The Last Clear Chance (1959)
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- Опубликовано: 5 апр 2012
- Courtesy: Prelinger Archives
This engaging Kodachrome drama (formatted for television broadcast) from the Union Pacific ostensibly deals with safety at railroad grade crossings, but it's also about much more: youth's feeling of invulnerability; the highway patrolman as an authority figure; the look of the rural and urban West in the late 1950s; the urge to speed through a sparsely populated agricultural landscape; and the train's role as farmer's servant and potential killer.
This film was made just five years after The Days of Our Years but belongs to a different world. This is not the close environment of urban railroad workers, but the wide-open spaces of the agricultural West. It was shot in Idaho, and the highway patrolman who carries the film forward wears an Idaho State Patrol uniform. It's summertime and the kids are out of school. Although they are responsible for farm work, they are free to roam the countryside and do. Danger lurks in this mobile world, but not in dark, enclosed industrial spaces -- it lurks in broad daylight along a sunny railroad track. The deaths that form the film's climax happen right after lunch on what looks like a Saturday afternoon, and death takes the young rather than the old.
It's hard not to think that the Union Pacific is here again trying to pass the buck on safety. It costs lots of money to protect railroad crossings with gates and even more to construct separations between railroad rights-of-way and highways. Construction projects of this type have always involved contention between railroads and local governments, and the differing interests of railroads and government fill our history books. Suffice it to say that there's a great deal of background that isn't practical to include in the movie. Interestingly enough, the victims drive through a crossing with gates, lights and bells, so no one can pin the responsibility for this accident on corporate greed.
The most quotable line: as two railroad crewmen stand by the wrecked automobile, one says: ""Why don't they look, Frank?"" Frank responds: ""I don't know. Why don't they look?"" This short dialogue fragment, and in fact the whole movie, has become a big hit on the TV show Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
Charged with a didactic agenda, The Last Clear Chance somehow always manages to look interesting even when it gets intensely instructional. It had the benefits of an excellent cinematographer, Bert Spielvogel, who also shot two other visually distinguished films, Design for Dreaming and In the Suburbs and The Relaxed Wife. 
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What a find! William Boyett playing an Idaho State Trooper!
This should be required viewing for driver's ed, along with Wheels of Tragedy, Signal 30, the Red Asphalt films, Mechanized Death, and Anatomy of an Accident.
I remember watching Signal 30 when I took Driver's Ed in the '70s. It was pretty gruesome.
I watched some of these in high school. They made a lasting impression on me and ive made my kids watch them before they started driving. They do help!!
The accident that killed the teenager was so bad that the roadster he was driving turned into a sedan. The horror.....
The sound of tires skidding on pavement was interesting too, considering he was on gravel
Ah cmon guys, give it a break. This video is probably older than you.
Cezariusus It’s probably older than three of you!
I was glad to see their were no classic hot rods injured during the filming of this movie. 😃
and that's all you get is a little bit of dirt on the face like she got lol
This film was well done. William Boyett was the best choice. He started in radio. Then early tv. Always as a police officer. But he absolutely was the best. Top notch actor..
Once the fire chief for Emergency
@@TheReverendWillNicholasHe was one of Jack Webb's informal "repertory" company, playing different roles on his shows.
This film is very high quality and a bit ahead of its time.
William Boyett was a handsome lad. He will live forever in cop tv shows.
The guy who played the state trooper (William Boyett) starred in Highway Patrol (1955 - 1959) and Adam - 12 (1968 - 1975)
who cares lol
"One Adam-12, One Adam-12, see the man...."
@@351clevelandmodifiedmotor4 Your mom sure did!
He is the Sargeant on Adam 12, correct?
William Boyett really made this instructional film interesting. As one can easily tell, the only trained actor in the bunch. Boyett was very gifted and certainly made this film and the Jack Webb productions later on watchable. Loved the chrome beasts shown throughout. How the hell did any of these stay on the road, watching them twist, dip, and bounce along the highways.
I _thought_ that's who was playing the policeman.
And I thought I recognized some of the locations - here in Colorado - the 2 lane road with tracks and the table top mountains. And, the old highway sign U.S. 87 where the guy changing the tires almost gets clipped by the clown pointing out Pike's Peak - that could have been Colorado Springs (which would make sense as the old highway with train tracks parallels U.S. 87 (now I-25) to the west, right around Palmer Pass.
I thought that was him!
it's good to re-watch this ever now & again.
The first officer was one of the most handsome man I ever seen.
William Boyett played the officer in this driving safety movie. He also starred in Highway Patrol, Dragnet, and Adam-12 (Sgt. "Mac" MacDonald) as well as many other roles where he usually played a law enforcement officer. He was a wonderful family man who lived in the San Fernando Valley well into his 90's. God Bless you "Mac"!
sonoran rain
Boyett died December 29, 2004, in Mission Hills, California, at age 77, of complications from pneumonia and kidney failure.
Mr. Boyett was born to play police officers; I remember him from at least one (maybe more) Perry Mason in addition to those great shows you mentioned. He always portrayed law enforcement personnel in a positive - and frequently inspirational - light.
I never understood why William Boyett never got more recognition for all his TV and movie roles, or sometimes a "mention", sometimes never credited at all according to IMDB. A low profile actor unfortunately.
I always considered Mr. Boyett a great actor, not just a "character" actor.
He's the reason why I watch Adam-12 and Season 4 of Highway Patrol.
That's the guy from Adam-12, William Boyett. High quality safety movie from the late fifties. Oh to have been there in that era. Love it. Thanks for posting the video!
William Boyett was also on Highway Patrol.
That's right it's the Sergeant Mac from Adam-12.
That's right!!! William Boyett!!
Unfortunately the plot makes no sense. There are so many holes in the plot you could read a newspaper through it. So the brother died? And the grandfather? And the hot rodder? All in the same accident? They don't make anything clear! Unless tje grandfather worked for the railroad? Is that the point. I've watched this SIX times and I am completely confused
You'd be really old if you had... but I get what you're saying. To go back there... and have all the stock market information, football winners and such...Biff showed the way.
“Hey, the cop never said anything about doing intensely stupid things!”
I'm making choo choos in my pants.
Can you identify this bucket of your brother?
Almost three quarters of a century old, but still bang up to date, the basics have not changed in all that time.
A lot of this stuff still applies today!
How to tell a simple story. Brilliant.
Some Australian driving schools still show this right before “graduation”, as it were.
Came for the cars, stayed for the carnage!
23:11 “sir, can you identify this bucket full of your brother?”
Ikr?
"You know son, 40% of all accidents--" "OH, SHUT UP."
"You're deep, Ernie..."
@@ThrashMetallix I love saying that when someone does say something "deep"
@@ThrashMetallix oh fuck I was listening to it and I'm all "WHY ARENT THEY SAYING IT!" I forgot this is the actual clip
it>s my good friend willam boyett, also known as sargent macdonald on adam 12 tv show....
He was also in Highway Patrol 1955 - 1959
Fifty one years ago I saw a class mate hit by a train on the way to after school band. I was 16 and sick to my stomach, because He passed the cross bucks and lights and the train hit him after he drove around the car I was in flipping us off and callings us chicken
I love how the 32 t bucket turned into a sedan on it's side.
Man,that is one SWEET Austin-Healey 3000 !!!
So the kid gets his driver's license in the mail, then proceeds to show everyone the unopened envelope? I guess he was real proud of that envelope.
Cause it would clearly say on the envelope who it came from dumbass
😂😂😂😂
Shhhh... Ur ignorance is bliss enough
IDs are hard copy there genius, ain't you ever felt up an envelope🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪😭💋
Lol, right I literally tore the envelope open when I got my license
First scene at the level crossing, the kid in the Austin Healey places his life squarely into the hands of Lucas - The Prince of Darkness...brave.
When I had driver’s ed back in 1981, the movie we saw wasn’t as potent as this one. The cars may be old and the traffic far less, but it’s still damn good viewing with an important message.
Try Signal 30.
@@pointingdog7235 Others include "Wheels of Tragedy," "Highways of Agony," "Mechanized Death," and probably more.
16:54 And here, of course, is the deadliest distraction for many drivers.
Bill Boyett was born to play law officers. He appeared as a semi-regular on "Highway Patrol" with Broderick Crawford from 1955-60, both incarnations of "Dragnet" with Jack Webb, Adam-12 and appeared on "Emergency," another one of Webb's stable of police/emergency shows. Boyett was a class guy.
And BTW-The 1950s were a great decade. Those were the days when if the USA had to act on an incident the rest of the world agreed with us. The USA never apologized for her actions. People thanked us!
WHAT?!? He wasn't a Real Cop??
He played LAPD supercop Piece Brooks in one Dragnet episode.
There's an episode of "Highway Patrol" with a young Clint Eastwood riding motorcycles with a buddy to a small town diner. Of course, they're wearing obligatory jeans & leather jackets but no helmets. 😳 Unfortunately, I can't remember the title of the episode but I think it was filmed in/around Chatsworth, CA when the area was still fairly rural.
"Stop, Look, Listen...& Live"! 👍
This should be shown in drivers ed classes today.
so it can be riffed in them
Unfortunately young drivers nowadays don't take safety seriously. That's why their insurance is high until 25. Hopefully they learn. But not all. Sad they take a PRIVILEGE and call it a RIGHT! Yes, but they need to EARN the right to drive.
Hey, that guy is driving my Austin Healey! I loved that car...
16:48 Love the 1959 Ford's Design so much, it's pretty.
Nice old cars ... I like the Cadillac hearse ! 😄👌
The patrol car is a 1959 Ford 2 door coupe. Shouldn't police cars be 4 doors?
Vincent Berkan they were called 2 door sedans and were considered four door cars sort of
Is anybody going to talk about how frank died in the car crash whilst Betty (who is also presumably dead) is unscathed?
Still though, this film from the 50s delivers the message so well that it still leaves us with the question- why don’t they look?
A lot of time what kills you in a car crash is injuries you can’t see
Betty survived
I first saw this on Mystery Science Theater 3000, and it was hilarious.
Never under any circumstances drive with your butt cheeks.
Here's a problem that I see almost daily, is that just because the light is green, but now your blocking the intersection and nowhere to gountil traffic in front of you moves forward, this also applies to rail road crossings, if you can't clear the tracks, don't go, because part or all of your car will be on the tracks.
The most important lesson of this film? Don't drive while looking backwards! 😆
Thanks for the time travel !!!
Another measure of protection/safety is ALWAYS placing the vehicle in park when stopped at a railroad crossing especially if you are at the front of the crossing. One slip off the brakes could mean a horrible fatality. Place the vehicle in park, apply the emergency brake and place your foot on the brakes. Remember........A vehicle has ZERO CHANCE of surviving a collision with a train!!!
Ehh. Putting it in park yes. Rest is excessive. Also it depends on the weight of the loaded train and the speed.
Most cars were manual transmission in 1959
Incorrect. Depending on where the vehicle is hit its definitely possible to survive.
Placing the vehicle in park is sufficient except in a manual, in which case drop it into neutral, engage the handbrake/E-brake, or in an EV just press the button for Park. On a grade, I can see using such redundant measures, but as a National Safety Council defensive driving trained individual who drives hundreds of miles a week, that advice is extreme. Your heart is in the right place, but that's a lot of steps when you need to focus on leaving adequate space, and you can always orient your wheels towards the ditch if you're paranoid someone's gonna nail you from behind in a non-enjoyable sense of the phrase.
@@kdawson020279 can't someone drift in neutral?
Your last clear chance for fantastic savings
love this short film
Back then,the freight cars didn't have anything reflective on them as they do today
The officer is a major force in TV; WILLIAM BOYETT!
The officer is an actor from TVs 1955-59 classic " Highway Patrol". Bill Boyett.
Still rings TRUE today !!!!!!! No body has TIME for ANYBODY ,,,,, Family or Children !!!!!!! Just get an GET !!!!!!!! SO SAD !!!!!
doesn't wish to sound like a broken record but, Bill Boyett, always, has been a favourite.
Ending was also used in a British transport film focusing on diesels and electrics built in Britain.
Very nice film ! :)
So I watched ot again and it makes more sense. The hot rodder and the younger brother used to race at school. Then the hot rodder was killed in an accident. The grandfather also raced the hot rodder (he talks about doing a 1/4 mile or whatever in 10 seconds). After the hot rodder died the grandfather worked for the railroad. He was on the train that was racing the older brother. When they crashed the older brother died. The grandfather won the race but lost a grandson. The younger brother lived and is now the fastest in town.
Can you identify this bucket full of your brother
The policeman is sad because he gave the younger brother a trechnical violation. The grandfather challenged the younger brother. He says "I used to run a 1/4 mile in 10 seconds"
9:13: The train is pretty much invisible. No wonder anyone ever realized what they were coming up on at the crossing. There's simply no signals to warn them of what's ahead.
Too bad many of the cars then ( classics now ) were wrecked & demolished
from reckless driving that didn't need to happen.
The main reason why those beautiful cars are no longer around & seen anymore.
I actually do not live in U.S. but yeah I loved these cars in movies or series. It wasn't just the car per se but what it stood for. Freedom and American Dream. They were then build by the line and still looked like handmade. That's why I think such cars just awesome and classy. Still dreaming to drive such a baby from San Francisco down to Mex border the Pacific Coast Highway. This is one of my lifetime wishes.
@@Sp4wn82 i agree when cars were works of art, in 1981 I had a '56
Buick Convertible I drove it from Seattle to New Port Beach & back. On the way back the car overheated so I pulled into a small town over night to a shop
to get the radiator flushed & re-cored after that it was fine. Car trouble in a old car is stressful.
My dream is get another '50's car & drive it on route 66 & go back in time.
The siren on the police car sounded sick.
Well that's 1959 for ya
oh wow it's Willy B from hi way patrol KOOOOOL he was an awesome actor bless his soul, what a great "film" about safety on the road... i personally do not even have a learners permit and live within "comfortable" walking distance of my grocery store or restaurants or the weed store or (not being a drinker) alcohol stores if i really needed, but i have a lot of friends and family who do 😵
"Why people do things with a car that make no sense at all" just wait til you see the 1975 models.
1. At night many railroad crossings don't always have working lights so it may not be known that a train is coming. Wonder if a GPS could tell you it is or isn't?
2. This needs to be updated for distracted driving to be added, eating, talking on your phone and the biggest headache/nightmare texting while driving.
3. This film needs to be included in driver's ed today and maybe if local police made a current film similar to this and showed it once a year to every class before they got their licenses, there would be fewer highway fatalities. Just a thought
1. A GPS couldn’t do that. All it knows is where you are. Even a map navigation app doesn’t have real-time information though it can show current stuff like traffic conditions etc. 2. There are other safety movies from this era that show how distracted driving kills (though of course it’s something like changing the radio, not texting). 3. It seems like drivers ed does show old films but I’m not sure if this old!
@reverse thrust If it's still stop look and listen then why all this talk about bad railroad crossings killing good drivers. I think this Movie was made around 1959 60 and that crossing would most definitely not pass today beacuse it had no gate. Second don't frieght trains have to slow down when they are going through residential neiborhoods. I know that they can't go through residential neiborhoods if they are handling hazmat.
Without doubt the most dumbass thing s person can try to do is text and drive. This said by a repeat over the limit convicted DWI. You can't drive a car and look away from where you're going.
@@Sashazur, they should have GPS/map applications at least warn you that you're approaching a railroad crossing, the way they do with stop signs and traffic lights.
For 1959, this was a damn good movie!
At 24:16 you see the officer with a Federal Fireball (or other similar) light on his cruiser. I didn't know those were around back then. I also see some "Andy Griffith" style Do-Ray rotating beacons here and there. I also thought I saw a Georgia State Patrol officer in the montage.
There would not have been any Georgia agency involved, Union Pacific doesn't have trackage there.
Agencies of saluting officers (in order):
1. Montana Highway Patrol,
2. Idaho State Police,
3. Colorado State Patrol,
4. Oregon State Police,
5. Wyoming Highway Patrol,
6. Kansas Highway Patrol
7. Arizona Highway Patrol,
8. Washington State Patrol (with bowtie),
9. Nebraska State Patrol,
10. Nevada Highway Patrol,
11. California Highway Patrol,
12. Utah Highway Patrol
@16:54 "the parked car that pulls out without looking", yes he was looking! at the same thing I was.. ;-)
Greatest looking state police car In the history of state police cars. Black with white stripes and old school rollers.
Everything that police officer said went in that young man’s ear and out the other!!!
I've never seen people waving each other that damn much!
Yeah that was ridiculous,,, Waved, when they went by,,, You don't turn around backwards in your seat,, waving,, Could Have hit a person,, Animal,,, Ran off the road,, Hit a car in front,,, Or run in front of a train,,,, Who drives down the road, With their head turned backwards for 5 Seconds,,,, It's not a very real scenario
At 15:00 I kwilled the wabbit ! I kwilled the wabbit !
Idaho, Kansas, and Utah state capital buildings at the end.
5:57 STOP THE NEAR INSANITY!!
That's the dude from Highway Patrol 🤙🏼🌴
Oh my God he's SNAPPED
Hilarious
Yep lotta work to do today
When I was a student at Ohio University in the 60's people trying to cross the tracks were killed by trains every year.
Still happens. I live in a city with several tracks going through residential and commercial areas and several people get killed every year. I’m guessing a lot of them are suicides.
23:16 Dramatic acting at its best!
William Boyett (Mac from Adam-12)!
They still drive that badly in Russia; just look at all the head-on crash videos from over there...
The main culprit is driving drunk.
this actor playing the state trooper sure looks familiar.
This guy was born to play a cop.
William Boyett was on Highway Patrol. Adam 12. Played a police officer well.
When it comes to the actual receipt of a driving licence in the mail after the passing of a practical driving test, the passing of such a test, if taken in Ontario, Canada, means going up to a counter at the relevant testing centre to receive documentation of the upgrade in class to make the driver legal to drive at that new level. The above video hopefully is shown in primary and secondary schools around the world because railway safety is everyone's business.
I would've liked to, in response to the March 2021 video "Safety on the Railway - secondary school film" produced by England-based railway company Network Rail, mention the 1959 Union Pacific PSA because of how similar those videos are: a discussion on the importance of safety around railways.
Did you mean Danger on the Rails?
@@user-rg5lg4jk9z It's too bad that Network Rail chose to, rather than simply monitor comments (as I do for videos that I put up on my RUclips channel), shut commenting off.
Boy, Meridian Idaho sure has changed since this was made.
Not for the better, I presume?
22:34 That Scary Music Is From Night Of The Living Dead!!!
They’re coming to get you Barbara.
Yep, the Capitol Hi-Q stock music library sure got a lot of mileage back then. I also remember hearing some of the music cues in this on "Gumby" and "Davey and Goliath."
Night of the living dead was made in 1968. This was filmed in 1959...
The Last Clear Chance...for fabulous prizes!
Chicken basket 85 cents in 1959, so cheap!!!
That's like $4 now adays but if its a big basket still a good deal
@@redtra236 if that was in australia now days it would be $20
Not cheap! Minimum wage about 35 cents per hour.
How the hell do you outrun the cops, when they already know who you are? I would go out, and if I got in any trouble, the old man would know before I got home.
at 12:49 his roadster turned into a full sized sedan !!!!!!
"Not even on a tractor"
16:25 Damn, he missed Henry Kissinger!
The best way to NOT get hit by a train, is to stay off of the track.
"Folks, we disavow anything to do with that officer. In fact, he was fired years ago."
MST3k
10:29
"Did you know him like THIS?!"
Why don't they look, Ralph? Tell me, why don't they look?
You're deep, Ernie.
Public service films like this seem to be no longer made.LE seems less interested in proactive measures while re-focusing mostly on the aspect of officer safety when making traffic stops.Speeders and drunk drivers roar past while 2 or more officers are stopping a driver for an expired tag or a dim plate light...
0:02 does anyone know what this amp is?
R.I.P Robert Banebridge
“I’m sorry, dear .” 10:46
19:50 I never knew in 1959 the tires of a car screeched when it was only doing 10 MPH
That damn train was doing 70.
much better with MST3K seat belts
"Uh, would you identify this bucket full of your brother?"
"Well do you know him like THIS?" "Gah oh God! Who are you? WHAT are you?!"
11:44 someone's speeding how do we fix it? speed aswell speed after him make him go faster, make the road twice as dangerous
Nice '59 Edsel at 15:04
Listen, brother! Forty percent of all accidents represent... Nearly half of all accidents!
But who cares? It won't happen to you; it'll happen to... the other guy!
A lotta train crossing accidents are suicides.
people today do not watch they do not think all they care about is getting where their going
Anyone remember when MST3k riffed this?
That's why I'm here
yeah, it's probably one of my favorite shorts that they've done
"Uh, would you identify this bucket full of your brother?"
I loved watching Mystery Science Theater.