Story of movie Runaway! 1973 Film : Runaway! is a 1973 American made-for-television thriller film directed by David Lowell Rich. It is an action thriller involving skiers trapped on a runaway train speeding down a mountain. The film was produced by Universal and originally aired on ABC on September 29, 1973. It was re-titled The Runaway Train when released theatrically abroad.
| Runaway! | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thriller |
| Written by | Gerald Di Pego |
| Directed by | David Lowell Rich |
| Starring | Ben Johnson Ben Murphy Ed Nelson |
| Music by | Hal Mooney |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jay Benson Harve Bennett |
| Producer(s) | David Lowell Rich |
| Production location(s) | Denver |
| Cinematography | Bud Thackery |
| Editor(s) | Douglas Stewart |
| Running time | 73 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Universal Television |
| Distributor | ABC |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | September 29, 1973 |
The Denver & Rio Grande Western's Ski Train equipment and Rio Grande locomotives were utilized in the filming. The Ski Train served the Winter Park, Colorado ski resort area west of Denver, Colorado. Rio Grande locomotives were re-lettered for fictional Sierra Pacific.
Screenplay
After departing the station at a ski facility, a passenger train begins descending a long downhill grade, only to discover that the brakes don't work, apparently frozen while at the mountain station. The train continues to gain speed, and one brakeman is lost trying to kick the frozen moisture off one section of brakes. It is anticipated that the train will derail at a sharp curve once it reaches level ground, and emergency crews stand by there. The train survives the curve and continues on toward the terminal station, where the tracks abruptly end.
A last desperate measure is tried: a locomotive will join the line after the runaway train passes, chase and latch onto the end of the train, then pull the train to a stop. Meanwhile, a young woman has decided to jump from the speeding train, and a young man tries to talk her out of it.
The chase locomotive latches on, applies brakes, but loses the connection, chases again but passes a "point of no return" at which point it should be impossible to stop the train. The chase engineer won't sit still for abandoning the runaway, and pushes his engine beyond safe limits to chase and firmly latch on as the young woman takes the hand of the young man trying to talk her into living.
The chase engine puts its full brakes on and the train comes to a halt some 20 metres from the block at the end of the track, and the family members of the passengers rush out of the station to greet their imperiled relatives.
- Ben Johnson - Holly Gibson
- Ben Murphy - Les Reever
- Ed Nelson - Nick Staffo
- Darleen Carr - Carol Lerner
- Lee Montgomery - Mark Shedd (as Lee H. Montgomery)
- Martin Milner - John Shedd
- Vera Miles - Ellen
- Ray Danton - Professor Jack Dunn
- Frank Marth - Dispatcher
- Bing Russell - Fireman
- John McLiam - Conductor
- Lou Frizzell - Brakeman
- Frank Maxwell - Chief Dispatcher
- Kip Niven - College Man
- Laurette Spang - Coed
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