The film The Return of Casey Jones is a 1933 American Pre-Hays Code action adventure film about a train engineer named Jim Martin who is wrongly accused of cowardice. Martin's childhood hero was Casey Jones, a legendary train engineer who died while saving his passengers. Martin is determined to prove his bravery, and he eventually gets the chance when his train loses its brakes and is headed for a sharp curve.
Martin's fireman jumps off the train, but Martin stays behind to try to stop it. He manages to slow the train down enough to avoid a disaster, but he is knocked off the train in the process. Martin survives the crash, and he is hailed as a hero.
The film was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to make Charles Starrett, who played Jim Martin, a popular cowboy star. The Return of Casey Jones is a classic example of a Pre-Code film, meaning that it was made before the Motion Picture Production Code was implemented in 1934. The film contains some violence and adult themes, but it is also a heartwarming story about courage and redemption.
The film is also notable for its realistic portrayal of railroading. The film was shot on location on a working railroad, and the train scenes are very realistic. The Return of Casey Jones is a must-see for fans of railroading films and Pre-Code films.
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Cast
- Charles Starrett – Jim Martin
- Ruth Hall – Nona Winters
- George "Gabby" Hayes – Timothy Shine
- Robert Elliott – Casey Jones
- Margaret Seddon – Mrs. Mary Martin
- Jackie Searl – Jimmy Martin as a Boy
- George Walsh – Wild Bill Bronson
- Gordon De Main – Ike MacFarland
Director: John P. McCarthy
Writers: Harry L. Fraser
Box Office Gross: NA
Distributor: Monogram Pictures
Release Date: May 25, 1933