THE CLAIRVOYANT

Image result for the clairvoyant 1934

GB
1934
1hr 21mins
Dir: Maurice Elvey
Starring: Claude Rains and Fay Wray

A fake clairvoyant has visions of disasters that come true

This drama features two railway journeys as part of the story. The first shows a motley collection of images combined in a montage: a close up of a Southern Railway loco pulling out of a station, a going-away shot of a train pulling out of a train shed (possibly Southampton Ocean Terminal), and shots of passing LNER teak carriages all interspersed with images of rolling track, moving motion, and driver’s eye views that include the approach to Middle Hill Tunnel, near Box. The second journey involves the prelude to a disaster though how much of this is real is difficult to ascertain. It would appear that most of the journey along with the railway tunnel and the signal box are studio sets, yet the external views of the teak carriages look real enough (or surprisingly good mock-ups). The only train actually identifiable in this instance is a grainy night time image of a passing express that may show an LNER A4 Class 4-6-2 at the helm, though the footage is poor.

This is the close up image of the footplate crew of a Southern Railway locomotive. I think this is a Lord Nelson leaving Waterloo (the station roof can be glimpsed on the right)
This is the best railway shot in the film, possibly showing a boat train leaving Southampton Ocean Terminal. The loco at the front could be another Lord Nelson.
This is one of two shots of the same train passing, formed of LNER teak coaches
The best of the drivers eye views shows the approach to Middle Hill Tunnel. The sidings to the left and right are associated with Box station.
Having had a premonition about an impending crash Claude Rains, Fay Wray and party have brought the train to a stand in a tunnel. The wall is on the left with the teak carriage on the right. Both look very convincing but are probably just sets as it is unlikely that enough room could be achieved to alight ‘wall side’ in a tunnel. However, the tunnel wall included signal wires that moved so it could have been the real deal.