The Titfield Thunderbolt

"The Comedy Hit of the Year!"

1953 1h 24m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

⭐

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 62★7IMDB · 3,592

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When British Railways announce the closure of the Titfield to Mallingford branch line a group of local residents make a bid to run it themselves, backed by a monied member of the community who is attracted by the complete lack of licensing hours on trains. Unfortunately the local bus company starts to use methods that can hardly be seen as fair competition.

“The Comedy Hit of the Year!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Stanley Holloway
Walter Valentine
George Relph
Vicar Sam Weech
Naunton Wayne
George Blakeworth
John Gregson
Squire Gordon Chesterford
Godfrey Tearle
Ollie Matthews (The Bishop)
Hugh Griffith
Dan
Gabrielle Brune
Joan Hampton
Sidney James
Harry Hawkins

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charles Crichton
Writers: T. E. B. Clarke
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

73 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charles Crichton, shot by Douglas Slocombe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Georges Auric. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Seth Holt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Stanley Holloway and George Relph and Naunton Wayne carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Comedy Hit of the Year!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0046436 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charles Crichton directs. Douglas Slocombe behind the camera. Georges Auric scores. Seth Holt cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
273 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Charles Crichton, shot by Douglas Slocombe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Georges Auric. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Seth Holt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Stanley Holloway and George Relph and Naunton Wayne carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The Comedy Hit of the Year!".
8IMDB entry: tt0046436 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 62 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Original score: Georges Auric
Editing: Seth Holt
Makeup / hair: Harry Frampton
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953)
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 3,592 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Also by

Charles Crichton

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-04-21
★ 10/10
Yes, yes, she'll run. She's as good as she ever was. I'll stake my living on it! It's almost impossible for me to write a review of substance for The Titfield Thunderbolt, such is the love and unadulterated joy I have had with it for nigh on 40 years now. It was one of those magical moments in childhood when me, an obvious train set owner, caught this colourful {it was Ealing Studios first colour film} picture and took it all in like it was magic in a box. Of course back then I had no idea about the thematics of the picture, I just loved the train and the quirky characters that were making me laugh. But now here in a more modern age the film holds up better than most of its Ealing contemporaries, those themes back in the day are a reality. Villages are desperately clinging onto their identities, money mad conglomerates think nothing of heritage and the voice of the common man. And worst of all, the community spirit, the "tho shall not pass us" mentality has gone and in its place is fear and sadness. Aye, I wonder if T.E.B. Clarke had any idea when he sat down to write The Titfield Thunderbolt, that he was not just writing a quaint story about villagers rising up to save their own Branch Line Railway. But that it would also be a freeze frame of a golden age in Britain, a snap-shot of a transport industry that was still 10 years away from being torn apart. I love The Titfield Thunderbolt like a family member, I really do. I can watch it now and it takes me away from this big old world that has gotten itself in one big hurry and strife. I laugh, I even weep tears of joy and I even get angry at the villains in the piece. It's the power of cinema in its truest form when a little village, a small train and some plucky courage in the rolling countryside can instill such emotions in a human being. 10/10

Production companies