Silver Streak

Silver Streak

3/12/1976 1h 54m 6.7/10

Overview

A somewhat daffy book editor on a rail trip from Los Angeles to Chicago thinks that he sees a murdered man thrown from the train. When he can find no one who will believe him, he starts doing some investigating of his own. But all that accomplishes is to get the killer after him.

Director

Arthur Hiller

Top Billed Cast

Ned Beatty

Ned Beatty

Bob Sweet

Patrick McGoohan

Patrick McGoohan

Roger Devereau

Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor

Grover Muldoon

Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder

George Caldwell

Jill Clayburgh

Jill Clayburgh

Hildegard 'Hilly' Burns

Clifton James

Clifton James

Sheriff Chauncey

Reviews

Wuchak

4/11/2023

8/10

**_Drama, romance, crime, mystery, comedy, adventure, suspense and action on a train_** A book editor traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago by rail (Gene Wilder) supposedly witnesses a crime while partying with a secretary (Jill Clayburgh). He suddenly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy. Richard Pryor plays a helpful thief, Ned Beatty a passenger, Patrick McGoohan a smooth art expert, Richard Kiel a heavy and Len Birman a cop. "Silver Streak” (1976) meshes Hitchcockian murder thriller with the amusing antics of Wilder and Pryor for an entertaining train flick. As my title blurb states, it expertly mixes genres into a fun and compelling rail ride. If you like train flicks like "Runaway Train" (1985), "Transiberian" (2008), "Train" (2008), “Night Train” (2009), "Beyond the Door III" (1989), “The Cassandra Crossing” (1976), “Breakheart Pass” (1975) and “Horror Express” (1972) you’ll also enjoy this one. It’s as good or better than most of ’em. It just includes amusement along with the life-or-death thrills à la the 80’s Indiana Jones adventures. The film runs 1 hour, 54 minutes, and was shot in SoCal, including Century City (studio), Union Station in Los Angeles, South Pasadena (New Mexico train stop), the Mojave Desert (the ranch with the plane) and Brea (the redneck sheriff’s office), as well as Alberta (the prairie scenes), Locust Hill in Ontario, Union Station in Toronto and Northwestern Station in Chicago. GRADE: A-/B+

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