May 22 - The Great Train Robbery

Today’s movie is a period crime drama with a scenes that happen on May 22. Watch I tonight and enjoy.  

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY    

During the Crimean War, the British government sends £25,000 in gold every month to the war zone to pat the troops. The gold is sent from the Huddleston & Bradford Bank, where Mr. Edgar Trent is president and Mr. Henry Fowler work by train. The gold is carried in two safes, each with two keys. Trent has a key, Fowler has a key and two are left in the railroad station office. Edward Pierce decides to steal the gold from the train. He makes the acquaintance of Mr. Trent, who introduces him to his daughter Elizabeth Trent, who tells him her father goes to the wine cellar the day of each gold shipment. Pierce and his confederate Agar sneak into the Trent house and make a copy of the key. Pierce’s mistress, Miriam gets a copy of the other key from Fowler.  They break Clean Willy, a sneak thief out of Newgate prison and with an elaborate plan; secure copies of the other two keys. They make a test run, where Agar will ride in the luggage car, open the safes and toss out the gold. Clean Willy is recaptured and snitches on Pierce and tells about the robbery. The railroad changes the rules and now no longer lets anyone, except the guard ride in the luggage car and lock the car from the outside. On May 22, 1854 [1:19:21 to 1:45:09] Agar is smuggled onto the luggage car in a coffin and the opens the safes. Pierce rides the train and them climbs outside and opens the lock so the gold can be tossed off. However, Pierce is recognized by Trent and arrested. The others escape.Pierce is tried, but with the help of Miriam and Agar escapes. 

The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1975) at page 191 gives the date of the robbery

Producer - John Foreman

Director - Michael Crichton

Screenwriter - Michael Crichton

Runtime – 1 hour 50 minutes

Released – February 2, 1979

Starring –

Sean Connery as Edward Pierce

Donald Sutherland as Agar

Lesley-Anne Down as Miriam

Alan Webb as Trent

Malcolm Terris as Henry Fowler

Robert Lang as Sharp

Michael Elphick as Burgess

Wayne Sleep as Clean Willy

Pamela Salem as Emily Trent

Gabrielle Lloyd as Elizabeth Trent

Copyright by Ivan Walters
in 2015.