THIS ABOVE ALL

US
1942
1hr 50mins
Dir: Anatole Litvak
Starring: Tyrone Power and Joan Fontaine

During the Second World War, a WAAF of aristocratic birth becomes romantically involved with an AWOL soldier

This American wartime romance was adapted from Eric Knight’s 1941 novel of the same name. It features a train journey as part of the plot, which is interesting for more than one reason. The departure scene uses a rather unconvincing set that clearly shows the film’s US origins as the British train is standing at Track 5 instead of Platform 5, yet the locomotive in steam at the front of the train is very curious. It is probably nothing more than a detailed model but it looks at first glance to be North British in origin! Although the train journey itself is also studio-bound, the producers had the presence of mind to include a pair of stock shots of British trains for a film set in the UK. The first is a particularly fine shot of an LNER C1 4-4-2, thought to be No.4406 pulling out of King’s Cross, whilst the second shows a ‘going-away’ shot of a Southern Railway ‘Lord Nelson’ Class 4-6-0. Later in the film there is a sequence filmed at London Charing Cross. Again, this never leaves the stage floor, but their is another good representation of a British locomotive beyond the ticket barriers.

The ‘British’ station and train, sadly let down by the Track 5 platform sign
In this more elevated view it is quite clear that some degree of effort has gone into representing a UK railway scene. The carriages and locomotive are definately British in appearence but are probably nothing more than a set. However, it does move off in rather convincing fashion so this is open to intrepretation. Notice that the station has two footbridges and that the Track 5 sign has been removed!
An LNER C1 Class 4-4-2 pulls away from London King’s Cross at the start of its journey north. This is pre-1932 when a new signal box and the well-known aerial walkway were erected. The locomotive is thought to be No.4406, which narrows the picture down further to post-May 1924 when it was renumbered from 1406.
As Tyrone Power and Joan Fontaine fade from screen an SR ‘Lord Nelson’ Class 4-6-0 speeds past
This is the Charing Cross set, though again the representation of a UK locomotive is quite convincing by US standards