The Titfield Thunderbolt

A classic Ealing comedy, much-loved by film fans and train enthusiasts alike, “The Titfield Thunderbolt” was the first Ealing Comedy to be made in colour, Technicolor in fact, and the fourth to be directed by Charles Crichton.

Pre-empting the savage cuts to the railways made by Beeching’s axe in the 1960s, “The Titfield Thunderbolt” sees a group of villagers attempting to keep their branch line running after it’s earmarked for closure.

Inspired by the Talyllyn Railway, which was restored and preserved as a heritage railway, the charming film features a regular Ealing trope of the underdog, in this case the villagers, battling a larger bureaucratic enemy, represented by the freshly-nationalised British Railways.

A picturesque snapshot of rural England in the 1950s, the film stars Stanley Holloway, John Gregson, George Relph, Hugh Griffith, Sam Kydd, Naunton Wayne, & Sid James.

“The Titfield Thunderbolt” had its Gala Premiere at London’s Leicester Square Theatre on the 5th of March 1953, as part of the British Film Academy’s award ceremony, before going on general release from the 6th.

This pop art print is a remix of the original illustration & lettering by the renowned artist Edward Bawden.

One of the official artists serving with the British Army, Bawden’s style was in demand by companies before and after the Second World War.

A contemporary of Eric Ravilious, and a notable figure within the community of Great Bardfield Artists, Bawden’s art caught the eye of many businesses who commissioned him to create unique artwork, including Fortnum & Mason, the London Underground, Imperial Airways (which became part of BOAC), Westminster Bank, Penguin Books, Twinings Tea, Poole Potteries, and, of course, Ealing Studios.