This movie really echoes the spirit of it's time. Everything then was progress & technology. The plot is the worst part of the film. It is terribly predictable & hackneyed. The film is also way short; 72 minutes for the version I have (barely 5 reels). The scenes at Hoover Dam could easily have been expanded to develop atmosphere & the brother/friend's character. The dam scenes are very interesting & show a human side to the massive project. Rail fans such as myself seek out this film (getting it is not easy) for the footage of the famous Pioneer Zephyr. This train is the forerunner of the French GTV & the Japanese Super Trains among many others. It was a technological marvel of it's time. The train has survived & is on display (magnificently restored) at The Chicago Museum of Science & Industry in a specially built vault below street level. There is an excellent use of montage early in the film as the father sees the history of railroading in his mind's eye. It is very well integrated into the story & not as 'In Your Face' as most montages are. The acting style has that curiously stiff feel of many of the early sound films. I think it has more to do with the director's uncertainty in the new technology than with the cast's talent. None of the cast were ever big time but they are attractive & reasonably well suited for their parts. I was pleasantly surprised to find it watchable. I had thought I would have to fast forward to the train footage that I bought the film to get.
11 Reviews
Skip the first half and start with the train as it speeds from Chicago west.
richard-178729 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Though this movie is barely an hour long, that's already about 40 minutes more than you need. The first half is cliched melodrama that the previous 9 reviewers have summarized and that I don't need to repeat.
Just jump to the middle of the movie where the hero gets permission to load the iron lungs into his new diesel train and it sets off from Chicago at record-breaking speeds toward Boulder, CO.
The footage of the train hurling through endless mountain tunnels and train yards is fun to watch, because we are given every conceivable (almost) blockage, yet - of course - each time that blockage is removed at the last second so that the train can continue on its way. That's the only fun part of this movie.
At the end, the engineer gets to kiss the girl - there isn't a horse in sight - but who cares? It was the train ride around all those obstacles that was fun.
Just jump to the middle of the movie where the hero gets permission to load the iron lungs into his new diesel train and it sets off from Chicago at record-breaking speeds toward Boulder, CO.
The footage of the train hurling through endless mountain tunnels and train yards is fun to watch, because we are given every conceivable (almost) blockage, yet - of course - each time that blockage is removed at the last second so that the train can continue on its way. That's the only fun part of this movie.
At the end, the engineer gets to kiss the girl - there isn't a horse in sight - but who cares? It was the train ride around all those obstacles that was fun.
Loved it, in spite of it's flaws
michaeljhuman30 December 2022
First off, I have a love of railroading. Never worked in it, just love trains.
This is a B movie, at best.
But it's fun. It shows an actual historical streamline train. Show footage of the then Boulder Dam during construction. Has that Ralph of the Roundhouse plot ( an old juvenile series about steam railroading.)
Plot is contrived. Acting is flat. Dialog is basic.
But I like simple plots and B movies. Man loves woman, woman loves man, man loves engineering, old man hates newfangled things.
The one thing that bothered me was, one test run, and people wrote it off. That's dumb! That's not how engineering works! And I think a lot of people know this. But in this movie, apparently people think one failure is too many failures, lol.
I suspect the tail end of the movie, with all the impossible near misses will bother people. Just take it for what it is, a B movie ( programmer as some people would call it I guess.)
I was reminded of the fantastic murder on a private car at times, which is equally fantastic, but perhaps a better movie.
This is a B movie, at best.
But it's fun. It shows an actual historical streamline train. Show footage of the then Boulder Dam during construction. Has that Ralph of the Roundhouse plot ( an old juvenile series about steam railroading.)
Plot is contrived. Acting is flat. Dialog is basic.
But I like simple plots and B movies. Man loves woman, woman loves man, man loves engineering, old man hates newfangled things.
The one thing that bothered me was, one test run, and people wrote it off. That's dumb! That's not how engineering works! And I think a lot of people know this. But in this movie, apparently people think one failure is too many failures, lol.
I suspect the tail end of the movie, with all the impossible near misses will bother people. Just take it for what it is, a B movie ( programmer as some people would call it I guess.)
I was reminded of the fantastic murder on a private car at times, which is equally fantastic, but perhaps a better movie.
Quite entertaining for train buffs
TC-418 January 2001
While this movie is no less corny than others of it's time, the fact that most of the story takes place on a new streamlined high speed train is of interest to us train buffs. Most of the action is obviously speeded up in the camera just like the westerns of the time, it is still 70 min. of innocent fun. I recommend it.
Melodrama hits the rails
Tomlonso11 July 2002
It's a variation on the "Get The Serum To Nome" drama, only this time it has to get . . . well, not to Nome. Good shots of the "Zephyr", now on display in Chicago and the high-speed, high-tech wonder of its day. To get the high-speed effect on film the simply halved the speed of the camera. This results in a fast train but ridiculously fast action on the part of railway workers. The acting and the script aren't bad for a thirties serial.
Enjoyed The Onboard Freak-out
domino100315 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I got into "The Silver Streak" only because my ex-boyfriend was a die-hard train fan and had too many train oriented movies to count. I rather enjoyed this little mix of action, comedy, drama and romance, all involving a train that very few people wanted.
Tom Caldwell (Charles Starrett)pitches a modern train to Barney J. Dexter (William Farnum), whose mind is so stuck in the past that he doesn't want any part of it. With a little help from Ruth Dexter (Sally Blane), Tom gets another chance another company, but the train trial ends miserably (It isn't fast enough to race an old-time steam engine). Consigned to a fair, Tom finds out with the help of know-it-all Crawford (Arthur Lake)what the problem is and fixes it. And the timing couldn't be better, because Ruth's brother becomes ill on Hoover Dam, along with other workers. The only way to save them is to race to Hoover Dam all the way from Chicago with an iron lung. To make it even more exciting, Tom's engineering buddy Bronte (Irving Pichel)is apparently a spy whose wanted for murder.
The film is gratefully short (70 minutes), and campy by today's standards, but my favorite part is the freak-out by one of the passengers. As she is riding The Silver Streak, which is going too fast for her liking, she starts screaming about it. You can't help but laugh at that!
Tom Caldwell (Charles Starrett)pitches a modern train to Barney J. Dexter (William Farnum), whose mind is so stuck in the past that he doesn't want any part of it. With a little help from Ruth Dexter (Sally Blane), Tom gets another chance another company, but the train trial ends miserably (It isn't fast enough to race an old-time steam engine). Consigned to a fair, Tom finds out with the help of know-it-all Crawford (Arthur Lake)what the problem is and fixes it. And the timing couldn't be better, because Ruth's brother becomes ill on Hoover Dam, along with other workers. The only way to save them is to race to Hoover Dam all the way from Chicago with an iron lung. To make it even more exciting, Tom's engineering buddy Bronte (Irving Pichel)is apparently a spy whose wanted for murder.
The film is gratefully short (70 minutes), and campy by today's standards, but my favorite part is the freak-out by one of the passengers. As she is riding The Silver Streak, which is going too fast for her liking, she starts screaming about it. You can't help but laugh at that!
It takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
wes-connors20 October 2014
At a board of directors meeting, handsome railroad engineer Charles Starrett (as Tom Caldwell) presents his plan for a modern, high-speed train called "The Silver Streak". The conservative board of directors considers Mr. Starrett's progressive plan preposterous. They reject his design. Starrett resigns and goes to work for another locomotive company, which is secretly arranged by his beautiful girlfriend Sally Blane (as Ruth Dexter). She is also the daughter of William Farnum (as Barney "BJ" Dexter), chairman at the railroad firm Starrett left. The diesel-powered train is built, but runs into some trouble. "You can't beat steam," is what the old guard says, but the industry is faltering and needs to attract a new generation of travelers...
While dull, this production has a few good reasons to watch...
William Farnum was one of the first movie "super-stars" and gets a featured, late career role. He even gets to kiss Ms. Blane (Loretta Young's lovely sister). Adventurous engineer Hardie Albright (as Allan Dexter) does well with the most dramatic supporting role. Arthur Lake and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (as Crawford and Higgins) are an effective comic relief team (one wishes the material were better). There are many recognizable players in small roles - from veteran character actress Mary Carr as the weepy train passenger to attractive newcomer Dave O'Brien as a telephone clerk. The actual train is shown to great effect - but the climax is rendered unexciting by showy reaction shots, a superfluous Russian spy and a general poor pace.
***** The Silver Streak (12/10/34) Tommy Atkins ~ Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, William Farnum, Hardie Albright
While dull, this production has a few good reasons to watch...
William Farnum was one of the first movie "super-stars" and gets a featured, late career role. He even gets to kiss Ms. Blane (Loretta Young's lovely sister). Adventurous engineer Hardie Albright (as Allan Dexter) does well with the most dramatic supporting role. Arthur Lake and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (as Crawford and Higgins) are an effective comic relief team (one wishes the material were better). There are many recognizable players in small roles - from veteran character actress Mary Carr as the weepy train passenger to attractive newcomer Dave O'Brien as a telephone clerk. The actual train is shown to great effect - but the climax is rendered unexciting by showy reaction shots, a superfluous Russian spy and a general poor pace.
***** The Silver Streak (12/10/34) Tommy Atkins ~ Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, William Farnum, Hardie Albright
I liked this railroad yarn, how about you?
tarwaterthomas5 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Well, friends and neighbors, I just got through watching this fast-paced yarn of railroad engineer Tom Caldwell (played by future cowboy star Charles Starrett) who pitches a new proposal for a streamlined diesel-powered locomotive dubbed the Silver Streak to railroad magnate Barney Dexter (William Farnham). Only thing is, Dexter gives Caldwell's proposal a great big hearty thumbs down. So Tom Caldwell takes his proposal elsewhere, has the Silver Streak built, and takes it for a test run. It's supposed to attain speeds of 120 miles per hour but does not surpass 40 miles per hour; it is easily beaten by a steam locomotive. The futuristic choo-choo is consigned to an exhibition in sweet home Chicago, and Caldwell has egg all over his face. Come to find out, there was an engineering flaw that had not been detected during the locomotive's construction but that gets fixed thanks to an expert named Crawford (played by Arthur Lake, who essayed the role of Dagwood Bumstead in the "Blondie" movies). Good thing too, because there's an outbreak of infantile paralysis at the Boulder Dam work site and one of the victims is construction engineer Allan Dexter (Hardie Albright), son of Barney Dexter and brother to Ruth Dexter (played by Loretta Young's sister Sally Blane) with whom Tom Caldwell is crazy about. So now there's a no holds barred race across the country. It's 2,000 miles from Chicago to Boulder Dam, there's an iron lung on board, and the Silver Streak has less than 24 hours to get the iron lung there on time. And to make matters worse, there's an engineer named Herman Bronte (played by actor and film director Irving Pichel) who's about to sabotage the train. Can the Silver Streak make it to Boulder Dam on time? Need you ask? Keep an eye out for Edgar Kennedy; he's well cast as flustered engineer Dan O'Brien. I saw a battered film print posted on YouTube, and it sounded like the audio portion was battered and bruised. This was one of a series of railroad flicks that made it to the silver screen during the 1930s. Among the others were DANGER LIGHTS (1930), HURRICANE EXPRESS (1932), STREAMLINE EXPRESS (1935), and UNION PACIFIC (1939). Tight editing by Fred Knudtson. See if you can spot the visual effects by Vernon Walker. Great cinematography by Roy Hunt. This movie is worth catching at any time, even though it had not been remade in 1976. You're welcome.
Will appeal only to railroad buffs
sundar-227 February 2020
I just watched this movie because I am a railroad buff. The Zephyr train (now preserved in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry) is the true star of this flick, especially because the other actors in the movie were little-known even in the 1930s.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the acting is poor, the film is too rushed, the characters are not developed enough and the storyline is quite predictable and lacks any dramatic tension.
Even those who do not care for political correctness will be sickened by the stereotypical portrayal of an African-American -- Sam, the train's chef played by Ray Turner. This was the only type of role that he could get in 1930s Hollywood.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the acting is poor, the film is too rushed, the characters are not developed enough and the storyline is quite predictable and lacks any dramatic tension.
Even those who do not care for political correctness will be sickened by the stereotypical portrayal of an African-American -- Sam, the train's chef played by Ray Turner. This was the only type of role that he could get in 1930s Hollywood.
The Silver Streak of 1934
ramawv25 February 2015
In this RKO pictures, the crew of the Pioneer Zephyr diesel train has 19 hours to deliver an iron lung to a town in NV who needs urgent medical attention. Who can arrange for such an extravaganza display of power and action, yes, it has to be a rich father paying everything he has for saving his son. This is a most courageous plot fabrication belonged to the Silver Streak (1934). Based on Roger Whatley's story, and scripted by him and Jack O'Donnell demonstrates a breakneck 2000 mile train trip which must be made in 19 hours (with available technology in 1934 to build that train). This is the only solution to the curing an epidemic of infantile paralysis. Sally Blane, Charles Starrett, Hardie Albright and William Farnum topped director Thomas Atkins cast which also included Irving Pichel, Arthur Lake and others. The Burlington Zephyr Also received prominent credit for portraying the Silver Streak. There is enough of high speed excitement, drama and the love story to make audience overlook the story's rampant implausibility. It earned $107,000 in profits, a substantial sum for 1934 value of money. The 20th century Fox film released its 1976 version starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor bore no relation to this movie except for the express train. The latter was also a huge box office hit and a fun movie to watch.
A movie celebrating the two big engineering marvels of the day.
planktonrules5 January 2023
"The Silver Streak" is a film from RKO that celebrates two American engineering marvels of the time...the Burlington Zephyr and Boulder Dam. The Zephyr, also named 'The Silver Streak', was the fastest train of the day and was on display at the Century of Progress Fair in Chicago and it was one of the highlights of this World's Fair.
The story begins in Chicago, at the fair and the train is a sensation, as it's reported to be able to travel 120 mph...the fastest speed of any train at the time. Well, this speed will be needed when there's an outbreak of 'Infantile Paralysis' (Polio)...and the lifesaving iron lung machines need to be transported to the cite where the outbreak has occurred...at the construction site of Boulder Dam. But to get there, they have to run the train as fast as humanly possible...and it might not get there in time.
This film is not only a nice history lesson, it's also exciting and the footage of the speeding train are awfully exciting. Well made and enjoyable...I'm actually surprised this movie isn't more famous.
The story begins in Chicago, at the fair and the train is a sensation, as it's reported to be able to travel 120 mph...the fastest speed of any train at the time. Well, this speed will be needed when there's an outbreak of 'Infantile Paralysis' (Polio)...and the lifesaving iron lung machines need to be transported to the cite where the outbreak has occurred...at the construction site of Boulder Dam. But to get there, they have to run the train as fast as humanly possible...and it might not get there in time.
This film is not only a nice history lesson, it's also exciting and the footage of the speeding train are awfully exciting. Well made and enjoyable...I'm actually surprised this movie isn't more famous.
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