A somewhat daffy book editor on a rail trip from Los Angeles to Chicago thinks that he sees a murdered man thrown from the train. When he can find no one who will believe him, he starts doing some investigating of his own. But all that accomplishes is to get the killer after him.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• George Caldwell: Gene Wilder
• Hildegard ‘Hilly’ Burns: Jill Clayburgh
• Grover Muldoon: Richard Pryor
• Roger Devereau: Patrick McGoohan
• Bob Sweet: Ned Beatty
• Sheriff Chauncey: Clifton James
• Mr. Edgar Whiney: Ray Walston
• Professor Schreiner & Johnson: Stefan Gierasch
• Chief: Len Birman
• Plain Jane: Valerie Curtin
• Rita Babtree: Lucille Benson
• Ralston: Scatman Crothers
• Reace: Richard Kiel
• Jerry Jarvis: Fred Willard
• Burt: Delos V. Smith Jr.
• Blue-Haired Lady: Mathilda Calnan
• Mexican Mama-San: Margarita García
• Conventioneer: Henry Beckman
• Conventioneer: Harvey Atkin
• Porter: Lloyd White
• Benny: Ed McNamara
• Night Watchman: Raymond Guth
• Engineer #2: John Daheim
• Fat Man #1: Jack O’Leary
• Fat Man #2: Lee McLaughlin
• Red Cap: Bill Henderson
• Cab Driver: Tom Erhart
• Moose: Gordon Hurst
• Waiter (uncredited): J.A. Preston
• Shoeshiner: Nick Stewart
• Conventioneer: Steve Weston

Film Crew:

• Casting: Lynn Stalmaster
• Original Music Composer: Henry Mancini
• Executive Producer: Martin Ransohoff
• Writer: Colin Higgins
• Set Decoration: Marvin March
• Hairstylist: Joan Phillips
• Director of Photography: David M. Walsh
• Editor: David Bretherton
• Makeup Artist: William Tuttle
• Stunts: Alan Oliney
• Producer: Edward K. Milkis
• Producer: Thomas L. Miller
• Executive Producer: Frank Yablans
• Stunt Double: Jeannie Epper
• Stunts: John Daheim
• Stunts: Nick Dimitri
• Stunts: Bob Herron
• Director: Arthur Hiller
• Production Design: Alfred Sweeney
• Stunt Coordinator: Mickey Gilbert
• Production Manager: Peter V. Herald
• Production Manager: Jack B. Bernstein
• Stunts: Janet Brady
• Sound: Harold M. Etherington

Movie Reviews:

• Wuchak: **_Drama, romance, crime, mystery, comedy, adventure, suspense and action on a train_**
• A book editor traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago by rail (Gene Wilder) supposedly witnesses a crime while partying with a secretary (Jill Clayburgh). He suddenly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy. Richard Pryor plays a helpful thief, Ned Beatty a passenger, Patrick McGoohan a smooth art expert, Richard Kiel a heavy and Len Birman a cop.
• “Silver Streak” (1976) meshes Hitchcockian murder thriller with the amusing antics of Wilder and Pryor for an entertaining train flick. As my title blurb states, it expertly mixes genres into a fun and compelling rail ride.
• If you like train flicks like “Runaway Train” (1985), “Transiberian” (2008), “Train” (2008), “Night Train” (2009), “Beyond the Door III” (1989), “The Cassandra Crossing” (1976), “Breakheart Pass” (1975) and “Horror Express” (1972) you’ll also enjoy this one. It’s as good or better than most of ’em. It just includes amusement along with the life-or-death thrills à la the 80’s Indiana Jones adventures.
• The film runs 1 hour, 54 minutes, and was shot in SoCal, including Century City (studio), Union Station in Los Angeles, South Pasadena (New Mexico train stop), the Mojave Desert (the ranch with the plane) and Brea (the redneck sheriff’s office), as well as Alberta (the prairie scenes), Locust Hill in Ontario, Union Station in Toronto and Northwestern Station in Chicago.
• GRADE: A-/B+