Riding the Rails
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Michael Uys
Charley Bull
Arvel Pearson
Richard Thomas
Bob Symmonds
Clarence Lee
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
An account of the lives of teenage freight-train riders which offers a perspective on the presumed romanticism of the road and cautionary legacy of the Great Depression. From "middle class gentility to scrabble-ass poor," the undiscriminating Great Depression forced 4,000,000 Americans away from their homes and onto the tracks in search of food and lodging. Of this number, a disturbing 250,000 of the transients were children. "Riding the Rails" recounts the experiences and painful recollections of these now-elderly survivors of the rail.
Cast
Charley Bull
Arvel Pearson
Richard Thomas
Bob Symmonds
Clarence Lee
Rene Champion
John Fawcett
James San Jule
C R Boland
Peggy Dehart
Jim Mitchell
Crew
Elaine Abelson
John E. Allen
Kathleen Beall
Tal Ben-david
C R Boland
Charley Bull
Joseph Caldwell
Michael Cassity
Rene Champion
Shebana Coelho
Lizabeth Cohen
Robert Coles
Elizabeth Cotten
Inc Cultural Communications
Peggy Dehart
Glen Elder
John Fawcett
Chris Flanagan
Chris Flanagan
Linda Gordon
Inc Grinberg Film Libraries
Woody Guthrie
Samuel Henriques
Samuel Henriques
Inc Hot Shots/cool Cuts
Hans Houshower
James Johnston
Nancy Kennedy
Rena Kosersky
Katharina Kruse-ramey
Po Kutchins
Clarence Lee
Lexy Lovell
Lexy Lovell
Dale Maharidge
Sheila Maniar
Gary Marcus
Brownie Mcghee
Jim Meigel
Matt Mindlin
Matt Mindlin
Thomas Minehan
Jim Mitchell
Curtis Morrisette
Katy Mostoller
David Nasaw
James H Nau
David Novack
Arvel Pearson
Neil Riha
Jimmie Rodgers
Benjamin Rosen-koncious
James San Jule
Roger Schulte
Robert Seidman
Howard Sharp
Jay Sherman-godfrey
Jay Sherman-godfrey
Ahmad Shirazi
Barbara Clark Smith
Bob Symmonds
Studs Terkel
Sonny Terry
Driss Tijani
Michael Uys
Michael Uys
Doc Watson
Jimmy Weinstein
John Werner
Howard Zinn
Michael Zuckerman
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Michael Uys and Lexy Lovell won the 1997 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary award from the Directors Guild of America.
Winner of the 1997 award for Best Documentary from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
Limited Release in United States September 12, 1997
Released in United States 1997
Released in United States Fall September 5, 1997
Released in United States January 1997
Released in United States March 1997
Released in United States November 1997
Recipient of the documentary jury award at the 1997 San Jose Film Festival.
Shown at Cinequest 1997: The San Jose Film Festival January 30 - February 5, 1997.
Shown at Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, IN November 5-9, 1997.
Shown at Santa Barbara International Film Festival March 6-19, 1997.
Shown at Sundance Film Festival (in competition) in Park City, Utah January 16-26, 1997.
Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival September 26 - October 12, 1997.
"Iron Memories: Riding the Rails" is a companion book to the film, featuring letters sent to the filmmakers by numerous Depression Era freight-train riders.
Broadcast in USA over PBS on "American Experience" series April 13, 1998.
Released in United States 1997 (Recipient of the documentary jury award at the 1997 San Jose Film Festival.)
Released in United States 1997 (Shown at Cinequest 1997: The San Jose Film Festival January 30 - February 5, 1997.)
Released in United States 1997 (Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival September 26 - October 12, 1997.)
Released in United States Fall September 5, 1997
Limited Release in United States September 12, 1997 (Cinema Village; New York City)
Released in United States November 1997 (Shown at Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, IN November 5-9, 1997.)
The film was shot in 25 of the United States.
Released in United States January 1997 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (in competition) in Park City, Utah January 16-26, 1997.)
Released in United States March 1997 (Shown at Santa Barbara International Film Festival March 6-19, 1997.)
