ITA 1968 1hr 48mins Dir: Mario Monicelli Starring: Stanley Baker and Monica Vitti
A Sicilian woman ‘dishonoured’ by her lover, goes to England with a pistol intending to murder him
This Italian comedy romance features a number of railway scenes which include some excellent shots of Edinburgh Waverley station. Blue & grey liveried Mk1 coaching stock is visible in the platforms, complete with ‘King’s Cross – Edinburgh’ roof boards. There is a scene filmed at the site of the former Neepsend station in Sheffield, which closed in 1940, though only the footbridge remained by the time of filming and no trains feature. The scenes at the end were filmed at Newhaven Docks, and Newhaven Harbour station and signal box are visible in the background along with some parcels vans. The railway scenes open with a good run by of a green Class 40 on an express, partially obscured by the film titles 13 minutes in!! This shot appears on Diesels & Electrics on 35mm Volume One, and was purportedly filmed on the Great Northern (aka, the East Coast main line). The film’s title translates to ‘The Girl with a Pistol’, the UK title of the film.
Obscured by the titles of the film, a green Class 40 speeds past on an express
Edinburgh Waverley station and the sun streams down through the roof onto the BR Mk.1 coaching stock which has arrived from King’s Cross and disgorged its load of passengers
This shot is now above the platforms at the foot of the vehicle access ramp. Note the fabulous array of Scottish Region light blue signage
Looking up the vehicle access ramp towards Waverley Bridge
Monica Vitti leaves the station in this view looking down the vehicle ramp
Edinburgh Waverley is unique in being the only UK railway station to be named after a book. It is also unusual in being situated in a deep cutting over which pass several road bridges. The glazed station roof is visible in this view from Princes Street with North Bridge just creeping into shot on the left.
The railway lines are visible through the railings of this footbridge that once gave access to Neepsend station, which closed in 1940.
Newhaven Harbour station is visible behind the approaching Bedford HA van in this shot of Newhaven docks in the pouring rain.
A moment later as a Mini passes the camera a pair of parcels vans are visible in the background
In this final shot we see the signal box at Newhaven Marine but on stilts to the right is an old BR door-to-door delivery container
