PRIVATE’S PROGRESS

GB
1956
1hr 35mins
Dir: John Boulting
Starring: Peter Jones and Richard Attenborough

A failed British officer is selected by his uncle to participate in a secret operation to ‘recover’ looted artworks from the Nazis

This successful satirical comedy is really good fun and has a studio bound railway journey that features a brief stock shot of a passing GWR express, though only the coaching stock is visible. The film was based on Alan Hackney’s 1954 comic novel of the same name and was followed three years later by the sequel I’m All right Jack (qv). This latter film has a little bit more in the way of railways, but again nothing more than stock footage.

GWR carriages complete with roofboards pass the camera in what is the only railway scene in the film