The 1st Great Train Robbery (AA), August 1979

(GB, 1978: director Michael Crichton)

SEAN CONNERY, DONALD SUTHERLAND, LESLEY-ANNE DOWN.  The film, set in Victoria’s England in 1855, deals with (an oft-repeated observation) the first robbery from a moving train.  As often happens with films of this genre, it falls into two parts: section one (“the plan”) plods rather flat -footedly through the tedious business of obtaining impressions of the four keys that will unlock £25,000 in gold, and the diverse scenes (I felt, anyway) are merely diverting local colour.  Section two, however (“the action”), is a train of an entirely different colour.  The pace is fast and the robbery itself is a piece of good, cliff-hanging film-making.  Connery – large, bearded and with hair (!) – is all professional (and does all his own stunts, incidentally), while Sutherland, bushy-eyebrowed and curly-haired, is complete with the Irish brogue he almost conquered in The Eagle Has Landed.  There’s a nice little cameo by WAYNE SLEEP.  Good fun, all in all. Plus FREE AS A BIRD (U).

(programme  138 minutes)

Tickets for all performances 70p and £1.00

(Notes compiled by Robin Bowditch)