THE PASSING STRANGER

GB
1954
1hr 24mins
Dir: John Arnold
Starring: Lee Patterson and Diane Cilento

The owner of a cafe helps an American deserter involved in robbery and murder

This crime movie features a scene filmed at Denham station, with two trains featuring. One is obscured by trees as a car drives up the approach road, but the second is seen much more clearly and shows an express passing through in the hands of an ex-GWR ‘Hall’ Class 4-6-0. There is also a scene later in the movie whereby the lead characters are halted at a level crossing on there way to the docks at Millwall. This could have been filmed absolutely anywhere, yet despite being shot at night, a mixed freight crosses in the hands of ex-LMS Class 4F 0-6-0 No.44363 running tender first. There is then one final, rather artistic shot, of Park Royal Underground station silhouetted against the night sky. The film initially ran with the working title Stolen Journey and although it has an official running time of 84 minutes, most versions available today appear to be of only 64 minutes in length. Where have the missing 20 minutes gone?

This is the approach road to Denham station with an express passing beyond the trees
The locomotive’s outline is more clearly seen in this cropped image
Lee Patterson buys a newspaper from outside Denham station
As he and Diane Cilento head onto the platform, an express thunders through on its way to London Paddington hauled by a former GWR ‘Hall’ Class 4-6-0
What is interesting here is that the scene fades very slowly, and as the lengthy 12 coach train passes through, the station gently merges into water
How fortuitous it should be that the lights from the camera crew pick out the number of the passing locomotive! Former LMS Class 4F 0-6-0 No.44363 passes over a level crossing with a mixed freight, but the location of this crossing is not known.
This brilliant shot shows Park Royal Underground station silhouetted against the night sky