source: Silver Streak

Trailer—Silver Streak

Silver Streak

George (Gene Wilder) takes a train ride to Chicago, and hits it off with beautiful Hilly (Jill Clayburgh). She's the secretary to a professor who has proof of Devereau's malfeasance. George first sees the professor getting killed, then he runs into Devereau's hatchet men. It's an interesting mystery and mildly amusing. The jokes are weak depending mostly on the flustered Gene Wilder. He does get thrown off the train a few times. Then it completely changes when Richard Pryor joins the party 1 hour in. It was the first time the duo is on the big screen together. Gene Wilder does the memorable iconic blackface. And it changes the tone of the movie. It's an odd transition, and it doesn't really fit. After all, it was murders and gunfights in a mystery thriller in the first half. If for nothing else, this marks the start of a great film bromance. It changed the course of movie history.

AFI listed this as one of the top 100 comedies, and I think they got it right. This was the first and best pairing of Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. Unlike their later movies together, this one isn't simply a buddy flick. Its also a romantic comedy thriller and nails every genre it aims for. It was written by Colin Higgins, the guy who wrote Harold & Maude. He is a genius at witty dialog which is most apparent in the first act, where Wilder meets Jill Clayburgh on a train, the two get drunk and seduce one another. Despite the fact that no nudity is involved, the sophisticated verbal exchanges between Wilder and Clayburgh and Henry Mancini's lovely theme combine to make for a really gorgeous love scene. Who would have thought Gene Wilder could be sexy? A very similar film (and almost as good) is "Foul Play," written and also directed by Colin Higgins in 1978. If you liked this one, you should see that as well.

I first saw this movie in 1976 when I was all but about 13 years of age, with some friends in my home town (Dryden, Ontario) at the local "Royal" theatre, as it was known then. I just finished watching my VHS copy of it, which brings my total number of viewings up to 30-something... Why do I like this film so much? It was the first movie I've seen that had it all: action, suspense, romance, a lot of laughs, but most of all - adventure. All of this helped manufacture a great storyline. In short, one of the most memorable movies I've ever seen, and I enjoy myself greatly with each repeated viewing. It made me a big fan of the Wilder/Pryor combination. It made me a huge fan of train travel. It made me a "road movie" fanatic. A classic in my book. 9/10

The pairing of two geniuses of comedic acting, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, takes on a train ride for the ages. When Wilder gets saddled with a possible murder rap, he has to clear his name. This involves being tossed off an Amtrak train over and over again. One need only look at Richard Pryor's face to see why he is a spark plug in everything he does. Wilder is the "Wild Card" who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He must depend on his friend who can't believe what is going on. Compare this to "Stir Crazy" if you want to see another fantastic pairing of these guys. They both are gone now and it is a sad reality. Fortunately, these movies live on.

I see Silver Streak as a mild Hitchcock parody that is a nice little blend of comedy and mystery.Gene Wilder,while not at his absolute best,impresses nonetheless here.Jill Clayburgh is credible as the love interest.Yes it is the first film in which Wilder teamed with Richard Pryor,yet Wilder and Pryor are only together for a small percentage of the overall film.The film,though,has a strong enough foundation in terms of story and performances to where Pryor and Wilder do not really need to be together throughout.In fact,this is their best teaming ever despite that fact.To top it all off,the ending is a rather exciting one.A definite worthwhile watch.