Film Snail

The Railrodder
The Railrodder

6.6

The Railrodder

NR·1965·24m

Summary

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

Crew

Director, Writer

Gerald Potterton

Reviews

Geronimo1967

Geronimo1967

March 14, 2024

6

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.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

Budget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Keywords

slapstick comedy
silent film
short film