Horror Express (1972)

Director:

Eugenio Martín

Writers (WGA):

Arnaud d'Usseau (screenplay) and
Julian Zimet (screenplay) (originally as Julian Halevy)

Release Date:

January 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Can it be stopped?

Plot:

An English anthropologist has discovered a frozen monster in the frozen wastes of Manchuria which he believes may be the Missing Link...

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Anthropologist | Train | China | Fossil

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton (as Cristopher Lee)
Peter Cushing	...	Dr. Wells
Alberto de Mendoza	...	Father Pujardov
Silvia Tortosa	...	Countess Irina Petrovska
Julio Peña	...	Inspector Mirov
Ángel del Pozo	...	Yevtushenko (as Angel del Pozo)
Helga Liné	...	Natasha
Alice Reinheart	...	Miss Jones
José Jaspe	...	Conductor Koniev
George Rigaud	...	Count Maryan Petrovski (as Jorge Rigaud)
Víctor Israel	...	Luggage Worker
Faith Clift	...	American Passenger
Juan Olaguivel	...	Creature (as Juan Olaguibel)
Barta Barri	...	First Telegraphist
Peter Beckman

Also Known As:

Pánico en el Transiberiano (Spain)
Panic in the Trans-Siberian Train (International: English title)

Runtime:

USA:90 min | USA:88 min | Spain:84 min

Country:

UK | Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1990) | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 (video rating) (1994) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Estudios Madrid 70, Daganzo, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Benmar Productions

Trivia:

Peter Cushing arrived in Spain for filming and immediately told producer Bernard Gordon that he could not do the picture, as he felt it was too soon after his wife's death. Christopher Lee convinced Cushing to stay on by reminiscing with him about the previous films they'd worked on together, much to the relief of Gordon.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the opening credits of the English-language VHS version, Christopher Lee's name is misspelled as "Cristopher".

Quotes:

Countess Irina: You're in bad humour because you've lost your box of bones, hmm?
Professor Saxton: That box of bones, madame, could have solved many of the riddles of science. If the theory of evolution is confirmed, if the science of biology is revolutionized, if the very origin of man is determined ...
Countess Irina: I have heard of evolution. It's... it's immoral!
Professor Saxton: It's a fact. And there's no morality in a fact.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nightmare Theatre's Late Night Chill-o-Rama Horror Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Outstanding!

Picture a frozen ape man discovered by a British archeologist and scientist at the turn of the century, and being placed aboard a Trans-Siberian railway from China to Russia..and you have the beginning of Horror Express. Christopher Lee plays the man who finds this fossil, as he calls it, which turns out to be so much more. The film itself is beautiful as we see this elegant train traveling across snow-covered terrain(actually filmed in Spain). The cast of characters aboard are of equal interest. Peter Cushing plays a scientist named Dr. Wells. For Cushing, this is a fine performance of a scientist less hypnotized by the ethic of science and more worldly. He bribes officials to get train tickets, has a baggage man drill holes in Professor Saxton's(Lee's) discovery, flirts with both his manly lady assistant and a beautiful stow-a-way, and in general seems less serious than many of his former roles. Nice to see him occasionally smile. Lee's professor is quite typical of Lee, burly, officious, obnoxious, and willful. Both Cushing and Lee are extraordinary and sights to behold as they waltz through the script of finding the creature which is wiping the minds of various peoples. The rest of the cast is also very good with a Rasputin-like monk stealing scene after scene. Horror Express is fast-paced action, inventive science fiction, gory thrills, and chilling horror. Indeed it is worth a look!