Blue Pullman (film)

Blue Pullman
Directed byJames Ritchie
Written byJames Ritchie
Produced byEdgar Anstey
CinematographyDavid Watkin
Jack West
Edited byHugh Raggett
Release date
  • 1960 (1960)
Running time
23 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom

Blue Pullman is a 1960 British short documentary film directed an written by James Ritchie.[1][2][3] It was produced by British Transport Films and follows the development and preparation of a train journey from Manchester to London on new British Railways Blue Pullman diesel multiple units.

Premise

The film includes coverage of engineers conducting the train's technical trials, and the Manchester-London journey filmed from the driver's cab and from the air.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "It is a pity that the producers, for some inexplicable reason, appear reluctant to show the train starting and stopping properly: the arrival at St. Pancras in particular is sadly botched and comes as a let down after the vivid presentation of the Blue Pullman in motion. A very nicely made informational film which has the distinct virtues too of an effective score by Clifton Parker, stylish editing and a commendable inclination to let the visuals speak for themselves: how pleasant indeed not to have an incessantly chattering commentator and, instead, to have descriptive comments kept to a minimum."[4]

Accolades

The won several awards,[5] including the Technical & Industrial Information section of the Festival for Films for Television in 1961.

References

  1. ^ "Blue Pullman". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Blue Pullman (1960)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  3. ^ "The Value of the Factual Film". The British Journal of Photography. 114 (5606): 1116. 29 December 1967 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ "Blue Pullman". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 27 (312): 117. 1 January 1960. ProQuest 1305827368.
  5. ^ "Blue Pullman". BFIplayer. Retrieved 19 October 2025.