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Boxcar Bertha ()

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During the Great Depression, a union leader and a young woman become criminals to exact revenge on the management of a railroad.
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Photos and Videos

84 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Boxcar Bertha
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Big Bill Shelly
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Rake Brown
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Von Morton
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H. Buckram Sartoris
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McIver #1
David Osterhout ...
McIver #2 (as David R. Osterhout)
Grahame Pratt ...
Emeric Pressburger (creditOnly)
'Chicken' Holleman ...
M. Powell (creditOnly)
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Harvey Hall (as Harry Northrup)
Ann Morell ...
Tillie Parr
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Mrs. Mailler
Joe Reynolds ...
Joe Cox
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Sheriff (uncredited)
Louie Elias ...
Boxcar Tough (uncredited)
Michael Fitzgerald ...
Apple Peeler (uncredited)
Gerald Raines ...
Train Engineer (uncredited)
Gayne Rescher ...
Brothel Client (uncredited)
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Brothel Client (uncredited)

Directed by

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Martin Scorsese

Written by

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Ben L. Reitman ... (book "Sister of the Road") (as Dr. Ben L. Reitman)
 
Joyce Hooper Corrington ... (screenplay) (as Joyce H. Corrington) &
John William Corrington ... (screenplay)

Produced by

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Samuel Z. Arkoff ... executive producer (uncredited) / producer (uncredited)
Julie Corman ... associate producer
Roger Corman ... producer
James H. Nicholson ... executive producer (uncredited)

Music by

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Gib Guilbeau
Thad Maxwell

Cinematography by

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John M. Stephens ... director of photography (as John Stephens)

Editing by

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Buzz Feitshans

Editorial Department

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George Trirogoff ... assistant editor
Jack English ... assistant editor (uncredited)

Production Management

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Salvatore Billitteri ... post-production supervisor
Paul Rapp ... in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Paul Rapp ... assistant director
Russell Vreeland ... second assistant director (as Russ Vreeland)

Art Department

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David Nichols ... visual consultant
Walter Starkey ... property master

Sound Department

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Donald F. Johnson ... sound mixer (as Don F. Johnson)
Fred J. Brown ... sound editor (uncredited)
Roger Sword ... sound editor (uncredited)
Ross Taylor ... sound editor (uncredited)

Stunts

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William H. Burton ... stunt coordinator (as Bill Burton)
Richard Dunn ... stunts (uncredited)
Patricia Watson ... stunt double: Barbara Hershey train jump (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Larry Gilhooly ... gaffer (as Larry Gillhooley)
John Murray ... key grip
Paul M. Pollard ... assistant camera (as Paul Pollard)
Alex Touyarot ... assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Robert Modes ... costume supervisor (as Bob Modes)

Location Management

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Harvey Jacobson ... location coordinator

Music Department

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Herb Cohen ... music producer

Script and Continuity Department

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Bobbie Sierks ... script supervisor

Additional Crew

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Samuel Z. Arkoff ... presenter
Peter Fain ... production associate
Julian F. Myers ... unit publicist
James H. Nicholson ... presenter
David Sheldon ... production executive (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Based on "Sister of the Road," the fictionalized autobiography of radical and transient Bertha Thompson as written by physician Dr. Ben L. Reitman, 'Boxcar' Bertha Thompson, a woman labor organizer in Arkansas during the violence-filled Depression of the early '30's meets up with rabble-rousing union man 'Big' Bill Shelly and they team up to fight the corrupt railroad establishment and she is eventually sucked into a life of crime with him. Written by alfiehitchie

Plot Keywords
Taglines Life made her an outcast. Love made her an outlaw. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Bertha Boxcar (France)
  • Die Faust der Rebellen (Germany)
  • Bertha furgó (Spain, Catalan title)
  • El tren de Bertha (Spain)
  • El furgó de Bertha (Spain, Catalan title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 88 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $600,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia After he finished this film, Martin Scorsese screened it for John Cassavetes. Cassavetes, after seeing it, hugged Scorsese and said, "Marty, you've just spent a whole year of your life making a piece of shit. It's a good picture, but you're better than the people who make this kind of movie. Don't get hooked into the exploitation market, just try and do something different." Scorsese's next film was Mean Streets (1973). See more »
Goofs The currency shown in the film is all modern, post 1960s, with modern banking money bands. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Films of Roger Corman (1999). See more »
Soundtracks Piano Sonata no. 11 in A, K. 331, Mov. 3 See more »
Crazy Credits Opening Statement: The following events are adapted from the true experiences of Boxcar Bertha Thompson, as related in the book "Sister of the Road" See more »
Quotes Boxcar Bertha: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
See more »
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