SILVER STREAK (Theatrical Release USA 1976)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì

Silver Streak—an action, comedy film—displays the talents of Gene Wilder paired with Jill Clayburgh. The film, while rated PG, deserves a PG-13 rating and serves the mature teen/adult audience due to sexual references and sex scenes. The action is good and the comedy fair. The film will not disappoint in either category for action and comedy.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

George Caldwell (Gene Wilder) travels by train to attend his sister’s wedding. Along the way he meets a vitamin salesman named Bob Sweet (Ned Beatty). Then, he meets a woman named Hildegard ‘Hilly’ Burns (Jill Clayburgh),who works for an Art History professor named Schreiner (Stefan Gierasch). One night he thinks he sees the Professor’s body fall from the roof of the train; but, because George is drunk, he doesn’t know if he can trust what he sees. The next morning he sees Professor Schreiner’s book about Rembrandt in Hilly’s room. George tells her he thinks he saw the professor fall from the roof of the train. Hilly is skeptical that George tells the truth, so later that day he goes into the Professor’s room where he is confronted by looters and thrown off the train. He walks to a farmer’s house where he gets a plane ride and re-boards the train. In that venue, this valuable art/murder/mystery/comedy races toward its final conclusion.

Additional Thanks

Really good work for Director Arthur Hiller. Thank you to Executive Producers Martin Ransohoff and Frank Yablans for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Grover (Richard Pryor), Reace (Richard Keil), Devereau (Patrick McGoohan), Sheriff Chauncey (Clifton James), Mr. Whiney (Ray Walston), Chief (Len Birman), Plain Jane (Valerie Curtin), Rita Babtree (Lucille Benson), Ralston (Scatman Crothers), Jerry Jarvis (Fred Willard), and Burt (Delos V. Smith, Jr.).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a good comedy/action flick.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers