recommend it too.Union spy James J. Andrews (Fess Parker) works deep in the Confederate territory and is totally trusted by his southern foes. He is asked by a Union general to lead an audacious raiding party deep behind enemy lines. Their mission is to destroy a series of bridges that carry a vital rail line from Atlanta to Chattanooga, so that the Union army can advance on Chattanooga without having to worry about the enemy strengthening itself with reinforcements. Andrews enlists a group of bored Union soldiers led by William Pittinger (John Lupton) to help him in his mission. The men pose as Kentuckians planning to join the Confederacy, and trek deep into rebel territory. They seize control of a locomotive called The General and use it to travel along the line, tearing up track and cutting telegraph wires as they go. But as they approach the first bridge that they have been ordered to destroy, they realise that a group of Confederates are hot on their heels, led by an indomitable train conductor, William Fuller (Jeffrey Hunter), who worked on The General before it was stolen and is determined to get it back. There ensues an exhilarating chase during which both sides are stretched to the limit in terms of determination, courage and ingenuity."The Great Locomotive Chase" is an almost forgotten film that has not retained its popularity or reputation like so many of the Disney productions. It is rather sad that the film has faded into obscurity - there is certainly enough here to keep audiences engrossed. While Parker is a somewhat stolid hero, the performance of Hunter as his challenger is very energetic and enjoyable. Francis D. Lyon directs the film at a sprightly pace, especially during the train chase sequence which is full of sustained excitement. The film is pretty much pared to the bone, so that the story is very brisk and involving, completely unburdened with extraneous detail. There is even some surprising depth to the proceedings - in one particularly memorable scene Andrews and Pittinger discuss how much one can learn to hate one's own lies and deception when engaged in spy work. "How do you stand it?" asks Pittinger in a moment of anguish, a man clearly tormented by the underhand nature of the job he's carrying out. "The Great Locomotive Chase" is a solid and enjoyable little film that deserves a viewing.