Rome Express (1932)
Murder, art theft, blackmail and intrigue with a motley assortment of passengers on the night train traveling from Paris to Rome.
Conrad Veidt and Cedric Hardwicke head this superior piece of early British cinema here lovingly restored by Network and the BFI. A key piece of thirties cinema, as the first British ensemble piece, Rome Express has excellent production values -Although filmed in the confines of a London studio director Walter Forde really gives the impression the train is in motion throughout - and a script that mixes genuine tension especially towards the finale with a dash of humour making this the pioneer of train thrillers that would inspire a genre in itself.
Veidt, probably best known as Major Strasser in Casablanca (1943), is excellent here. He's so shady Mexicans would take a siesta in his shadow, yet he's almost eclipsed for star power by the stunning Esther Ralston as a silent movie star on a promotional tour, an actress whose beauty seems almost crystal like in the stunning black and white photography.
Remade in 1948 as the inferior Sleeping Car to Trieste, Rome Express is an early example of British proto-Noir and is well worth seeking out.
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