 |
PM |  | |
Quote | | |
Reply | | |
Full Topic | |
Member
| Joined: | Fri May 7th, 2010 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 82 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
| Mana: |    |
The train in the film came from the Comstock Lode and was bought by MGM in the late 1930s. You can see it in the "Atcheson, Topeka & Santa Fe" number of HARVEY GIRLS with Judy Garland. When MGM sold off all of their stuff, Old Tucson bought the train & rolling stock. It was in a lot of films that shot there, including JOE KIDD and TOMBSTONE.
When Old Tucson had that awful fire, the rolling stock was destroyed, as was the train. The engine & coal car were fixed up and still stand at Old Tucson, but no longer runs.
Another trivia piece, that same train is used in the opening of MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, which shot it on the MGM Lot 3.
Sadly, stuntman Fred Kennedy was killed on this film. He had been part of John Ford's stock company since 1949 (he plays the soldier who fights Claude Jarmin in RIO GRANDE).
In this film, he begged Ford to allow him to do a horse fall, where he'd get extra money. Ford relented and when Fred fell, he landed wrong and broke his neck, killing him. Ford lost interest in the film and this is why the films ends rather lackluster. Originally it was to end with Wayne & company returning heroically after completing their mission.