The Great Train Robbery

Unrated

12/7/190312m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ It electrified dad! It terrified mother! It will amuse you! ~

Overview:

After the train station clerk is assaulted and left bound and gagged, then the departing train and its passengers robbed, a posse goes in hot pursuit of the fleeing bandits.

Director:

Edwin S. Porter

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$150.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

robbery
robber
dynamite
hold-up robbery
outlaw
railroad
bandit
silent film
train robbery
posse
short film

Cast

Gilbert M. Anderson

~ as ~

Bandit / Shot Passenger / Tenderfoot Dancer (uncredited)

John Manus Dougherty Sr.

~ as ~

Bandit (uncredited)

Frank Hanaway

~ as ~

Bandit (uncredited)

Adam Charles Hayman

~ as ~

Bandit (uncredited)

Robert Milasch

~ as ~

Trainman / Bandit (uncredited)

Marie Murray

~ as ~

Dance-Hall Dancer (uncredited)

Mary Snow

~ as ~

Little Girl (uncredited)

A.C. Abadie

~ as ~

Sheriff (uncredited)

Walter Cameron

~ as ~

Sheriff (uncredited)

Donald Gallaher

~ as ~

Little Boy (uncredited)

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

James
Written 2 year(s) ago
6
Firstly, I feel honoured to be the first to write a review for this prestigious short; secondly, I found it to be… good. I can’t claim any more than that, though it is heavily influential. The narrative is unlike many other short, silent films as it actually sucks you in until that fantastic final shot. But was it perfection? No. Is it worth watching? Of course, I’m sure any of my fellow cinephiles can waste ten minutes for this cinematic curio.
CinemaSerf
Written 1 year(s) ago
7
This opens with quite a menacing scene from Justus D. Barnes who points his pistol right between our eyes.... Then you have to feel a bit sorry for "Broncho Billy" Anderson who proceeds to get himself tied up, shot and generally manhandled as a ruthless gang raid his railway office then hold up the train robbing both the strong box and the passengers. Luckily he is eventually able to raise the alarm and a posse is soon on the trail of the thieves - but will they escape? It's barely eleven minutes long, this, but packs loads of action into that time and the photography uses indoor and outdoor space to good effect, offering us a degree of continuity of story and imagery that builds nicely to quite an exciting shoot-out in conclusion. It's not so hard to tell the real from the fake, but that doesn't really matter - the whole thing is groundbreaking and well worth a gander.