Chartroose Caboose-1960 Universal Film Lost? (1 Viewer)

[timk1041]

Does anyone know the status of a Universal film titled "Chartroose Caboose" from 1960? It is a comedy starring Edgar Buchanan (best known for playing Uncle Joe on Petticoat Junction) as a retired railroad man and Molly Bee and Ben Cooper as a young couple who eloped. I read that it is possible that the original negative and print may have been destroyed in a Universal vault fire and only a black and white from 16mm and a color trailer still exists somewhere. Any information is appreciated.

 

[Neil Brock]

Highly doubtful

 

[DeWilson]

Does anyone know the status of a Universal film titled "Chartroose Caboose" from 1960? It is a comedy starring Edgar Buchanan (best known for playing Uncle Joe on Petticoat Junction) as a retired railroad man and Molly Bee and Ben Cooper as a young couple who eloped. I read that it is possible that the original negative and print may have been destroyed in a Universal vault fire and only a black and white from 16mm and a color trailer still exists somewhere. Any information is appreciated.

The "Vault Fire" did not affect the MASTER VAULT - only the vault used for syndication prints/tapes and shows shot on video tape. (Or at least some of them) Universal has been reluctant to make any fresh transfer of ANYTHING without a sale to a 3rd party. So it's likely it's safe and sound collecting dust. Kino has been licensing the Universal Library...

 

[timk1041]

The "Vault Fire" did not affect the MASTER VAULT - only the vault used for syndication prints/tapes and shows shot on video tape. (Or at least some of them) Universal has been reluctant to make any fresh transfer of ANYTHING without a sale to a 3rd party. So it's likely it's safe and sound collecting dust. Kino has been licensing the Universal Library...

So then you're saying the original print in color and Panavision is sitting in a vault? It is just a matter of Universal either releasing it or licensing to someone else, which may never happen. I guess unless some private collector has either a 16mm or 35mm copy of it somewhere, the chances are remote of this seeing the light of day, but then you never know.

 

[Bert Greene]

There certainly should be (at very least) some ratty old tv-prints of it around. It used to make the rounds on tv in the pre-cable days. I had a copy of it on VHS for many years. I've seen (unofficial) prints for sale at shows, although that was quite a long time ago. Actually, the Universal feature from around that time that I've never run across is the comedy "The Sergeant Was a Lady" (1961), with Venetia Stevenson. That's the one I've always wondered about when it comes to rarity. Of course, not counting the 1930s Universal titles that ostensibly do survive, but are completely inaccessible. There are quite a few of those, which I'm craving to see.

 

[DeWilson]

So then you're saying the original print in color and Panavision is sitting in a vault? It is just a matter of Universal either releasing it or licensing to someone else, which may never happen. I guess unless some private collector has either a 16mm or 35mm copy of it somewhere, the chances are remote of this seeing the light of day, but then you never know.

Yes....It's safe, sound and collecting dust...and it is likely old 16mm tv prints are in the hands of collectors. Universal cleaned out their bonded vaults (used as part of the syndication bicycling chain as a "way station" of sorts) when they switched to tape for syndication in the 1980's and a lot of tv shows and films...went out the back door to collectors.

 

[timk1041]

There certainly should be (at very least) some ratty old tv-prints of it around. It used to make the rounds on tv in the pre-cable days. I had a copy of it on VHS for many years. I've seen (unofficial) prints for sale at shows, although that was quite a long time ago. Actually, the Universal feature from around that time that I've never run across is the comedy "The Sergeant Was a Lady" (1961), with Venetia Stevenson. That's the one I've always wondered about when it comes to rarity. Of course, not counting the 1930s Universal titles that ostensibly do survive, but are completely inaccessible. There are quite a few of those, which I'm craving to see.

Me too on those rare titles. Not expecting Kino or some other distributor to release many of these lesser known and rare titles, I seek out private collectors who have access to 16mm and 35mm prints to transfer onto disc. I actually acquired quite a few particularly from the 30's and 40's, mostly from a gentleman who has a business in NYS. Kino and others have done a great job at releasing a lot of classic titles, but one can't expect them to release every single rare title that ever was made. It just isn't realistic. Chartroose Caboose won't be easy to track down, but I will certainly keep checking. I appreciate everyone's input on this. If anyone has any additional information, please feel free to post on this thread. Thanks.

 

[Flashgear]

For such a relatively obscure movie, there's a surprising amount of associated promotional material online, though sadly not the movie itself (of which only a faded color video dupe in 1.33 is out there someplace, but I couldn't find it), and I myself don't remember ever seeing The Chartroose Caboose at all, though it sounds like a wonderfully enjoyable film.

Tim, I don't know if you know about this, but here's a link to a railroad buff who runs a Wordpress blog on Obscure train movies who has written a nice post on The Chartroose Caboose in 2014, having seen a faded color 1.33 video copy, from which he took screenshots, and summarizes the plotline...

Chartroose Caboose 1960 Revisited

Universal Pictures / Red-Bill Productions Highball, Chartroose Caboose! Thanks to a kind and generous soul in Oregon (who shall remain anonymous), I have obtained a copy of this long, lost movie. …

obscuretrainmovies.wordpress.com

There's even a surprising number of somewhat blurry color behind the scenes photos on the set during filming of the Chartroose Caboose...Molly Bee, Ben Cooper, Edgar Buchanan and Slim Pickens can be seen from a distance, perhaps taken by a Springfield Oregon resident, or perhaps even a Southern Pacific Railroad employee during filming in 1959...

Here's some screenshots from that blog post, taken from his faded color 1.33 video dupe...which look terrible...

The trailer looks much better...

1960 Chartroose Caboose trailer

Chartroose Caboose - 1960 - comedy - letterbox trailer Molly Bee Edgar Buchanan Ben Cooper jalopy / Model T Ford on country road driveby

producerslibrary.com

Poster, lobby cards and promo photos...

Any movie that features a comedically feuding Edgar Buchanan and Slim Pickens should be a must-see...

 

[timk1041]

For such a relatively obscure movie, there's a surprising amount of associated promotional material online, though sadly not the movie itself (of which only a faded color video dupe in 1.33 is out there someplace, but I couldn't find it), and I myself don't remember ever seeing The Chartroose Caboose at all, though it sounds like a wonderfully enjoyable film.

Tim, I don't know if you know about this, but here's a link to a railroad buff who runs a Wordpress blog on Obscure train movies who has written a nice post on The Chartroose Caboose in 2014, having seen a faded color 1.33 video copy, from which he took screenshots, and summarizes the plotline...

Chartroose Caboose 1960 Revisited

Universal Pictures / Red-Bill Productions Highball, Chartroose Caboose! Thanks to a kind and generous soul in Oregon (who shall remain anonymous), I have obtained a copy of this long, lost movie. …

obscuretrainmovies.wordpress.com

There's even a surprising number of somewhat blurry color behind the scenes photos on the set during filming of the Chartroose Caboose...Molly Bee, Ben Cooper, Edgar Buchanan and Slim Pickens can be seen from a distance, perhaps taken by a Springfield Oregon resident, or perhaps even a Southern Pacific Railroad employee during filming in 1959...
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Here's some screenshots from that blog post, taken from his faded color 1.33 video dupe...which look terrible...
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The trailer looks much better...

1960 Chartroose Caboose trailer

Chartroose Caboose - 1960 - comedy - letterbox trailer Molly Bee Edgar Buchanan Ben Cooper jalopy / Model T Ford on country road driveby

producerslibrary.com

Poster, lobby cards and promo photos...
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Any movie that features a comedically feuding Edgar Buchanan and Slim Pickens should be a must-see...
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Thanks for posting. Sure wish this film would turn up somewhere. Edgar Buchanan is always fun to see. I liked Molly Bee in "Summer Love" (1958), the follow up to "Rock, Pretty Baby" (1956), 2 more films that are hard to find.