Night Train for Inverness

This is a heart-rending thriller of no crime but great passion of parents horribly misled by a gruesome mother-in-law who doesn't know what she is doing, as she only wants to do what's best for all. It is more thrilling than most thrillers for being so extremely human in driving the feelings of parents to the extreme. There is no star here, only ordinary actors, although the mother has a strong resemblance to Joan Fontaine. You will suffer with the parents if you are human, it will bring tears to your eyes and you will be involved in their agony, which will compel you to share it. Everyone here are victims of circumstances, while the one criminal, the one accountable for all this mess, probably never will be made aware of it. At the same time it's a valuable insight for anyone into the dilemmas of diabetes, the risks it pertains and how very close to mortal danger any patient can be if not treated meticulously with absolutely proper timing. Everyone in the film loves this boy, and so the audience will do as well, as this is a human situation that anyone could find himself in all of a sudden.

If you have seen Elia Kazan's PANIC IN THE STREETS, which is for me his less interesting movie, so if you know this plot, this scheme, you replace it by a train instead of a city and that's it. It is for my taste the most boring topic, the most predictable in the movie history. I was so angry about myself to have lost a bit more than one hour with this material. I can understand that some folks find it tense, full of suspense, but not me anyway. It is cheesy, run on the mill, and the Britissh film industry has provided far better plots than this one. But many TV series over the years have also used this scheme, a sick person on the loose, dangerous for the other people, or for herself. Not interesting for my taste.

Norman Wooland gets out of prison after six months for a spot of embezzlement. He picks up his son, planning to head for Inverness along with his girl friend, Jane Hylton. He doesn't know the boy is a severe diabetic and will slip into a coma within eight hours... a lot less time than the train ride, especially when he treats the youngster to cake and ice cream.

It's a nice thriller, far better than the usual cheap work from the Danzigers. Silvia Francis plays the mother of the boy in a nothing role, but Irene Arnold shines as her mother, one of those people who'd rather be right than have things turn out well.

The basic story is of a man,denied access to his son,through circumstances,abducts him.I heard such a story yesterday so as they say nothing changes.The boy in question in this film is Denis Waterman making the first appearance in a career which now spans over half a century.The plot is quite neat and well told.It shows just how well the Danzigers had been able to adapt to the prevailing circumstances and turn out suspenseful films like this and turn a profit.It is a great shame that this type of film is no longer made.For railway enthusiasts there are glimpses of steam trains and also the old Euston Station before it was demolished.There are good performances all around.