The Wrecker (1928 film)
Encyclopedia
The Wrecker is a 74 minute silent film made in 1928 (released 1929). The film was based on the play of the same title
by Arnold Ridley
. It was produced by Michael Balcon
for Gainsborough Pictures
, directed by Hungarian Géza von Bolváry
and starred Carlyle Blackwell
, Joseph Striker
and Benita Hume
. A soundtrack was later added. The crash scene was filmed at Herriard
on the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
. A set of SECR coaches and a SECR F1 Class locomotive No. A148 were released on an incline to collide into a Foden
steam lorry
. The impact was recorded by 22 cameras and has been described as "the most spectacular rail crash in cinema history."
The film has been restored, with a new musical score by the composer Neil Brand
. On 26 November 2009 it was launched at a special screening at the Watercress Line
, a heritage railway
close to where the filming took place. The film was released on DVD in the UK on 16 November 2009.
The Wrecker
The Wrecker is a British play, written in 1924 by Arnold Ridley, who much later played Private Godfrey in Dad's Army.The play is about an old engine driver who thinks his engine is malevolent and self-aware...
by Arnold Ridley
Arnold Ridley
Major William Arnold Ridley, OBE was an English playwright and actor, first notable as the author of the play The Ghost Train and later in life for portraying the elderly Private Charles Godfrey in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army .-Early life:Ridley was born in Walcot, Bath, England where...
. It was produced by Michael Balcon
Michael Balcon
Sir Michael Elias Balcon was an English film producer, known for his work with Ealing Studios.-Background:...
for Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, London. Gainsborough Studios were active between 1924 and 1951. Built as a power station for the Great Northern & City Railway it...
, directed by Hungarian Géza von Bolváry
Géza von Bolváry
Géza von Bolváry was a Hungarian actor, screenwriter and film director, who worked principally in Germany and Austria.- Biography :...
and starred Carlyle Blackwell
Carlyle Blackwell
Carlyle Blackwell was an American silent film actor and a minor director and producer.Born in Troy, Pennsylvania, he made his film debut in the 1910 Vitagraph Studios production of Uncle Tom's Cabin directed by J. Stuart Blackton. Between then and 1930, when talkies ended his acting career, he...
, Joseph Striker
Joseph Striker
Joseph Striker , was an American actor. He appeared in 28 films between 1920 and 1929.He was born in New York City. A resident of Cranford, New Jersey, Striker died at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, New Jersey on February 24, 1974.-External links:...
and Benita Hume
Benita Hume
Benita Hume was an English film actress. She appeared in 44 films between 1925 and 1955.She was married to actor Ronald Colman from 1938 to his death in 1958; they were the parents of a daughter, Juliet...
. A soundtrack was later added. The crash scene was filmed at Herriard
Herriard railway station
Herriard railway station was a railway station in the village of Herriard, Hampshire, UK. The station was a stop on the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway until its closure in 1932. On Sunday, 19 August 1928 a crash scene from the film The Wrecker was filmed at Herriard. A set of SECR coaches and...
on the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
The Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway was a railway in Hampshire, UK, opened on Saturday, 1 June 1901, with no formal ceremony.It was the first railway to be enabled by an Order of the Light Railway Commission under the Light Railways Act of 1896...
. A set of SECR coaches and a SECR F1 Class locomotive No. A148 were released on an incline to collide into a Foden
Foden
Foden may refer to:* Ben Foden , English rugby union player* Giles Foden , British author* Wendy Foden, South African conservation biologist- See also :* Edwin Foden, Sons & Co., a former British truck and bus manufacturer...
steam lorry
Steam wagon
A steam wagon is a steam-powered road vehicle for carrying freight. It was the earliest form of lorry and came in two basic forms: overtype and undertype – the distinction being the position of the engine relative to the boiler...
. The impact was recorded by 22 cameras and has been described as "the most spectacular rail crash in cinema history."
The film has been restored, with a new musical score by the composer Neil Brand
Neil Brand
Neil Brand , is a British dramatist, composer and author. In addition to being regular silent film accompanist at London's National Film Theatre, Brand has composed new scores for two recently restored films from the 1920s, namely The Wrecker and Anthony Asquith's Underground. Brand has also acted...
. On 26 November 2009 it was launched at a special screening at the Watercress Line
Watercress Line
The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days that it was used to transport locally grown watercress to...
, a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
close to where the filming took place. The film was released on DVD in the UK on 16 November 2009.
Cast
- Carlyle BlackwellCarlyle BlackwellCarlyle Blackwell was an American silent film actor and a minor director and producer.Born in Troy, Pennsylvania, he made his film debut in the 1910 Vitagraph Studios production of Uncle Tom's Cabin directed by J. Stuart Blackton. Between then and 1930, when talkies ended his acting career, he...
– Ambrose Barney - Benita HumeBenita HumeBenita Hume was an English film actress. She appeared in 44 films between 1925 and 1955.She was married to actor Ronald Colman from 1938 to his death in 1958; they were the parents of a daughter, Juliet...
– Mary Shelton - Joseph StrikerJoseph StrikerJoseph Striker , was an American actor. He appeared in 28 films between 1920 and 1929.He was born in New York City. A resident of Cranford, New Jersey, Striker died at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, New Jersey on February 24, 1974.-External links:...
– Roger Doyle - Winter HallWinter HallWinter Hall was a New Zealand actor of the silent era. He appeared in 127 films between 1916 and 1938.He was born in Christchurch, New Zealand and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:...
– Sir Gerald Bartlett - Gordon HarkerGordon HarkerGordon Harker was an English film actor. He appeared in 68 films between 1921 and 1959, including three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock and a cameo appearance in Elstree Calling , a revue film co-directed by Hitchcock...
– William - Pauline JohnsonPauline JohnsonEmily Pauline Johnson , commonly known as E. Pauline Johnson or just Pauline Johnson, was a Canadian writer and performer popular in the late 19th century...
– Beryl Matchley - Leonard Thompson – Rameses Ratchett