The Train
“It carried their hopes, their nation's honour!”
Synopsis
As the Allied forces approach Paris in August 1944, German Colonel Von Waldheim is desperate to take all of France's greatest paintings to Germany. He manages to secure a train to transport the valuable art works even as the chaos of retreat descends upon them. The French resistance however wants to stop them from stealing their national treasures but have received orders from London that they are not to be destroyed. The station master, Labiche, is tasked with scheduling the train and making it all happen smoothly but he is also part of a dwindling group of resistance fighters tasked with preventing the theft. He and others stage an elaborate ruse to keep the train from ever leaving French territory.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Mission: Impossible's Christopher McQuarrie and Eddie Hamilton talk about The Train | BFI Q&AOfficial
Type: Featurette • Published 2024-11-22
Top Cast
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Burt Lancaster
Paul Labiche
Paul Scofield
von Waldheim
Jeanne Moreau
Christine
Suzanne Flon
Mademoiselle Villard
Michel Simon
Papa Boul
Wolfgang Preiss
Maj. Herren
Albert Rémy
Didont
Charles Millot
Pesquet
Richard Münch
General von Lubitz
Jean-Pierre Zola
Octave
Jacques Marin
Jacques
Paul Bonifas
Spinet
Jean Bouchaud
Schmidt
Donald O'Brien
Schwartz
Arthur Brauss
Pilzer
Jean-Claude Bercq
Major
Howard Vernon
Dietrich
Louis Falavigna
Railroad Worker
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 7, 1965
Wide Cinema Exhibition
November 19, 2004
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$5.8M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$6.8M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.17x
+$1M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Frankenheimer
- Screenplay & Story
- Walter Bernstein, Albert Husson, Franklin Coen, Frank Davis, Nedrick Young, Howard Dimsdale
- Original Score
- Maurice Jarre
- Original Title
- The Train
- Country of Origin
- France, Italy, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- German, English
- Runtime
- 2h 13m
- Production Budget
- $5.8M
- Worldwide Gross
- $6.8M
- Production Studios
- Les Productions Artistes Associés, Les Films Ariane, Dear Film, United Artists, Polyphony Digital, Vides Cinematografica
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Frankenheimer
Walter Bernstein, Albert Husson, Franklin Coen, Frank Davis, Nedrick Young, Howard Dimsdale, Rose Valland
Maurice Jarre
Walter Wottitz, Jean Tournier
Gabriel Rongier, David Bretherton
Jules Bricken
Department Leadership Roster
John Frankenheimer
Director
Walter Bernstein
Screenplay
Albert Husson
Screenplay
Franklin Coen
Screenplay
Frank Davis
Screenplay
Walter Wottitz
Director of Photography
Willy Holt
Production Design
Jean Tournier
Director of Photography
Gabriel Rongier
Editor
Jules Bricken
Producer
David Bretherton
Editor
Maurice Jarre
Original Music Composer
Nedrick Young
Screenplay
Howard Dimsdale
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Train.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Train.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Train
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Train about?
As the Allied forces approach Paris in August 1944, German Colonel Von Waldheim is desperate to take all of France's greatest paintings to Germany. He manages to secure a train to transport the valuable art works even as the chaos of retreat descends upon them. The French resistance however wants to stop them from stealing their national treasures but have received orders from London that they are not to be destroyed. The station master, Labiche, is tasked with scheduling the train and making it all happen smoothly but he is also part of a dwindling group of resistance fighters tasked with preventing the theft. He and others stage an elaborate ruse to keep the train from ever leaving French territory.
Who directed The Train?
The Train was directed by John Frankenheimer.
Who stars in The Train?
The principal cast of The Train includes Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau, Suzanne Flon, Michel Simon.
When was The Train released and how long is it?
The Train was released in 1964 with a total runtime of 2h 13m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Train?
The Train had a reported production budget of $5.8M and grossed $6.8M at the worldwide box office (1.17 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for The Train?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Train was composed by Maurice Jarre.
Is The Train based on a book or true story?
The Train is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Rose Valland".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Train?
The Train holds official age classifications: DE: 18 (FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).