I just saw this at an NRHS meeting and its a hoot to see Reading camelbacks in a western set movie. Overall its a real fun movie and its great to see early views of eastern Pennsylvania. Lubin is the original Philadelphia based director who went to great lengths to not cop out and move west. To make westerns he filmed in quarries and covered fields in lime. More people should give this region a chance.
5 Reviews
Simplistic but innovative
mannarino-6666217 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I had heard of "The Great Train Robbery" before but I had always thought it was a classic western. To my surprise, it wasn't like the films I've seen with Clint Eastwood. This short film is as bare bones as a film can get. It reminded me a bit of a home movie that would have been made by millennial children. This isn't an insult, but more of an observation. As a kid, you took what you had around you, created a simple plot, and made your movie. And that's exactly what happened here. There was no depth to characters within the film and no place for relation. Again i'm not taking away from the short as it is just that, and not to mention the films age. The film also makes many breakthroughs and you can tell how its influence was carried throughout the life of film. It was a perfect plot and setting to start making movies in as what most people seek through films is an escape to a different reality, and during these times many outlaws were glorified for their wild lifestyles. My favorite moments had to be witnessing the early 1900s era special effects. I was actually impressed by the effects used for explosions and honestly wasn't expecting to see anything of the sort.
Lubin's remake is close to the original, not necessarily better
CHARLIE-896 February 1999
This 1904 remake of the 1903 classic is nearly identical, though just not as good. It was made by the Pennsylvania-based Sigmund Lubin company. Maybe it could have used Broncho Billy Anderson as the lead, like the original did!
More Violent!
boblipton7 March 2003
This rip-off of Porter's THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY -- you could not actually copyright a movie at this time, so there was no real protection for producers against plagiarism -- is generally supposed to be a scene-for-scene remake, but there are differences: the robbery itself is more violent, as the thieves knock out the guard on the train, then beat his body and throw him off the moving train. Don't worry.... to the modern eye, it is clearly a dummy. Also, the backgrounds are much more clearly stylized backdrops.
It is interesting to note that even at this stage, Lubin's cameraman was playing with framing technique: the brief dance scene uses some false arches to constrict the scene.
It is interesting to note that even at this stage, Lubin's cameraman was playing with framing technique: the brief dance scene uses some false arches to constrict the scene.
Remake of one of the classics
Horst_In_Translation16 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Director Siegmund Lubin, who was born in today's Poland, is one of the earliest Eastern-European filmmakers. While he has produced considerably over 3,000 silent films between 1896 and 1916, he only directed four of them. One of these is his take on the famous western classic The Great Train Robbery. Remakes were pretty common these days, so no surprise here.
The final outcome doesn't differ much in quality from the original, only Lubin wasn't the creative head behind the story. Basically, it has all you'd expect from the genre: horses, country dances, cowboy hats and shootouts. One of the central characters is played by Lubin's daughter here. It's one to watch for silent film enthusiasts or in order to analyze difference and similarities compared to the original, but the rest can very well do without it.
The final outcome doesn't differ much in quality from the original, only Lubin wasn't the creative head behind the story. Basically, it has all you'd expect from the genre: horses, country dances, cowboy hats and shootouts. One of the central characters is played by Lubin's daughter here. It's one to watch for silent film enthusiasts or in order to analyze difference and similarities compared to the original, but the rest can very well do without it.
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