MovieChat Forums > The First Great Train Robbery (1979) Discussion > Connery's stunts

Connery's stunts

posted 17 years ago by rokshok183
24 replies | jump to latest

Seeing this again it never fails to shock me at how dangerous the train roof top walk was that Connery did.

I remember that it was always a topic that was brought up in the chat show interviews with him through the eighties.

My memory is vague but i seem to recall a story which states that he didnt see one of the bridges coming and it was the crew behind the camera frantically telling him to get down that averted an untimely death situation. Just wondered if anyone can verify that story.

Still, there was about 3 different bridge passes that are just jaw dropping close. Especially the one in which he's rubbing the back of his neck.

He must chuckle and wonder what he was thinking to agree to have done that sequence. Amazing.

[–] bbmaps 16 years ago

Connery had been a stuntman earlier in his career, and has always been a tough and gutsy performer. He does use some of the standard stuntman tricks, though, and they add to the effect.

One of the more spectacular is the sequence where he is "surprised" by the low bridge after being hit and rubbing his chin. That is a trick to make sure his head is in exactly the right position, making the scene less dangerous than it seems. Knowing that he has to be at a certain height to be safe, he uses his arm as a measure to be high enough to be spectacular, but low enough to survive the experience. So long as his arm doesn't get any longer, he will be in the right spot.

The camera angles also make some sequences seem a bit more dangerous then they might be. And the top of the train is coated in a high traction paint that is very rough. Actually, the biggest real danger is one that might not be apparent: a steam engine running on rough track throws out a huge amount of sparks, so their hair and clothing catching fire is a real possibility.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bbmaps 15 years ago

Actually, locomotive speedometers only came along in the 1930s, with trains made prior to that having no speedometers. Speeds were regulated by counting lineside telegraph poles, which were typically 53 to the mile (in the few places that it was necessary to be really accurate). And that is, I suspect, where things got interesting. All of the lines had their own rules in the old days, and the construction varied quite a bit, so the 100 feet between poles standard was only a common rule, not an absolute one. If the real distance between poles was greater, then the engineer would be inclined to open the throttle to make 24 poles go past in a minute - just over 30 mph at 100-foot spacing, an unknown with higher spacing. 150 feet between poles, for example, would have the driver going 41 mph.

[–] ames_mere 11 years ago

Travels is one of my top 5 favorite books.

[–] esskayess 16 years ago

After seeing the film, Connery's wife told him that if he ever tried anything like that again, she would either divorce or kill him, depending on her mood at the time. I love that.

[–] tstraton 15 years ago

Sean was never a stuntman as stated above. He was in the Royal Navy, played football in England and was a bodybuilder before becoming an actor. But nowhere does it say he ever did "stunts" for the film industry.

[–] davek22 15 years ago

That train top sequence never ceases to amaze me. Most thrilling stunt work I have ever seen a major star do. I remember when the first Mission Impossible film came out and my freinds were talking about how amazing the train top action sequence at the end was. I was bemused by it because, as good as it was, it was all green screen cgi. I told them to watch Great Train Robbery for the real deal.
With todays insurance premiums and health and safety rules I don't think we will see the like again.
For some Connery will always be remembered for James bond but for me it will always be this amazing action scene

[–] nigeltext 15 years ago

Caught this film (and specifically,THIS sequence) for the first time just yesterday. I was astounded. I mean, that's Sean freakin' Connery obviously atop a moving train (watch his shirt sleeves billow in the wind) and he's ducking low bridges. Astounding.

I am THEE most amateurish of film buffs but I wonder why this sequence doesn't get more attention when 'movie types' are interviewed. What a fantastic scene done without any of the crutches CGI would afford us today.

New found respect for the Scotsman. Full marks.

"What's wrong with a little good, clean violence?"

[–] bodryn 10 years ago

I believe Connery is a Welshman. He is my idea of a real man. It took me years to really appreciate his acting skills, but now I want to see every movie he has ever been in.

[–] gasivodo 10 years ago

I suppose that is why his tatoo is about Scotland:-D

[–] DoctorThirteen (15307) 4 months ago

Connery was about as Scottish as they come! 😂

[–] SlackerInc (1121) 4 years ago

Yes, I am shocked that the insurance company allowed it even back then!

[–] TheManInOil 13 years ago

I was amazed to see him do that. I'm sure it's safe but it is very effectively unnerving to watch.

"I'll book you. I'll book you on something. I'll find something in the book to book you on."

[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

It certainly does make the whole sequence more suspenseful knowing that it's Sean Connery up there on the top of the train.

Regarding the earlier discussion regarding Connery stunts;

I read that when he made the The Man Who Would Be King a few years earlier(and which I really don't care much for), his character *(spoiler alert*) takes a dive off a suspension bridge, which was done by a stunt man in the movie (and IMO, not particularly filmed all that well).

But in between takes Connery was supposed to have taken the 100 foot drop anyway and landed on a huge pile of cardboard boxes. I personally find it a little hard to believe, but I just thought I'd toss it in there.

[–] I_Guard_Tanelorn 10 years ago

The train sequence was absolutely thrilling. I couldn't believe Connery was doing all his own stunts. Right from the get go when he climbs up there and I saw he wasn't wearing a wire or harness. All the near misses. It looked so good. The movie was okay, but that scene was one of the best things i've ever seen on film.

"I said no camels, that's five camels, can't you count?"

[–] tomloft2000 10 years ago

especially when he had 007 tunnels to pass through.

[–] nutsberryfarm 10 years ago

but was his beard real?

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[–] eolloe 9 years ago

In the director's commentary on DVD, Michael Crichton noted that he was especially impressed by the stunt earlier in the film, in which the character was thrown from a train car to his death. Crichton said that that scene was extremely dangerous and in retrospect he was very relieved that the stuntman hadn't been injured.

[–] gasivodo 9 years ago

The DVD?!? Where? WHAT? TELL ME!
(sry' I'm a Dane! ..no DVD here)

[–] eolloe 9 years ago

Search on amazon.co.uk or amazon.de or ebay.de, for example.
There are copies available. (Maybe you could even find at a library somewhere to borrow?)

I think the title of the PAL version might be "The First Great Train Robbery."

[–] ringfire211 9 years ago

I couldn't believe it was Connery either. I kept looking for some types of trick shots or rear projection. But it became obvious pretty quickly that there were none. This was legit. Done for real. That's Sir Sean up there. And he was almost 50 by that point! Now I've got even more respect for one of my favorite actors!

I kept remembering how in OCTOPUSSY fellow 007 Roger Moore didn't do any of those stunts on top of the train. It was all stuntmen doubling for Roger and Kabir Bedi and the Russian circus twins. Any closeups of Roger revealed very obvious rear projection. I still love the heck out of that film (one of my favorite Bonds) but when you know it's not the actual actor up there it's a bit less impressive, even though I give props to stuntmen too for risking their lives and doing it all for real (sure beats the CGI and green screen of today). But yeah, there's no way you'd get Roger to do that kind of stunt. He often joked that he used stuntmen for his walking scenes.

P.S. How about that Lesley Anne Down getting into bed with Connery?? Sizzle, baby! What a stunner!

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

[–] jdforyou1983 (1470) 4 years ago

I love the that he did his own stunts