Collision, ITV's drama this week, reminds me of the 1949 Ealing film Chain of Events.
As Wikipedia says:
The film opens with a long shot of a Liverpool-bound train waiting to depart from Euston station. The train leaves with various characters on board.
After dark, the train is still travelling north at speed when a light being waved by the trackside is seen by the driver. Alerted to possible trouble he applies the emergency brakes, but a road tanker stalled across a level crossing is looming up just ahead. Plainly, there is not enough room to stop. Just as the collision is about to occur there is a fade out, which is succeeded by a general view of the railway locomotive sheds at Euston, three days prior to the accident.
Several personal stories are then told in a series of flashbacks which make up the train of events referred to in the title.
I didn't think the crash was that well staged in Collision, but I have to admit that it is better than the special effects in Train of Events.
Still, the train is driven by Jack Warner. And I remember that in an early scene someone makes his way across London and passes a neon sign advertising Nicholson's gin. That is Nicholson as in Emma Nicholson - she comes from the distilling family.
1 comment:
There were no "locomotive sheds" at Euston.
Camden, dear boy. Camden.
Many years since I've seen the film, but I loved the shed scenes - reminded me of visiting sheds with my (engine driver) father when I was a little, little boy.
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