Early Ray Milland flick The Flying Scotsman

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stuart.uk
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Joined: January 21st, 2008, 12:25 pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland

Early Ray Milland flick The Flying Scotsman

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Spoiler

I've really only seen the end of this part silent, part talkie British movie, The Flying Scotsman (1929) with the young Welsh actor Ray Milland, but it looks impressive.
It appears to be about a railway engineer played by Moore Marriott, who had his drunken fireman sacked before his final trip on the famous factual train The Flying Scotsman. On the trip the ex-fireman tries to kill the engineer. Ray Milland is the new fireman and his leading lady is Pauline Johnson, who happens to be Marriott's action heroine daughter.

What I find interesting is that the film, not only is an early Ray Milland film, made before he got to Hollywood, but Moore Marriott, who I realise won't be known at all in America, bares no resemblance to his elderly familiar 1930s sidekick of Will Hay in classic comedies like Ask A Policeman and Oh Mr. Porter. However, I was blown away by leading lady Pauline Johnson, whom I've never heard of before, but understand she was a popular star of the British silent movies, but died at 47 not long after making the Anna Neagle film Maytime in Mayfair (1947). As far as I can tell she did a really dangerous stunt, climbing on the outside of the train, dressed in feminine attire, in a successful attempt to save her father's life. I thought the Louise Brook's jumping a freight train in Beggars Of Life was impressive, but this is something else....................................................
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