Every now and then, people attempt to figure out what Walt Disney's favorite movie was. Perhaps it was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs because that was his first animated feature. Or maybe it was Mary Poppins because it involved everything he had been working on up to that point. Some say it was Peter Pan because Walt was always the kid who never grew up.

No one may ever know what Walt's favorite was, or if he even had a favorite. But it was known that he enjoyed visiting the locations of many of his live action films, particularly if some aspect of the production interested him.

©Disney

Knowing of Walt's interest in railroads, it stand to reason that he greatly enjoyed visiting the set of The Great Locomotive Chase. Set in Georgia during the Civil War, a group of Union soldiers and spies attempts to steal a Confederate train, the General, taking it north and destroying the railroad tracks and bridges between Atlanta and Chattanooga as they went. They reasoned that by destroying the railroad, they could cut the south in half, bringing a quick end to the war. They set out on their mission on the morning of April 12, 1862. But as it turned out, it was not that easy. The southern conductor whose train was stolen pursued them, eventually taking another train, the Texas which led to the locomotive chase. The group was eventually captured and jailed in the south. Some died in prison, but after being freed, the others were the first recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The movie was based on a true story, written in several books by William Pittenger, one of the Union army men involved in stealing the train. Pittenger's books on the subject have included The Great Locomotive Chase and Daring and Suffering. James Andrews, the leader of the group, was played by Fess Parker, Disney's most popular star of the time. William Fuller, the Confederate conductor, was played by Jeffrey Hunter, best known to Star Trek fans as Captain Christopher Pike; he also starred in, among others, The Searchers with John Wayne and Natalie Wood. Also among the cast were several Disney regulars, including Jeff York, Kenneth Tobey, Harry Carey Jr., and Slim Pickens.

The Great Locomotive Chase was filmed on location in Georgia, near the real locations of the actual events. Several locals were hired to for small roles or as extras in the film. One technical advisor was Wilbur Kurtz, who was married to the daugher of William Fuller, the Confederate conductor who chased his stolen train. Several other local historians were consulted to ensure accuracy for the production.

But Walt was mainly interested in the trains. Although the actual trains were not available for use, several authentic stand-ins were used. These were actual steam locomotives which required wood or coal for fuel. No doubt that Walt enjoyed spending time around these great mechanical marvels, riding up and down the tracks as much as he could on his few visits to the shooting location.

The Disney television show was used to help promote the film. The episode "Behind the Scenes with Fess Parker" gave a history of the actual events, and featured several of the movie's stars discussing their roles. Fess Parker and Jeff York even made light of their roles as Davy Crockett and Mike Fink. Also included was a discussion on how matte paintings were used to create locations that were not really there. This episode occasionally airs overnight on the Disney Channel.

This idea of using the television show to promote movied had worked well in the past, such as when the "Operation Undersea" episode was used to promote 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, or when "Cavalcade of Songs" with Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke was used to promote Lady and the Tramp. And it certainly didn't hurt to further associate Fess Parker with The Great Locomotive Chase, since he was still riding the popularity wave of Davy Crockett.

Although the General and the Texas, the two locomotives used during the actual chase, were not used in the movie, they have been restored and are on display in the Atlanta area. The General, the engine that was stolen by the Union forces, is at the Kennesaw Civil War Museum; however, the museum is closed for renovation until late this year. The Texas is on display at the Atlanta Cyclorama at Grant Park. For more information on Andrews' Raiders and the Great Locomotive Chase, visit the Andrews Raid web site at www.andrewsraid.com. or read one of the books by William Pittenger.

©Disney

The Great Locomotive Chase has been available in the past on DVD from Anchor Bay. The movie was released on a double sided disc. One side included the fullscreen version of the movie, while the other side held the widescreen version. The movie was filmed in Cinemascope, so there is quite a bit of picture lost in the pan and scan fullscreen version, making the widescreen version great to watch. As with all of Anchor Bay's Disney releases, the Disney name does not appear anywhere on the packaging, except for a small copyright note on the back. The Anchor Bay release still turns up in stores or online every now and then. Perhaps one day Disney will choose to add this great movie to its new Vault Disney DVD line, providing us with all sorts of fun behind the scenes information on the filming, the stars, Walt, and his railroads.

- Story by Steve Burns
Posted

Steve is a three-time Disney Store National Trivia finalist and webmaster of BurnsLand, home of Steve's Disney Railroad Adventures.

E-mail Steve at steve@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below.

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