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Silver Streak

Play trailer Poster for Silver Streak PG Released Dec 3, 1976 1h 53m Comedy Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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76% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
While on a cross-country train ride, overworked book editor George Caldwell (Gene Wilder) begins an unexpected romance with an enigmatic woman named Hilly Burns (Jill Clayburgh). His vacation is interrupted, however, when he witnesses a murder for which he is then accused. The true villains kidnap Hilly and eject Caldwell from the moving train. Desperate, Caldwell teams up with car thief Grover Muldoon (Richard Pryor), and together they must save Hilly while avoiding the police.
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Silver Streak

Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Silver Streak is so helplessly unslick that it doesn't even have the wit to show Wilder looking at the book upside down. Jan 22, 2024 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Rated: 3/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Grant Watson Fiction Machine There is so much here to enjoy, particularly for fans of Wilder and Pryor. Rated: 7/10 Oct 4, 2023 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) ... an amalgamation of conflicting genres. [Full review in Spanish] Aug 15, 2023 Full Review Steve Warren The Barb (Atlanta) A pretty good movie, but it throws away a lot of potential for greatness. May 9, 2023 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Like a Mel Brooks comic spellbinder, merged with some of the flavor of Inspector Clouseau. Rated: 7/10 Aug 31, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 06/30/25 Full Review Trevor M Silver Streak (1976) is a decent Gene Wilder-led action-comedy, with its greatest strength being its setting—the train. The confined yet dynamic environment provides a natural momentum to the story, allowing for some creative and engaging sequences that keep things moving. However, while the train elevates the film, it isn’t enough to completely save it from its flaws. The true highlight of the movie is Richard Pryor, who brings an electrifying presence to every scene he’s in. His charisma and comedic timing are unmatched, and every moment he’s on screen is pure gold. In fact, he’s so good that it almost feels like a missed opportunity that he isn’t the lead character—his energy could have carried the entire film. On the other hand, Jill Clayburgh’s character is frustratingly inconsistent. Somehow, she manages to be both aggressively flighty and weirdly sexual while still feeling completely bland. Her presence in scenes often derails the pacing rather than adding anything meaningful to the story. Speaking of pacing, the film struggles in this department. The first 25 minutes are particularly rough, filled with bizarre innuendos and an uncomfortably long love scene that drags on for what feels like an eternity. The overall runtime feels excessive, and the film could have been trimmed down by 30-40 minutes for a much tighter and more engaging experience. Then, of course, there’s the infamous decision to put Gene Wilder in blackface—a choice that was never a good idea and certainly hasn’t aged well. Even in the context of the film’s attempt at humor, it’s an unfortunate misstep that detracts from the overall experience. In the end, Silver Streak has its moments, thanks largely to Pryor and the built-in appeal of a train-based adventure. As the saying goes, adding a train makes every movie better—but unfortunately, even that can’t completely fix this one. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/29/25 Full Review Carlos I Silver Streak looks perfect on paper, I mean how could you lose with the Pryor/Wilder pairing? The problem is rather than blending the genres perfectly, it stumbles with them. You could feel that movie is unsure what it wants to be. It's not funny enough to be a comedy, and it doesn't have big enough sequences to be a good action/thriller. So it just ends up being a bland amalgamation of the two. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/15/24 Full Review Audience Member The bad reviews here are clueless. This movie was a classic in its day. It started the glorious union of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Some said the movie "didn't know what it wanted to be, a comedy or action movie". What? These reviewers completely missed the genius of the film. It is a great blend of both! There is a moderate amount of action and suspense to make it an intriguing story. All the action is done very realistically, not over the top, nor ridiculous like today's movies. Meanwhile, the comedy is GOLD. The various lines and scenes on the train. The entire scene at the farm house with the cow and the bi-plane. The bumbling cops in Kansas City. The scene in the Kansas City train station bathroom. All of these are priceless comedy -- the likes of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The film ends with a dramatic, suspenseful ending. Overall, it isn't Academy Award material, but it was a great movie. Definitely worth the watch. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/29/24 Full Review Rosana B Adorava filmes de Gene Wilder que geralmente passava no saudoso Corujão, provavelmente pela leve semelhança com meu ídolo juvenil, Alain Prost. Este filme marcou a primeira dupla de Wilder e Pryor, que formaram mais tarde dupla em três outros filmes. Gostei, aqueles filme policial com boas perseguições, trem em movimento, cai do trem, volta para o trem, jogado para fora do trem, volta para o trem, trem sem maquinista e sem freio, adorável. Oferece pouco atrativo em si, o mistério não te prende. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review Brent A 10% rating ... Did not find this film to be funny or entertaining. Maybe it was hilarious in the 70s? Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Silver Streak

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Movie Info

Synopsis While on a cross-country train ride, overworked book editor George Caldwell (Gene Wilder) begins an unexpected romance with an enigmatic woman named Hilly Burns (Jill Clayburgh). His vacation is interrupted, however, when he witnesses a murder for which he is then accused. The true villains kidnap Hilly and eject Caldwell from the moving train. Desperate, Caldwell teams up with car thief Grover Muldoon (Richard Pryor), and together they must save Hilly while avoiding the police.
Director
Arthur Hiller
Producer
Thomas L. Miller, Edward K. Milkis
Screenwriter
Colin Higgins
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 3, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 14, 2016
Runtime
1h 53m
Sound Mix
Stereo
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