Radio Parade of 1935 (1934, Will Hay)

An STL and an LT are seen jockeying for position in a night view of London's Piccadilly Circus

Rainbow Bridge (1972, dir Chuck Wein)

Documentary about Jimi Hendrix features over two minutes of footage of a bus being driven from Hollywood to San Diego with a woman on board. (thanks Simon, who provided the screencap) This red lowbridge bus had fleet number RLH78, which is a fake; however the bus's history is interesting. In 1950 Midland General ordered thirty AEC Regent IIIs with Weymann lowbridge bodies, but in the event only ten were delivered. The balance went to London Transport as the first batch of RLH-class buses. The ten for Midland General were ONU630-9; this is ONU632, which was given this fake fleet number before export to California. More information on the batch can be found at the RLH Information Page

The Rainmaker (1997, Matt Damon, Danny De Vito)

Features a Brill trolleycar of Memphis Area Transit Authority.

Raising the Wind (1961, James Robertson Justice, Leslie Phillips, Paul Massie, Kenneth Williams et al)

Stuart Turner notes this entertaining film features many British comic actors in the vein of a Carry On film; "As usual, they are short of money and look for some part time work with orchestras in Yorkshire, which are all performing the Messiah at the time! Must have been around Christmas. A clip of film shows Alexander PD15 (FMS 734), a Leyland Tiger Cub/Alexander pounding up a fairly steep hill - sounds good. A few seconds later there is clip of an A4 hauled express. At the end of the film there is a shot of the gates of the academy beyond which is a main road. A Burlingham Seagull-bodied underfloor engined coach passes by; this could be a Timpson's or, possibly, Suttons vehicle, by the position and style of the fleetname - above the front wheel. This is followed by a Duple A type half-cab coach, possibly in blue grey colours - the colour wasn't too good. This put me in the mind of Horseshoe Coaches livery - but it's only an idea."

Ransom (1956, Glenn Ford)

Ford's character sees his son off on Chevrolet school bus no. 37 of 'Covey Lane Day School' in the first few minutes of the movie.

Ratcatcher (1999, dir Lynne Ramsay)

"In the 1999 film 'Ratcatcher', set in Glasgow, Glasgow's first Leyland Atlantean, LA1, appears in several scenes. This vehicle is preserved in Glasgow's Museum of Transport at the Kelvin Hall. There are interior and exterior scenes of the bus.
The film is set during the national dustmen's strike, which I think was in 1978. At that time, Glasgow's buses were painted in Greater Glasgow PTE livery; I could be wrong, but I don't think any vehicles were left in the old Corporation livery in which LA1 is preserved by then,so it might not be entirely accurate for the period. If I remember correctly, LA1 was no longer in passenger service by 1978, but was used as a driver training vehicle. It was by then twenty years old,having been delivered in 1958, with Alexander bodywork.
In one scene,the front of the bus is clearly seen,with the destination "61-Balmore Road". I don't think the 61 service ever went to Balmore Road; at around 1978,I think it ran between Maryhill and Carmyle. It is still run by First Glasgow with low-floor Wright-bodied vehicles,and has been extended somewhat. It is still an east-west cross-Glasgow route." (thanks Alan Sinclair) LA1 (FYS998) is a Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1 with Alexander body. There are very few clear views of the bus, although surely never can an elderly Leyland Atlantean have been so tastefully photographed. A number of later Glasgow Atlanteans had Albion badges on the front, but as can be seen, LA1 has an Atlantean badge:

The Rat Race (1960, Tony Curtis)

"Curtis rides a Greyhound Scenicruiser from Milwaukee to New York City. The bus is seen during the entire opening credits - probably the best 'original' Greyhound Scenicruiser footage I have seen in a film." (thanks Bruce Korusek)

Rat Race (2001, dir Jerry Zucker)

"Cuba Gooding Junior steals an MCI MC-9 coach [with fleet name Grande Charter] filled with Lucille Ball impersonators. The bus eventually has a flat tyre and overturns." (thanks Bruce Korusek). Whoopi Goldberg and Lanei Chapman are bundled on board a school bus-type International. At the end of the movie all the stars find themselves aboard a British open topper, again driven by Cuba Gooding Junior. James Prince confirms my suspicion that this is ex-Bournemouth Daimler Fleetline CRU186C, owned from 1997 by Coach Engineering of Burbank, California. This bus also saw service in London on sightseeing tours.

Rattle of a Simple Man (1964, Harry H Corbett, Diane Cilento, Thora Hird et al)

Story of a group of Manchester football fans down in London for the FA Cup Final. "Mostly at begining and end of film, interior and exterior shots of North Western Road Car Alexander Y type bodied Leopards, especially 140 & 141 (AJA140/1B) Also an older Alexander single decker (RDB8xx). Background shots of coaches at Wembley and a street scene with unidentified RT. Shots at end of film include a line up of 5 Alexander Y types at Victoria Coach Station and a excellent atmospheric shot of them leaving Victoria in convoy at midnight on service to Manchester." (thanks Jon Price)
Malcolm Crowe notes the Manchester scenes are filmed in Lower Moseley Street.

Ray (2004, Jamie Foxx)

John T Patterson notes a "beginning scene of Ray(Jamie Foxx) boarding a 1940s-era Greyhound Bus. Another scene shows Foxx singing along with some Marines who are seated near the back of the bus, also some scenes of an early 1930s era touring bus carrying the Lowell Fulson Band."

Rebelde Way (2002)

"'Erreway' is an Argentine tv soap opera for teenagers; now they made a movie, in whose ad art, a Mercedes-Benz O321 H school bus is pictured." (thanks Carlos Wallberg)

Red Heat (1988, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi)

Set in Chicago, the climactic scene takes place in and near a long-distance bus station. Most of the buses seen are in the livery of 'American Liberty Lines'. The villain hijacks MCI 1106 with Montreal as its destination. Captain Danko (Schwarzenegger) commandeers MCI 983 (seen only on the inside of the door) with destination St Louis, and gives chase. Ultimately the two buses face eachother in a railway yard and race towards eachother. Danko's bus is flipped on its side and the villain's bus is hit amidships by a train. (Thanks Carlos Wallberg).

The Red Shoes (1948, Anton Wallbrook, Moira Shearer)

A London Transport AEC STL appears in the first 15 minutes: Later two Paris buses are seen: .....and this white bus is seen from above in Monte Carlo:

Refuge England (1959, dir Robert Vas)

Documentary mostly shot on the street depicting a Hungarian refugee's first day in London - opens with coach TLO776 of ACE Luxury Coaches RTL on route 171 RTW441 (LLU591) on route 39 RT2459 (KLB838) on route 38 RT2101 (LYF77) on route 14 RTL353 (KGU429) albeit not too informative a view RT4079 (LUC428) RTW260 (?) on route 8

The Reluctant Astronaut (1967, Don Knotts, Leslie Nielsen)

Reportedly features a GMC Scenicruiser, inside and outside shots.

The Remains of the Day (1993, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson)

Exeter Corporation 66 (EFJ666), a Leyland Tiger TS8/Craven, is seen in two sequences at the end of the film.

Repossessed (1990, Leslie Nielsen)

This spoof film briefly features a bus from "Bloodhound Lines".

Restless Natives (1985, dir Michael Hoffman)

Two Scottish lads become folk heroes when they take to holding up and robbing tour buses in the Highlands. "The film starred many vehicles, the coaches robbed were Cotters Volvo/Van Hools and Anderson Bus Station which was disguised as "Edinburgh Bus Station" and featured many shots of Central Scottish Dennis Dominators/Dorchesters and Ailsas together with a variety of coaches, I'm sure some Edinburgh Atlanteans were in there too." (thanks Jim O'Donnell) "The main featured coaches were supplied by Cotters of Glasgow, Volvo/Van Hool DGE706 and STT606X (STT in Trathens livery, no fleetnames, but run by Cotters) being notable stars." (thanks Steve)
Cotters Volvo B10m/Van Hool Alizee DGE706 is the first coach to be held up: Central to the film is similar STT606X. The lads rob the coach, then come back with a bouquet of heather for the pretty young tour guide: A third Cotters coach to be held up is NEG322, another Volvo B10M/Van Hool Alizee: Lots of additional bus interest here: this Edinburgh Corporation Leyland Atlantean/Alexander on route 42 can't be identified: ....but this is 458 (JSG458N) More unusual is Eastern Scottish S850 (ESC850S), a 1978 Seddon Pennine VII with Alexander body; Edinburgh Corporation Leyland Olympians appear, including 676, another unidentified, and a blurred glimpse of 709: There's also an interior view: In the bus station scenes we see Central SMT C4 (A204UYS), a 1984 Dennis Dorchester/Alexander: Ellerman Bee Line KVN711W, a 1981 Ford R1114/Plaxton: Two unidentified coaches with Alexander body are passed by a Western Scottish Volvo B10M, which Malcolm Rennie believes is one of three with Berkhof Emperor bodywork - these were V163 (A312 RSU) and V187/188 (B187/188 CGA); Central SMT D30 (FGE430X), a Dennis Dominator/Alexander: ...an unidentified bus with Alexander Y bodywork: In this shot a National Travel Plaxton-bodied coach is parked, probably a Leyland Leopard, while a Leyland Olympian drives down hill and a double decker in allover advertising livery approaches up the hill:

Riding The Bus With My Sister (2005, Rosie O'Donnell, Andie MacDowell)

Shot in Hamilton, Canada; features four Hamilton Street Railway Orion Vs for exterior shots - 8906, 8907, 8913 and 8914. Most interior shots used ex Los Angeles 2631, a Flxible 870. ......although this is clearly 8907: .....and this is another! The Orion Vs were modified internally to look more like the Flxible. A fictional 'Citybus Trans' fleetname and logo was used. In one brief shot a Hamilton Street Railway CNG-powered New Flyer appears, apparently an editing mistake. There's also an appearance by a Ford schoolie:

The Ring (2002, Naomi Watts)

Near the end of the film Rachel (Watts) is hurrying through the streets of Seattle, and narrowly avoids a (MCI?) motorcoach of Chinook Charters.

Ring of Bright Water (1969, Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna)

"Has a sequence showing a MacBraynes Duple Vega, might be a Bedford or a Maudslay rebody in the black wings livery. Interior shots and exterior with good sound." (thanks Stuart Bell) The coach in question is MacBraynes 173 (OGB468): George observes: "In the early part of the film there are numerous shots of London's Routemasters also a lovely shot of an RML-class Routemaster from which the actor Bill Travers is seen alighting. A scene outside Victoria main line station shows in the background FRM1 [KGY4D, the sole rear-engined Routemaster] leaving the bus terminus in public service." There is also a sighting of a Red Arrow AEC Merlin, MBA169 (VLW169G) ....and this tantalising glimpse of what appears to be a Bristol LS/Eastern Coachworks operating for Winlon, a West London dealer. Screencaps provided by stronghold

Ring of Spies (1963, Bernard Lee)

Rare view of a full fronted Foden coach followed by a Bedford OB or OWB. An RT is seen on route 3 at night. More RTs appear in Piccadilly Circus as the end credits roll. (+Colin Read)

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970, Peter Cook, Denholm Elliott, Ronald Fraser, et al)

Political satire features many of the era's British comedians, also a black and white Plaxton-bodied coach (perhaps belonging to Jack Crump/Denham Coaches?)

---

Back to the top of this page - updated 3 November 2009