Buses on Screen - Films Tm-Tz


Tommy (1975, The Who, Oliver Reed, Ann-Margaret et al)
"There are a few nice shots of GS43 (MXX43) in Southern Motorways livery" (thanks Kevin McGowan) - this is one of the legendary London Country Area Guy Specials with Eastern Coachworks body. Jon Price notes it "complete with rear blind set for route 19 to Alton taking visitors to Bernie's Holiday Camp, also towards the end bringing 'pilgrims' to Tommy's Holiday Camp; features four black and cream Van Hool bodied coaches (film was shot in Portsmouth area so Southern Motorways again?)."
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Tomorrow's Saturday (1962, dir Michael Grigsby)
Filmed in Blackburn and Preston in the summers of 1959 and 1960 and looking at a typical weekend of cotton workers in Lancashire. Seen most is Blackburn 138 (CBV138), a 1949 Guy Arab III/Crossley
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It's seen here with what appears to be Darwen 17 (434BTE), a Crossley Regent V/East Lancs new in 1957:
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Also glimpsed is Blackburn 130 (CBV130), another Arab III
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Leyland Titan PD1/Crossley 97 (BBV603), new in 1947:
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Blackburn 149 (HCB149)was a later Arab IV/East Lancs
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Tonari no Totoro AKA My Neighbor Totoro (1988, cartoon)
Japanese animated movie has one of the stranger buses seen on film - a cat bus:
My Neighbor Totoro
No sign of a Leyland Tiger badge, though.....
Too Many Girls (1940, Lucille Ball, Richard Carlson, Desi Arnaz)
"The film in which Lucille Ball met Desi Arnaz. She is seen travelling on and alighting from a very odd-looking flat-fronted single deck bus, ostensibly in New Mexico. A short sequence some 20min into the picture." (thanks Colin Read)
Tootsie (1982, Dustin Hoffman, Teri Garr, Jessica Lange, Bill Murray)
As Dorothy Michaels (Hoffman) exits the studio after her first day at work on the hospital soap, a GM New Look with roof boards advertising 'Evita' passes. A few moments later another passes on a road overhead, also a yellow school bus is glimpsed. While Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) and his agent walk down the street, another New Look with advertising boards pulls out behind them.
Top Hat (1935, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers)
Early sequence with a hansom cab shows London's Whitehall with NS, LT and ST types, also trams passing on Westminster Bridge. (+Colin Read)
Topkapi (1964, Peter Ustinov, Melina Mercouri, Maximillian Schell, Robert Morley)
Glimpse of a tram in Istanbul, Turkey (thanks Richard DeArmond)
Top Secret! (1983, Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge)
"Spoof spy thriller includes Eddie Kidd doing stunt motorcycling. One sequence, filmed at Bulstrode Park, Beaconsfield, includes some green RFs disguised as German army buses using some number plates from the then latest James Bond film, whatever that was. This was extracted from the newsletter of the RT and RF Register from the time - I am member number one of that organisation. Eddie Kidd jumped his bike over the buses, using ramps disguised in fake undergrowth to take off and land." (thanks Mike Lloyd)
The AEC Regal IV RFs are confirmed by Mike as 43, 113, 308, 673 and 197.
To Sir With Love (1967, Sidney Poitier)
School drama: temporary school teacher Poitier boards a London Country Area AEC RT on route 457 as the opening credits roll - unclear registration but this could be RT611 (HLX428)
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Leaving Wapping Tube Station he boards (former) London Transport Leyland Titan PD2 RTL1050 (LLU829) on route 15:
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The journey is intercut with a brief shot of of Routemasters, one of which is RM1720 (720DYE) on route 18:
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There is a scene which is probably aboard RTL1050 before arrival outside school:
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There is a poster on the rear window for 'Henlys'
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As the movie progresses a school trip is organised, and RTL1050 is hired (note the school bus sign in the rear window), but it's an RT that brings the party back, RT2107 (LYF83), although one wonders if there was an attempt at continuity by using the same advert on the back of the bus (RT2107 was at the time owned by Margo's Coaches:
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There's a brief interior scene, and the sign in the rear window has reappeared but in a different position. If the previous interior was of RTL1050, then so is this:
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Seen next is an RTL on route 15 with fake registration LLP629 - close examination shows it's actually RTL1050 again, but why change the registration plate?
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Next is an RTL on route 23 with fake registration BXC51, which would have been more appropriate to a 1930s STL than an RTL. It seems likely this is again RTL1050, although I can't prove it!
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Torn Curtain (1966, Paul Newman, Julie Andrews)
The stars attempt to flee Cold War East Germany in a bus more details needed
Trading Places (1983, Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd)
Drunk, and dressed as Santa Claus, Aykroyd boards a Flxible, in South East Pennsylvania Transit Authority livery, fleet number 291, near Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia - and gets off in New York City.....
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Traffic (2000, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones)
Several modern transit buses in Tijuana, Mexico, also an older one.
Train of Events (1949, dir Sidney Cole and Charles Crichton)
Colin Read observes "THE film for transport enthusiasts! Brief street scene early on with good rear shot of London STL (unidentified). Views of London trams and glimpse of Green Line T-type. Tram crossing Westminster Bridge. Travel Agent's scene: at least 11 buses can be seen outside: 5 STLs, one ST, 4 RT/RTL and one Guy. Plenty of steam as well."
Trainspotting (1995, Ewan McGregor)
A red Dennis Dorchester/Alexander carries the central characters from Glasgow to London. (thanks Steve Oxbrow)
Paul Denyer has sent this screen capture!
Trainspotting
The Transporter (2002, Jason Statham)
Scot Fergie notes "At one point 'the Transporter' [Statham] gets knocked off an articulated lorry and falls onto the roof of a bus (French, singledecker) and holds onto the roof till it goes back to the depot." It's a Mercedes 0.405 of RTM in Marseilles, who have many of these buses, with and without air conditioning packs. Both types are seen in the sequence that follows. Necessarily RTM 714 on which the Transporter arrives has no air con:
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"In the depot he is surrounded by about 30 baddies - cue huge fight inside a bus, outside the bus, in the garage - you name it, it's got it! You should see what he does with drums of used engine oil! (Continuity error - the bus he jumps on has '15' on the rear digital screen and '21' on the front)."
The other 0.405 clearly seen is air con equipped 746:
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Trapped (1949, Lloyd Bridges)
"Man rides a Trailways ACF-Brill IC-41: one to two minutes in length near beginning of movie. Later man is cornered in a Los Angeles trolley barn and gets electrocuted on top of a trolley." (thanks Bruce Korusek)
The Trip to Bountiful (1983, Geraldine Page)
Features a journey on a Greyhound Silversides from the Greyhound historic fleet.
A Trip Down Market Street Before The Fire (1905)
Market Street Before the Fire

Part of the Prelinger Archives, themselves part of the Internet Archive. San Francisco's main thoroughfare as seen from the front window of a moving Market Street cable car, before the downtown area was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. The filmed ride covers 1.55 miles at an average speed of nearly 10 miles per hour. Some 30 cable cars, 4 horse cars and 4 street cars are seen. Runs 14 minutes. See the screencaps, watch it online or download it (316MB in MPEG2).
Trip with the Teacher (1975, dir Earl Barton)
School bus-load of female students breaks down in the desert. Cue crazed motorcyclists......enough said. Fleet number is 14, the fleet name: Brock Bus Lines, the bus is identified by Daniel Dey as an International Harvester Loadstar
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Trouble Brewing (1939, George Formby, Googie Withers)
Rather unexpectedly has a quick view of London Transport trolleybuses:
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Trouble in Store (1953, Norman Wisdom)
Opens with an aerial shot of London's Oxford Street, with a number of RT-family vehicles including a 2RT2. Seen in traffic are London Transport RT2822 (LYR992) on route 13 (with 5-line intermediate blind) and RT2396 (KLB775) on route 137 (with restricted blind).
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Wisdom is seen riding his bike alongside an unidentifiable RTW (it's a back projection), then after he falls off his bike RT1214 (KGK683) on route 7A is seen. He falls in front of RTL1337 (MXX100) and burns his hand on the radiator in an argument with the driver.
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In a second sequence, Wisdom is in a long bus queue with a young lady. RT4091 (LUC440, again with 5-line blind) on route 12 passes, then RTL478 (KLB697) on route 88 arrives, with alongside it an AEC Regal III, HYP309. This coach had an intersting history, as related by Dave Farrier: "It survived at least into 2006 as Malta Bus DBY-346. It was new in 1948 with a Plaxton body (possibly to Rickards) and exported to Malta in 1962 where it received a Zammit B40F body (modified several times). The last UK owner was Catt and Swinn (Great Bromley, Essex)."
Incredibly Mike Penn photographed DBY-346 in March 2008:
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The young lady climbs aboard, but Wisdom can't. He then discovers he's holding her handbag and chases the bus on a pair of borrowed rollerskates. He's seen chasing RT2944 (MLL710)(during which a couple of STLs are also seen),
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then finds himself waiting at traffic lights alongside RTW18 (KGK518 - again a back projection - in this screen capture he's ducked down behind the car).
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When the lights change he's now chasing RTW43 (KGK518) on route 8.
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In the next shot, seen from behind this suddenly becomes D104 (GYL269), a Daimler CWA6 with Brush body, on route 88!
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However, when the young lady gets off the bus it's once more an RT-family vehicle, having been a Leyland, an AEC and a Daimler in the space of a short ride.
The Trouble With Angels (1966, Hayley Mills)
Convent school comedy sees the girls leaving on a yellow St Francis Academy school bus at the end of term.
Truly Madly Deeply (1991, Juliet Stevenson, Michael Maloney)
"Michael Maloney is shepherding children with learning difficulties on the lower deck of an AEC Routemaster, and talks to Juliet Stevenson through the window - I've got a feeling the blinds are set for route 24" (thanks Seb) It's an RM class Routemaster on 253 to Kings Cross, but at no time do you see any identifying features.
The Truman Show (1998, Jim Carrey)
Set on 'Seahaven Island' - actually Seaside, Florida. Features several white/green Eldorado National Transmark transit buses. In one scene Truman's father is dragged on board one of them.
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Also seen is motorcoach 329 bound for Chicago, silver with blue and red stripes; identified at the Internet Movie Car Database by Jacques Matte as a 1969 GMC PD4107 Buffalo.
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Turn the Key Softly (1953, Joan Collins, Yvonne Mitchell)
Following three women on their first day of release from Holloway Jail. Several London trolleybuses are seen passing the jail. A later scene shows a London Transport Leyland RTL passing Leicester Square Underground on route 24. Colin Read notes a continuity error transforms this into SRT105 (FJJ708), a rare sighting of the SRT type. To meet the demand for bus travel after the Second World War, the SRT had an STL chassis (in this case from STL2548) and an RT-type body. The type only served 5 years in London before being scrapped; the bodies being re-used on new RTs.
Turned Out Nice Again (1941, George Formby, Peggy Bryan)
George Formby plays his famous banjolele aboard what may be a Leyland Tiger travelling at night. We see very little of the coach from the outside, but there are interior views.
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The Turn of the Tide (1935, Wilfred Lawson)
This pre-war British film based on a novel by Leo Walmsley features a background shot in Whitby with a Dennis Lancet of Heather Motor Services clearly visible. "They were the local operator based in Robin Hoods Bay and ran a route from Whitby to Robin Hoods Bay. The service was taken over in 1952 by United Auto. The film dates from 1935 and tells of the rivalry between two fishing families on the Yorkshire coast. It is unusual for its age in being filmed on location in the Whitby area rather than in a studio as was usually the case at that time." (thanks Chris Hough)
Twelve Monkeys (1995, Bruce Willis)
In one scene Bruce Willis gets off a transit bus (white with blue/red stripes).
Two Tickets to Broadway (1951, Janet Leigh)
Lots of footage of Greyhound Silversides.
Two Way Stretch (1960, Peter Sellers)
Filmed at Windsor and Eaton Station. Two unidentified Bristol K/Eastern Coachworks are seen, also a couple of London Transport RTs in the background, and a Bristol LS/Eastern Coachworks. (thanks Bob Wingrove).

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updated 1 September 2008
Buses on Screen - Films Tm-Tz