Wakefield Express (1952, dir Lindsay Anderson)

Commissioned by the Wakefield Express newspaper to mark its centenary, this documentary looks at the town of Wakefield through the eyes of its reporters, and features two views of passing buses

The Waking Point (1951, public information film)

Recruiting film for the Civil Defense Volunteers. In one sequence recruits arrive at a training centre for a course aboard Albion Valkyrie AHH984. (thanks Bob Wingrove)

The Walking Stick (1970, Samantha Eggar, David Hemmings)

In the movie's opening, Eggar is travelling on the London Underground, exiting at Oxford Circus. She boards an RT family bus on service 137. There are several other glimpses of RTs and RTLs; towards the end of the film she gets off an unidentified RTL. Just before the closing credits she is seen sitting alone (is this London's Park Lane?) while traffic passes, including a (blurred) Green Line RF.

Walk The Line (2005, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon)

"Scene towards the end of the Movie involving the Folsom Prison Concert in 1968 shows the tour bus which is a converted early 1960s-era Greyhound Bus" (thanks John T Patterson)

A Walk on The Moon (1999, Diane Lane, Viggo Mortensen, Tovah Feldshuh, Julie Kavner)

Alan Aron comments "The movie takes place at a bungalow colony in the Catskill region of New York during the summer of 1969. The title relates to an evening when everyone gathers around a TV in the recreation room to watch the Moon Landing. Families would stay up in the colony during the summer to escape the heat in New York City. Most of them only had one car which the father would use to visit on weekends and return to the city during the week to work. Since most families were 'stranded' during the week various merchants would come by to sell their wares. This could be anything from ice cream, to pots and pans, to clothing. In the movie the fellow who came by with dresses, slacks and tops for the women was 'The Blouse Man'. He used a modified Flxible Clipper. The seats were removed, a dressing area and display area were set up and the side of the bus was hinged so it would open up like a gull wing and then he'd pull down some steps, similar to a GM Futurliner."

Wanted For Murder (1946, Derek Farr, Dulcie Gray, Eric Portman)

Early shot shows London STL1399 and a second STL passing the Bank of England on route 8. Later STL572 (AYV733) and STL494 (AYV654), both 'leaning-back' type STLs are seen on route 24. There are views of trolleybuses on routes 681 and 609, a glimpse of a tram on the Embankment, and a nearside shot of standard ST707 (GN4622). (+Colin Read)

The Warden and His Duty (1961 public information film)

Bob Wingrove supplied the screen captures and comments "Home Office film examines the demands made on the Civil Defence warden should a nuclear war break out, and his role in helping a stricken and traumatised public. It shows how he should check his area noting down any vehicles that can be used, stores that can be commandeered etc. In the pictures showing the Duple Super Vegas look out for the Bedford OWB tucked at the back too. The Bristol Lodekka is from the Bristol fleet judging by the destination display. The Rodway coach is reg 58BMF." Of the two Super Vega coaches, the right (XYOxxx) is a Thames Trader; is the left (287BLB) a Bedford SB? Also, can anyone id 58BMF?

War of the Buttons (1994, dir John Roberts)

Filmed in County Cork, this story of rival gangs of Irish kids features preserved CIE E106 (AZD156), a 1962 Leyland Leopard L2/CIE. (thanks Gary Manahan)

The Watcher (2000, James Spader, Keanu Reeves)

Shot in Chicago this film briefly shows Grayline 1126.

Waterfront (1950, Robert Newton, Kathleen Harrison)

Two shots of the Liverpool Overhead Railway, and several of Liverpool trams. (+Colin Read)

Waterloo Road (1944, John Mills)

Brief glimpses of London trams on route 33. Also footage of a London Transport LT-class AEC Renown is shown twice in this scene

The Wayward Bus (1957, Jayne Mansfield, Joan Collins, Dan Dailey)

A bus bound for San Juan breaks down in bad weather. More information needed!

The Weaker Sex (1948, Cecil Parker, Ursula Jeans)

Features unidentified Southdown and London buses. (+Colin Read)

We Are Marshall (2006, Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox)

Alan Aaron comments: "tells the sad story of a plane crash that killed the entire football team at Marshall University and how the program was revived after the tragedy. In one scene, the team is leaving the hotel to go to the airport and get on the ill-fated flight. In the background is a GMC deck and half bus. Couldn't tell if it was a PD 4900 or PD 4100."

The Wedding Date (2005, Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney et al)

London-set romantic comedy with a Transatlantic cast has some bus interest. A London General RML and an Arriva RML move to reveal a Mercedes Citaro artic: There's a continuity glitch as a Volvo estate begins crossing over the Thames.... ...then is seen passing another RML and Stagecoach London 17778 (LX03BVP), a Dennis Trident/Alexander.... ...then completes the crossing, passing this Original London Sightseeing Tour MCW Metrobus:

The Wedding Planner (2000, Jennifer Lopez)

Richard DeArmond coments "The movie is set and filmed in San Francisco, and there are a couple of VERY BRIEF, fuzzy shots of Flyer E-800 trolleys in the background. The following is a quote from the director of the film: 'My big edict to the locations scout was that I didn't want to see any cable car wires or power lines. Also, I didn't want to emphasize the city's hills. I wanted to take the clichés away from the city and make it look more European,' says Adam Shankman. 'That way, the romance of the city would shine through.' (Guess this guy has never been to any European cities with overhead systems.)"

Westward Ho! ((1940 UK Ministry of Information film) )

Children are evacuated from London to Torquay in the early stages of the Second World War. 1934 Devon General AEC Regents/Short appear: < Fleet number DR221: Fleet number DR205, registration number OD7492

Westworld (1973, Yul Brynner)

The colour-coded Landtrain-like vehicles used at the beginning of the film are referred to as 'trams'! Also in the Western section of the theme park, a Wells Fargo stagecoach appears.....

What About Bob? (1991, Bill Murray, Richard Dreyfuss)

Features a Concord Trailways MCI MC-8.

What A Life! (1948, Richard Massingham)

Comic short intended to dispel the public feeling that Britain was 'going to the dogs'. The film failed so miserably in its aim that a Conservative MP asked in the House of Commons whether it had been an appropriate way to spend £9000 of taxpayers' money. Bob Wingrove supplied these screencaps of a Clarkes of London AEC Regal in service with London Transport:

What A Whopper (1961, Adam Faith, Sid James)

Opening scenes feature two RT family buses in passing (thanks Rob Sissons)

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962, Bette Davis )

"There is a brief scene of a Los Angeles New Look GM as Bette Davis pulls up beside it in an old Lincoln Continental auto." (thanks Bruce Korusek)

Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (1999, Tom Courtenay)

Paul Williams reports this featured three buses from the Museum of Transport, Manchester, including Manchester 3460 (PND460), a 1956 Leyland Titan PD2/12/MCW.
Chris Lonergan explains: "I can add a little to the contribution from Paul Williams, a fellow GMTS member. I was on the set with two other members during the week long night time filming in the centre of Sheffield in April 1999. PND460 was the only bus which appeared in the film. Another bus, former Ashton 44, PTE 944C (Leyland PD2/37/Roe) had been taken to Sheffield before filming began because the production assistant responsible for props asked for a blue bus. On the first night of filming the film's assistant director took one look at the bus and made it clear that it would not do - the bus in the film had to be red! Fortunately one of our group had a Museum guide book with him and the assistant director leafed through it as though it were a catalogue! He selected 3460 and we had to return post haste to Manchester to fetch it having phoned ahead to make sure it was prepared for the journey. We returned to the set at about 22.30. The first night of filming did not pass smoothly as between takes the engine of the bus had to be shut down. After the first such event she refused to start! As we had 44 with us we had to repeatedly drive her on and off the set to jump start 3460 before each take, of which there were many including rehearsals. On the morning after the first night we took both buses back to the Museum where an electrical fault on 3460 was rectified in time for the following, and subsequent, night's filming.
The reference to 3 buses may have come about because of 44 and another bus, former Leigh AEC Renown/East Lancs 15, PTC 114C, which had originally been requested with 44 but couldn't be made available because of a serious brake problem. For continuity reasons, and in view of the relatively short length of the scene which featured the bus, only one could ever have been used, whatever colour was chosen."

What's Love Got To Do With It? (1993, Angela Bassett)

Tina Turner's life story features a GM Scenicruiser and, as Ike turner's tour bus, a GM PD4103. There's also a half-cab doubledecker in London Transport colours, but filmed not in London but at Universal Studios. It's unclear what the bus is, but it's not a London bus.

Whatsover a Man Soweth (1917 British sex education film)

Made to warn Canadian Troops during the first world war about the dangers of catching venereal disease, and to warn against the 'sowing of wild oats'. Bob Wingrove provided these screenshots of LGOC AEC B-types around London:

When the Bough Breaks (1947)

Brief view of two single deckers of United Automobile - here's one of them (thanks to Steve at britmovie.co.uk (+Colin Read)

Where Eagles Dare (1968, Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood)

The group make their escape to the airfield in a red/white bus fitted with a snowplough, RP 234916, driven by Richard Burton's character. Close inspection of the footage shows at least two buses were involved in filming. The first, pristine, vehicle is this; note the part-black radiator and the badge: Out on the road, however, this is a different bus: There are also two different rear views; I've brightened the first to bring out the detail:

Whirlpool (1959, Marius Goring, Juliette Greco)

British-made film shot mostly on the Rhine nevertheless features two UK coaches - these screen captures were posted by Alexander at the Internet Movie Cars Database:
The red coach is a Bedford SB/Duple, but the white coach is something of a mystery. It appears to be an AEC Reliance with Duple Elizabethan body, but the AEC badge appears to have been doctored. The German registration plate is a fake added for the film, and it seems that the large winged logo on the front is also a fake. Can anyone suggest where this might have been filmed? Stephen Allcroft suggests the coach may be TRO540 of Biss Brothers of Bishops Stortford; has anyone got a picture of it to compare? (Yes, I know these captures are displayed in the wrong order!!!!)
Also briefly seen is a Mercedes 0.3500.
Alexander has posted a different view of this bus - would any one like to identify the other two coaches?
(original screencaps by Paul Denyer at Mercedes in the Movies - many thanks - more information needed!)

The Whisperers (1966, Edith Evans, Eric Portman )

"This film shows vehicles from Oldham and Manchester Corporations and includes other 'outside' buses, when Oldham had half its fleet taken off the road overnight due to bad maintainance. Many buses from other operators helped out." (thanks Alan at Oldham 163 Preservation Group)

Whistle Down the Wind (1961, Hayley Mills, Alan Bates)

At the start of the film, Ribble 226 (RN7620), a Leyland Tiger TS7/Burlingham saloon appears (thanks Chris Nelson):

The White Bus (AKA Red White and Zero) (1966, Anthony Hopkins, dir Lindsay Anderson)

This short film featured a Crosville open top Bristol Lodekka LD driving slowly through derelict streets in Manchester. (thanks CCR) This screencap, provided by Steve at britmovie.co.uk, identifies the bus as DLG813 (XFM225), a 1956 Bristol Lodekka LD6G with Eastern Coachworks convertible opentop body; following it is what appears to be a Salford Corporation 'decker:

White Men Can't Jump (1992, Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson)

Dan Lambirth notes the appearance of his GMC PD 4151-269 in the background of the first few minutes of the movie.

White Oleander (2002, Alison Lohman, Michelle Pfieffer et al)

Ryan notes two Greyhound MCI MC-12s, numbers 2999 and 3130

Who Dares Wins (1982, Lewis Collins, Judy Davis)

While infiltrating a terrorist group, SAS officer Captain Skellen (Collins) loses a man following him by suddenly switching buses in Trafalgar Square.
He gets off London Transport RTW75 (KGK575), an 8 feet wide all-Leyland Titan PD2..... and boards RTL68 (JXN391). Leon Daniels comments: "We had some tremendous bus scenes in Who Dares Wins....The exterior sequence where Lewis Collins is using the open platform of the bus to evade someone following him exposes 'Brakell Omnibus Sales' on the lower rear advert panel!
Also seen is a Kenzies Duple Dominant II bodied coach. As Collins gets off the second bus, it is passed by an AEC Routemaster on service 88.
At the very beginning of the movie a London Transport Leyland B20 Fleetline is seen.
Used as transport by a military band is a gold coach LGW939K - Martin Ingle identifies this as a rare Leyland Terrier with Lex body new to BOAC: "At the time of filming it was owned by the studio's local operator Jack Crump (Denham Coaches)." Note the Leyland Tiger Cub badge.
"I seem to remember driving around Trafalgar Square many hundreds of times that day," Leon Daniels adds: "The interior scene, in which Lew Collins' contact with the SAS is murdered, is the top deck of RTW467. (467 has no exterior shots in the film). RTW75 had, for some time in that period, its green rexine painted red inside, so as to more resemble a Routemaster (none of which were available for filming at that time, other than RM3)."
There is a curious sequence early in the movie which shows a Hovertravel SRN6 hovercraft arriving on a beach, possibly at Southsea, followed by a car being driven through Customs. The SRN6 was a passenger-only craft - it was the much larger SRN4 that carried cars!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988, Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd)

(for the record the title is correct - there is no question mark)
Among the amazing special effects can be seen the streetcars of 'Pacific Electric', otherwise the 'Red Car'. Three cars are seen, 652, 721 and 731. 652 and 731 never leave the depot, although 731 is seen to move a couple of feet forward, and the trouble was taken to change their destinations between scenes: Only 721 is seen out on the street.
The car used in the movie was a replica. The Orange Empire Railway Museum has four of the Pacific Electric 'Hollywood' cars in its collection, but none were in good enough condition to be used in the film. The replica was not quite historically correct. In 1947, when the movie is set, these cars had sliding centre doors. Outward folding centre doors were fitted in 1949-50 for conversion to one-man operation, and all the OERM cars are of this type. The replica was (wrongly) built to the same type! Part of the plot of the movie - a sinister plot to take over the two streetcar lines in Los Angeles in order to dismantle them - has its roots in a story that alleges a conspiracy by General Motors to replace streetcars with its own motorbuses across the USA through National City Lines. This began in 1974 with the accusation by Bradford Snell, an antitrust attorney for the US Senate, that the government had criminally charged "...General Motors and allied highway interests for their involvement in the destruction of 100 electric rail...systems... throughout the country." In 1955 GM had actually been convicted of conspiring with others in the automotive industry "to monopolize the sale of supplies used by the local transportation companies controlled by the City Lines defendants." and a small fine was imposed.
An article by Cliff Slater for 'Transportation Quarterly': General Motors and the Demise of Streetcars traces the decline of the streetcar, and shows motorbuses replacing streetcars in the same way and for largely the same reasons as trams and trolleybuses were replaced in the UK - economics. However the story has passed into folklore, and was given fresh impetus by PBS television documentaries in 1993 ('Heartland of America') and 1996 ('Taken for a Ride').

Wild about Harry (2000, Brendan Gleeson, Amanda Donohoe)

"Backgrounds of Donegal Square in Belfast showing various Citybus Bristol RE/Alexander" (thanks Jon Price) I can confirm they're visible, but out of focus.

Wildcat Bus (1940, Fay Wray)

One bus operator tries to drive another out of business. The vehicles used are Aerocoaches.

Wildcats of St Trinians (1980, Sheila Hancock, Michael Horden et al)

Icky years-later follow-up to the original films. Has brief views of RML and RM AEC Routemasters: The girls' transport is provided by this Robinsons Plaxton-bodied coach - can anyone identify? and a Ford Transit: Also seen is this Bedford SB/Plaxton Embassy: (screencaps by stronghold)

Wild Child (2008, Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Shirley Henderson)

American girl at school in England - a Hollywood England of uncertain geography. The girls catch a bus from school into town; the school is in Kent, the town is Haworth in North Yorkshire. No wonder the bus service is described on the destination indicator as 'limited stop'. The bus in question is Sullivan Buses RML2428 in London Country green livery. It's only seen from behind, with 'Flutton and District' on the destination! Is the bus stop in Hertfordshire?:

The Wild One (1954, Marlon Brando, Lee Marvin)

"In the opening minutes of this classic Marlon Brando film about a motorcycle gang invading a small 1950s California town, there are several great scenes including period Flxible Clipper buses. A reminder of an era when America was simpler, and thousands of these beautiful buses roamed the country." (thanks Freddy)

Willing Hands (1944 public information film)

Discovered and screencapped by Bob Wingrove, this wartime public information film gives an account of the work of the Women's Voluntary Service. A London Transport ST is seen among bombed out buildings: ....but what's this stylish double decker?

Wimbledon (2004, Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst)

London scenes include a First London Dennis Trident and a passing Routemaster ....but there's also a night close encounter with an early Routemaster, registration in the WLTxxx series: This scene was included in the BBC3 show 'Great Movie Mistakes' shown at Easter 2010 and hosted by comedian Robert Webb. The way the footage is cut makes it seem that the bus first seen in the distance suddenly appears directly behind Paul Bettany's car - but it's stretching a point in a show stretched to three hours to call it a 'movie mistake'.

Windtalkers (2002, Nicholas Cage)

Set in World War II; in the opening scenes a Greyhound coach arrives in a Navajo village to transport volunteers to basic army training. There are both interior and exterior shots; my information is this is a Yellow Coach Model 743, possibly the one preserved by Greyhound as part of their historic fleet. Can anyone confirm?

Wings of the Morning (1937, Henry Fonda, Annabella)

England's first Technicolor movie has views of London STLs and LTs. (+Colin Read)

Winning London (2001, Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen)

Risible vehicle for the Olsen twins has a group of American students with their high school Model United Nations team, visiting London and doing touristy things. There are a couple of musical gems: they visit a disco where the dancers are incongruously swaying sedately to Plastic Bertrand's punk pogo classic 'Ca Plane Pour Moi; later they recreate the Beatles' Abbey Road album cover to a soundtrack of Depeche Mode's 'Just Can't Get Enough'. A still of a London Routemaster appears in the opening credits, and several Routemasters, a First Dennis Trident and an Original London Sightseeing Tour Metrobus are glimpsed, but the killer scene comes when the students spy an RML class long Routemaster with a flake grey stripe pulling in at a bus stop on route 94. They scramble across the road and climb on - by which time it's mysteriously turned into a standard-length RM with cream stripe and gold fleetname on route 36! Footage follows of the kids sightseeing from the upper deck. The whole sequence is shot blurred-style presumably to indicate the kids' excitement at being in London-England, so the following ids are speculative, but the RML appears to be London United RML2463 (JJD463D) The RM appears to be Marshall-refurbished London Central RM1280 (280CLT) Also glimpsed out of the window of whichever Routemaster is used for the internal shots is this Volvo B12/Van Hool of Bakers Dolphin of Weston super Mare: Later in the film the students arrive at a country house on Collins Coaches J710CWT, a Volvo B10M/Plaxton new to Wallace Arnold (thanks Graeme Selway for the id):

Wish You Were Here (1987, Emily Lloyd, Tom Bell)

Filmed at the old Dome Cinema in Worthing, West Sussex, next to the former Southdown Garage, with views of several Southdown vehicles, including 547 (PUF647), a Guy Arab IV/Park Royal, a 1956 Leyland Titan and a Leyland coach. There's also a tower wagon and a Royal Blue Bristol LS6G (thanks Ted Longhurst). More precise identification would be welcomed!

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