The perfect fusion of bus spotting and film trivia.....
Buses on Screen - Films Bm-Bz
The Boat That Rocked (2009, Philip Seymour hoffman, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson et al)
Sullivan Buses AEC Routemasters RML889 (214UXJ) and RM1069 (69CLT) were used in filming at London's Waterloo. (thanks Dean Sullivan)
The Body Stealers (1969, Patrick Allen, George Sanders, Neil Connery)
Utterly feeble British science fiction horror, enlivened by a performance by the RAF's Red Arrows display team in the days when they flew Folland Gnat trainers, and a roofbox RT hurtling through Whitehall on route 77, while two others pass in the other direction. The aliens' spaceship, improbably, is the Daleks' craft from 'Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150. Sadly it looked like a flying chamberpot then, the special effects are so poorly deployed in this film that it doesn't even fly.
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Bogus (1996, Whoopi Goldberg, Haley Joel Osment, Gerard Depardieu)
Odd film in which Osment takes a trip by bus - the scene features three Greyhound buses (thanks Denise Annells)
Bond of Fear (1956, Dermot Walsh, Jane Barrett, John Colicos)
Nick Webster notes the appearance of DLU316, an all-Leyland TD4 new in 1937 to London Transport as STD6, but by then with Smiths of Reading. It's seen externally only from the rear, but there is a sequence on the upper deck.
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Bond Street (1947, Jean Kent, Derek Farr et al)
A collection of stories set around London's Bond Street. Several glimpses of London AEC Regent STLs, "possibly the same one repeated. First view, fairly on, shows STL with restricted blinds and ST or LT-type following in the distance. Other views show STL with route 25B blinds. Final bus shot is of STL1401." (+Colin Read)
Bon Voyage (1944, John Blythe)
An Alfred Hitchcock short, has footage of a closed staircase London Transport LT-class AEC Renown and an STL-class AEC Regent
Bottoms Up (1960, Jimmy Edwards)
St Trinians-style comedy set in a boys' school - the opening features a Bedford OB and two half-cab coaches, one possibly a Maudslay (+Colin Read)
Borat (2006, Sacha Baron Cohen)
Has a brief glimpse of an opentop Bristol VRTSL3/Eastern Coachworks, also a 1982 GMC RTS Mk IV in NYCTA livery fleet number 8292, an MCI-9 fleet number 613, and a PAZ midicoach.
The Bourne Identity (2002, Matt Damon, Franka Potente)
While in Zurich (shot in Prague) Jason Bourne (Damon) narrowly avoids being run down by blue and white tram no. 10 as it passes another. Later in Paris there are glimpses of several city buses and an Irizar-bodied coach. Several more buses are seen on the Pont Neuf, also one of Paris's open top double deck sightseeing buses, City Sightseeing 364, a 2002 Volvo B10M/East Lancs..
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007, Matt Damon, Julia Stiles)
Features two Metroline Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s, one of which is TE691 (LK06FLB)
The Boys (1960, Richard Todd, Robert Morley)
Two versions of a night out for four teenagers. Features Red Rover, Aylesbury, 3 (KGK741), an AEC Regent III RT/Craven formerly London Transport RT1482.
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Despite the London destination blinds the adverts on the front of the bus are for Kimble Motors of Aylesbury. KGK741 is also seen in The Young Ones (1961).
Alan Sinclair recalls "In one scene, the boys create a disturbance on a London RT bus . There are both interior and exterior shots of the vehicle. The conductor is played by Roy Kinnear, who gives evidence at the trial."
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The Boys in Blue (1982, Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball)
Alleged comedy features Guy Arab V/Massey 373WPU, formerly with Moores of Kelvedon (but in Eastern National livery), and now preserved at Castle Point Museum, Essex. (thanks Paul Harrison) It's also allegedly a remake of the Will Hay film 'Ask a Policeman' and to be fair it has a chase that copies the climactic chase around Brooklands racetrack. Cannon and Ball requisition a bus from their local 'National' bus depot. Seen on the forecourt are two buses, 373WPU and former Hants and Dorset TD895 (HLJ44), a 1949 lowbridge Bristol K6A/Eastern Coachworks. Both have Bournemouth as their destination, but it's 373WPU they take.
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As the chase begins a Leyland-National is glimpsed in traffic:
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As in 'Ask a Policeman' the bus is caught in traffic and a group of passengers board - and promptly get thrown about in the bus as it moves away:
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The chase moves to a racetrack, as in the original:
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.....and culminates in a head-on crash, after which the villains are arrested:
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The Boy Who Stole a Million (1960)
Several street scenes in Valencia, Spain, featuring trams. (+Colin Read)
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995, Gary Cole, Shelley Long)
A scene near the end has the family enter a talent contest, during which the Partridge Family's distinctive bus is seen passing by.
Brannigan (1975, John Wayne, Richard Attenborough)
Scenes at London Heathrow Airport include a British Airways liveried Plaxton-bodied Leyland Leopard. A more distant view is of two British Airways Routemasters,one still in orange BEA livery, and two red Willowbrook-bodied saloons. I believe these are Ford R1014s but would welcome confirmation! One of them is later seen briefly reflected in a window:
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A London Transport AEC Merlin is seen out of an office window behind Richard Attenborough:
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An unidentifiable AEC Routemaster follows a car driven by Judy Geeson in which Wayne is a passenger.
London street scenes including a stakeout in Piccadilly Circus yields footage of passing RM and RML AEC Routemasters and odd DMS Daimler Fleetlines. Clearly seen are RM145 (WLT145) and RM1213 (213CLT), the latter carrying running plate 2 from Camberwell garage:
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Also glimpsed are another DMS:
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One of two Green Line Leyland-Nationals:
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More Merlins and a Harrington Cavalier-bodied coach in National Express livery:
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A World Wide Mercedes O.302 coach:
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....and a blue/white Plaxton Elite bodied coach:
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The film is also notable for Wayne apparently auditioning for 'The Professionals', hurtling round London at the wheel of a Ford Capri, and the appearance of a Ford Consul car NHK293M, a near relation of NHK295M, probably the best-known car used in 'The Sweeney'.
Brassed Off (1996, Pete Postlethwaite, Ewan McGregor, Tara Fitzgerald)
A Plaxton Elite II bodied coach JDJ350N run by (fictional)Arkwright's Travel (cream/orange/blue livery), also an open top bus, likely a Routemaster, in London. Two other coaches are glimpsed, including a Duple Dominant II-bodied Ford. Mike Lloyd identifies JDJ350N as a Ford (R1114) actually owned by Grayway of Wigan.
Also seen was preserved ex-Royal Blue Bristol MW/Eastern Coachworks HDV641E. "Preserved by an individual it was hired by the production company and it is seen behind the Elite Coach when people were boarding and then there is a second quick shot of it on a motorway (M1 at Sheffield I think - but may not be correct)" (thanks Richard Stansfield)
The Brave (1997, Johnny Depp)
Johnny Depp is a Native American Indian living in a reservation, he takes a 1950s GMC bus painted white with blue stripes. (thanks Carlos Wallberg)
Breakfast on Pluto (2005, Cillian Murphy)
Aaron Donohoe reports this film set in Ireland mainly in the late 1970s has a glimpse of Great Northern Railway GNR 389 IY7383), also ex-CIÉ Leyland Leopard L2/CIÉ E142 (AZD205), "which is in many scenes with some very nice close up shots of the bus, mainly at night.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961, George Peppard, Audrey Hepburn, Buddy Ebsen)
"Ebsen rides off on a Greyhound Scenicruiser." (thanks Bruce Korusek)
The climactic scene has Peppard and Hepburn travelling in a taxi cab. Numerous cream/green buses are seen through the back windscreen, but watch carefully, it's a projection and the film is repeated several times. There are no more than four buses, but they appear several times!
The Breaking of Bumbo (1971, Edward Fox)
London Transport RM and RT (thanks Bob Wingrove) any more information?
Brighton Rock (1947, Richard Attenborough)
Early in the film an unidentifiable Southdown Guy Arab doubledecker appears:
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We also see nearside and rear views of Brighton Corporation 67 (FUF67), a 1939 AEC Regent/Weymann on service 40B boarded by Fred Hale (Alan Wheatley) on the run from the villains.
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Colin Read notes two other buses at the station in this scene, one being a trolleybus, the other AEC Regent GN6208
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"In a poor piece of continuity we then have a front view of Brighton Hove and District AEC Regent/Beadle 6235 (GP6235) heading in the same direction and purporting to be the same bus. Our passenger then alights from no. 67."
6235 was originally Tilling-bodied with an open rear staircase. It was rebodied by Beadle with a closed staircase in 1944 and continued in use until 1954.
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Britannia is a Woman (1940)
British public information film, celebrating women's contribution to the war effort in 1940. Seen is the rear of this single deck bus. Bob Wingrove (who supplied the screencap) comments "It's a London Independent as the phone number is Clerkenwell 1368 and 2464.", but can anyone help identify it?
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British Fact, German Fiction (1917)
First World War propaganda film features footage of London General B-types and similar. (+Colin Read)
A Bronx Tale (1997, Robert de Niro)
De Niro is the driver of green/cream 'Surface Transportation' Old Look 7141 on Route 12 (City Island), there is interior and exterior footage:
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Also seen passing is similar 1302:
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In one exquisite shot 7141 is seen passing through the windows of 1302:
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Later in the movie De Niro drives black/silver GM New Look 3134 on the same route: (from observation by myself and Jim O'Malley)
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Alan Aron comments: "Of course the two buses would be on the same route because the movie progresses from the late 50's into the late 60's as the young man 'C' ages. The movie supposedly is based on DeNiro's life, with De Niro playing his father. If you look carefully they actually used two different New Looks. At one point 'C' gets on the New Look and sits directly behind his father. He turns to look toward the back of the bus and sees the young black girl he falls in love with for the first time. If you freeze the film when she looks back at him, and look at the rear of the bus you will see a line in the middle of the window.
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This indicates that the bus has an air-conditioning unit. When the kid gets off the bus, that vehicle has no a/c unit. Funny thing about this movie, several scenes were filmed in Queens, not The Bronx. The scenes in and around the high school were actually filmed at William C. Bryant High School in Astoria Queens, not The Bronx."

The New Look seen in the movie is a model T6H-4521. A T6H-5309A would be strictly accurate! It was noted on the BusTalk forum that De Niro's uniform is authentic; it was loaned to him by a retired busman from the Bronx.
Brotherly Love AKA Country Dance (1970, Peter O'Toole, Susannah York)
Set in the area around Dundee but filmed in Scotland and Ireland. "One very short clip shows a Midland Bluebird coach(?) from acute nearside to full rear view as it pulls away (therefore making identification impossible) having dropped a passenger in the countryside. Registration is VES 284" (thanks Stuart Turner) can anyone ID this vehicle?.
Brothers in Law (1957, Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael)
"Includes some brief but nice footage of Red Rover, Aylesbury's 1936 Dennis Ace/Thurgood CKX310, a vehicle which otherwise seems to have been very camera shy." (thanks Mike Lloyd)
Brothers in Trouble (1996, Om Puri)
Movie about Pakistani illegal immigrants in Leeds in the 1960s: features two preserved Roe-bodied Leeds Corporation buses: 280 (5280NW) a 1959 Leyland PD3/5, and 916 (3916UB), a 1960 AEC Regent V. A bus station scene featured 280 and an unidentified Western National Bristol MW in Royal Blue livery, and more prominently AEC Reliance/Harrington HLP10C in Premier Travel livery.
The Brylcreem Boys (1997, Gabriel Byrne)
Features ex Isle of Man Road Services Hall Lewis bodied Thornycroft BC Forward 13 (MN 5454).
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"Although IOMRS livery was worn the bus was disguised with the fictitious fleetname and crest for Kildare Bus Service and registration ZA 2127." (thanks Richard Dodge)
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Buena Vista Social Club (1999, Ry Cooder)
Scenes in Havana, Cuba, feature the 'Camello' six axle buses: these are lorry tractor units with huge semi-trailers. One is no. 177 on service M1. (+Colin Read)
Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937, John Barrymore, John Howard)
Has a brief appearance (on back projected film) by a London Transport AEC NS
Bull Durham (1988, Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins)
Features footage of a Greyhound GMC 4104 (although the interior shots are from an MC-5A). However, detail differences suggest it is not a genuine Greyhound but another operator's dressed to look like a Greyhound.
Bullitt (1968, Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bissett))
Views of San Francisco cable cars. (+Colin Read)
Burnley & Pendle Joint Transport Committee documentary
Simon Robinson observes "Burnley & Pendle Joint Transport Committee made a documentary about the possible consequences of bad behaviour by children on school buses, concentrating on safety. The bus depicted was 37 (MFV37T), a Leyland Leopard with East Lancs Body." Simon fears the film may have been lost after sale of the undertaking to Stagecoach and subsequent acquisition by Blazefield Holdings.
The Bus Driver (1946, produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica Films)
The Bus Driver

Part of the Prelinger Archives, themselves part of the Internet Archive. Father and son travel by Greyhound bus from New York to Pittsburgh in a 10 minute travelogue. Stars of the show are buses 4045 and 4136, another vehicle seen has fleet number 869. See the screencaps, watch it online or download it (30MB in DIVX, 265MB in MPEG2).
Busses Roar (1942)
"Saboteurs try to put a bomb on a bus. Both are very old, engine in front style, coaches, makes unknown. Almost half of the film shows the buses in one way or another." (thanks Bruce Korusek)
Bus Stop (1956, Marilyn Monroe)
"Monroe rides an ACF-Brill IC-41....almost 20 minutes of bus footage in the film." (thanks Bruce Korusek). The snow-covered scenery is spectacular. The bus carries fleet number N735 and fleet name 'Arrow-Flite Lines'; in a bus station scene (where Monroe is unceremoniously lassoed), a second bus with the same fleet name but in a slightly different livery also appears.
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The Butcher Boy (1997, dir Neil Jordan)
Irish movie features CIE R788 (OIK984), a Leyland Titan OPD2/10 with CIE body (thanks Gary Manahan)
Bye Bye Braverman (1968, George Segal, Jack Warden)
Directed by Sidney Lumet and set and filmed in New York City: "George Segal rides a bus, and imagines himself as being the operator!" (thanks Joe Raskin)
Back to the top of this page - updated 12 April 2010