The Railrodder

1965 0h 24m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 52

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After literally swimming across the Atlantic Ocean, an Englishman takes a country trip across Canada on a railcar.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Buster Keaton
The Man

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gerald Potterton
Writers: Gerald Potterton
Languages: No Language
Countries: Canada

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 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 24-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

61 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0059631 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 52 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gerald Potterton directs. Gerald Potterton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada. Dialogue in No Language.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 24-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
261 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Editor Gerald Potterton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5IMDB entry: tt0059631 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 52 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Editing: Gerald Potterton
Runtime: 24 min · 0h 24m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Railrodder (1965)

Also by

Gerald Potterton

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-03-14
★ 6/10
After reading an advertisement advocating a visit to Canada, our intrepid adventurer (Buster Keaton) jumps into the Thames and swims all the way there! Once he arrives - remarkably dry and fit - he commandeers a railroad engineer's truck and embarks on a musically enhanced (think Ry Cooder morphing into some lively harmonica) journey at break speed across the 3,500-odd miles from east to west. Along the way we travel through some beautiful (and not so) countryside stopping only briefly when his wheels eventually need oiling after he grinds to an halt! It's a visit Canada production and the star enters into the spirit of his one man trip - eating, washing and snoozing on his well equipped little wagon. He's got a map - but quite what for is anyone's guess - the rails are only going one way! There are few more traditional type sketch escapades as he meanders his way along but curiously enough, it didn't actually really make me want to visit the place. Vast expanses of prairie and forest are fine for a while, but after several hundred miles of them... Luckily the Rockies do hove into view and now equipped with a camera he can photograph some of the impressive engineering that conveys the tracks through the chilly terrain. He's got a camera - so of course he's got a fur coat too - oh, and some knitting to help pass the time. Perhaps we could all have a go? Has he given any consideration as to how he's going to get home again? It's an original idea that works well enough for about fifteen minutes, but thereafter it does run a little out of steam. Worth a watch though.

Production companies