Buster (1988) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error This movie is based on the story of Buster Edwards , one of the thieves involved in "The Great Train Robbery" of 1963. Director: a list of 34 titles created 08 Jul 2012 a list of 23 titles created 10 Apr 2013 a list of 23 titles created 26 Dec 2013 a list of 30 titles created 07 May 2014 a list of 37 titles created 11 months ago Search for " Buster " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins.

See more awards » Photos In London, the twenty-seven year-old hairdresser Rita decides to complete her basic education before having children as desired by her husband Denny. She joins the literature course in an ... See full summary » Director: Lewis Gilbert Story of the ways in which insurance investigator Roland Copping interferes in and manipulates the lives of others with outrageous games and gimmicks. Eventually he becomes involved in an ... See full summary » Director: Stephan Elliott Shirley's a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, who finds herself talking to the wall while she prepares her husband's chip'n'egg, wondering what happened to her life. She compares scenes in ... See full summary » Director: Lewis Gilbert A psychotic sniper plans a massive killing spree in a Los Angeles football stadium during a major championship game. The police, led by Captain Peter Holly (Charlton Heston) and SWAT ... See full summary » Director: Larry Peerce A dramatization of the Hamburg, Germany phase of the Beatles' early history. Director: Iain Softley 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X A shy reclusive lady is convinced by an invisible entity to sing.

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Stars: Victoria Wood, Thelma Barlow, Andrew Dunn 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.8/10 X Bus driver Stan Butler agrees to marry Suzy, much to the anguish of Mum, her son-in-law, Arthur, and daughter Olive. How, they wonder, will they ever manage without Stan's money coming in? Then Arthur is sacked, and Stan agrees to delay the wedding. Meanwhile, he hits on an idea: Arthur should learn to drive a bus. Somehow he does just that, and even gets a job. Stan then blackmails the Depot ... See full summary » Director: Harry Booth Edit Storyline Buster is a small time crook who pulls a big time job. When he finds that the police will not let the case drop, he goes into hiding and can't contact his wife and child. He arranges to meet them in Mexico where he thinks they can begin again, but finds that he must choose between his family and freedom.

Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net> Phil Collins is BUSTER See more » Genres: 23 November 1988 (USA) See more » Also Known As: A Grande Golpada See more » Filming Locations: The little girl who plays Busters daughter is Phil Collins's real daughter. See more » Goofs In the opening scenes, when Buster walks off wearing a new suit he has just stolen, a Vespa P range motor scooter is visible. That model was introduced in 1977. See more » Quotes [last lines] Buster Edwards : [addressing the audience. He is now a florist near Waterloo Bridge, several years after his release in 1980] You know, I've still got that dream... June Edwards : [overhearing him, with a cup of hot chocolate] Buster, don't start that again! Buster Edwards : No, dear Buster Edwards : Well, I know it's still there.

[Buster and June walk off chatting about seeing their daughter Nikki who is now adult, and Buster looks at the camera, and his face is framed onto an envelope, when the credits start] See more » Crazy Credits Buster Edwards never got the deal he hoped for. On the 9th December 1966 he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for conspiring to rob Her Majesty's Royal Mail Train. See more » Connections licensed by Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Ltd. licensed by Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc., for USA and Canada Really Popular Movie When Released 5 January 2005 | by retrogames (Scotland) – See all my reviews This movie was a big hit at the cinema when it was first released and then again as a video rental....Those were the days! The soundtrack was also a big hit and most of the songs were chart hits on the back of the movie, and not just the Phil Collins songs who was at the height of his popularity as a solo artist at the time. The story and movie itself is far from being as bad as some of the reviews here make out, its an upbeat movie for the most part and still watchable.

Phil Colins can act, although he hasn't really had the chance to show that in very many roles since. The fact that you could pick this movie up free on DVD recently with a newspaper and if you missed that offer can pop into any Poundland in the UK and pick it up for a pound (on a double bill with Diamond of Jeru) I'd recommend you looking it up...even only if its to hear that great soundtrack again..5/10 3 of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes BBC NEWS | UK | Who were the Great Train Robbers? Printable version Who were the Great Train Robbers? Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs has been granted release from his prison sentence on compassionate grounds by Justice Secretary Jack Straw. The 79-year-old is the best known of the robbers, but who were the other gang members and what happened to them? BRUCE REYNOLDS In his 1995 memoirs, Reynolds said the robbery was a curse The thief and antiques dealer masterminded the robbery which has become one of the most notorious in British criminal history.

Nicknamed "Napoleon", he first fled to Mexico on a false passport then later to Canada with his wife Angela and son Nick in tow. In 1968, five years after the heist, Reynolds returned to England and was captured in Torquay and jailed for 25 years. He was released in 1978 and lived alone, broke in a small flat off London's Edgware Road. He was jailed again in the 1980s for three years for dealing amphetamines. ROY JAMES The chief getaway driver, nicknamed "Weasel", left a crucial fingerprint at the gang's farm hideout and was eventually caught after a rooftop chase. A silversmith and proficient racing driver, he planned to invest his share of the cash in new car technology. After serving 12 years of a 30-year sentence, he sold silver at a market before moving to Spain. In 1993 he was jailed again for six years for shooting his wife's father and hitting her with a pistol. He died soon after getting out of prison, aged 62.

RONALD "BUSTER" EDWARDS Edwards was sentenced to 15 years Perhaps best known as the subject of the 1988 film Buster, in which he was played by Phil Collins, Edwards is widely believed to have wielded the cosh used to hit train driver Jack Mills over the head. The former boxer and club owner fled to Mexico after the robbery but gave himself up in 1966. After serving nine years in jail, he became a familiar figure selling flowers outside London's Waterloo station. He was found hanged in a garage in 1994 at the age of 62. Two wreaths in the shape of trains accompanied his funeral cortege. BRIAN FIELD A crooked solicitor, Field was used to make the arrangements to buy the the farm hideout used immediately after the robbery. He was sentenced to 25 years in jail, but that term was later reduced to five. He died in a motorway crash in 1979. TOMMY WISBEY Several of the gang were in the flower business A bookie and self-confessed "heavy", it was Wisbey's role to frighten the train staff.

He was sentenced to 30 years and released in 1976. But he was jailed for another 10 years in 1989 for cocaine dealing and later ran a flower stall. After his release he went to live in north London and suffered several strokes. BOBBY WELCH Nightclub boss Welch was sentenced to 30 years and released in 1976. He was later left crippled when an operation on his leg went wrong. After jail he became a car dealer and gambler in the capital. GORDON GOODY A hairdresser who was jailed for 30 years and released in 1975, Goody moved to Spain to run a bar. CHARLIE WILSON Wilson went on trial at Aylesbury Crown Court in 1964 Charles Frederick Wilson was the "treasurer" who gave each of the robbers their cut of the haul. He was captured quickly and during his trial earned the nickname "the silent man" because he refused to say anything. He was jailed for 30 years but escaped after just four months only to be captured again in Canada after four years on the run. He served another decade behind bars.

When he finally emerged from prison in 1978, he moved to Spain where he was shot and killed by a hitman on a bicycle in 1990. JAMES HUSSEY A decorator known as "Big Jim", Hussey was sentenced to 30 years and released in 1975. After working on a market stall, he later opened a restaurant in Soho. He was convicted of assault in 1981 and eight years later was jailed for seven years for a drug smuggling conspiracy with fellow train robber Wisbey. ROGER CORDREY The gang's Buckinghamshire hide-out The florist was arrested in Bournemouth after - unfortunately for him - renting a lock-up from a policeman's widow. He was jailed for 20 years, reduced to 14 on appeal. Following his release in 1971, he went back to the flower business and moved to the West Country. JIMMY WHITE The former Paratrooper was known as "quartermaster" for the robbery. He was caught in Kent after three years on the run and sentenced to 18 years. He was released in 1975 and moved to Sussex.

BILL BOAL The engineer was arrested with Cordrey in possession of £141,000, charged with receiving stolen goods and jailed for 24 years, reduced to 14 on appeal. Reynolds claimed Boal was not involved in the robbery and was "an innocent man". He died of cancer in jail in 1970. LEONARD FIELD A merchant seaman, Field was sentenced to 25 years, reduced to five. He was released from jail in 1967 and moved to north London. JOHN WHEATER A solicitor who was convicted of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. He was sentenced to three years and released in 1966. He went to live in Surrey. Bookmark with: Thames Valley Police - The Great Train robbery - Ronald 'Buster' Edwards The Great Train Robbery 27/01/1931 - 28/11/1994 Sentence: 15 years Buster Edwards was a former boxer turned nightclub owner who had been childhood friends with Bruce Reynolds and Gordon Goody. As leader of the South East gang, it made sense for Reynolds to ask Buster to join in with his plan.

Edwards was just one of several gang members who claimed to have been the one to cosh Jack Mills over the head, however it is largely believed he made the claim merely for publicity. Along with Bruce Reynolds, Edwards fled to Mexico after the robbery; but gave himself up to the authorities in 1966 after his money had run out. He then spent the next nine years in jail before his early release in 1975. Once released, Edwards went back to his original job of floristry, and opened up a stall outside Waterloo Station. He gave many interviews about the robbery and persuaded the writer, Piers Paul Read to add into his 1978 book The Train Robbers that the great robbery was in fact led by a German commando called Otto Skorzeny, and that Edwards himself had coshed Jack Mills. Once the book was published, Edwards retracted both of these claims. Edwards battled with depression and had a severe drink problem. In 1994, at the age of 63, he was found hung in a garage nearby to his flower stall. At his funeral there were two flower wreaths in the shape of trains.

In 1988, singer Phil Collins played the role of buster Edwards in the film ‘Buster’, which was based on the Great Train Robbery. Site navigation 1988 Phil Collins – A Groovy Kind Of Love | GenesisFan 1988 Phil Collins – A Groovy Kind Of Love Print , Email September 17, 2011 Originally written by Toni Wine and Carol Bayer, Groovy Kind of Love was first released back in 1965 by Diane & Annita and was covered later that year by The Mindbenders who took it to number two in the UK charts. Wine – who was just 17 at the time – and Bayer said they wrote the number in just 20 minutes and it was one of the first songs to feature the new slang word "groovy". Phil Collins recorded a new version of the song for the soundtrack of the 1988 movie Buster in which he played the lead role of Great Train Robber Buster Edwards. The song appeared on Buster: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, and also on Collins’ Serious Hits... Live! album, as well as several Phil Collins compilation albums.

Phil Collins’ take on the song reached number one on both the US and UK charts, and it remains his only single to top the charts in both countries. It also topped the charts across Europe and reached number two in Australia. The song earned Collins a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1989 however he lost to Bobby McFerrin's single Don't Worry, Be Happy. © Liverpool Echo Great Train Robbery spawns twin BBC dramas - BBC News BBC News Great Train Robbery spawns twin BBC dramas 6 March 2013 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption Evans (r), who plays Reynolds (l), has been seen in such films as Clash of the Titans and Immortals The BBC has announced details of two dramas that will dramatise the Great Train Robbery from the perspective of its perpetrators and their pursuers. The first, A Robber's Tale, stars Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bruce Reynolds, the key planner of the 1963 heist, who died last month at the age of 81. The second, A Copper's Tale, will focus on the team of detectives assembled to bring the robbers to justice.

Julian Jarrold and James Strong will direct the two 90-minute programmes. Neil Maskell, from the recent British thriller Kill List and Channel 4 drama Utopia, will play Ronald 'Buster' Edwards, the robber previously played by Phil Collins in 1988 film Buster. Scottish actor Martin Compston will appear as getaway driver Roy James, while Ronnie Biggs will be portrayed by Jack Gordon. The casting for the second drama is yet to be announced. The two-parter follows Mrs Biggs, an ITV series that viewed the robbery and its aftermath from the perspective of Ronnie's now ex-wife Charmian. Image caption Train driver Jack Mills was struck during the heist and never worked again Earlier this month, Sheridan Smith was nominated for a best actress prize by the Royal Television Society for playing the title role. Chris Chibnall, writer and executive producer of the BBC's Great Train Robbery films, said the events of August 1963 had "passed into modern folklore".

"How fantastic that such a magnificent bunch of talented young stars have come together for our first film, to tell how one gang planned - and almost got away with - the British Crime of the Century." Filming begins this month on the World Productions films, which will be screened on BBC One later this year to mark the 50th anniversary of the raid. The gang targeted a mail train from Glasgow as it came through Buckinghamshire and escaped with a then-record haul of £2.6m - equivalent to around £40m today. A Robber's Tale will begin with Reynolds' earlier planning and execution of a robbery at Heathrow Airport the preceding year. "The Great Train Robbery" Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 28 December 2016 6:33 PM, PST NEWS trailers and videos full cast and crew trivia official sites memorable quotes Overview 7 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Not a bad start 19 December 2013 *** This review may contain spoilers *** I had high hopes for this and having watched the first episode I was not let down. The acting was of a high standard, including Martin Compston's London accent!

Small points I felt needed more explaining, including who the characters were. Unless you have some knowledge of the crime then you may have been puzzled by who all the protagonists were. A scene showing the train leaving Glasgow Central Station clearly displayed a sign saying "Glasgow" when in fact it should have been Glasgow Central as there is also Glasgow Queen Street station. In the same scene, two policemen were wearing helmets. To the best of my knowledge no Scottish Policemen wore helmets in 1963, including British Transport Police (correct me if I'm wrong), also the FFR Land Rovers looked from a later era. Overall though it was an entertaining programme and I'm looking forward to part two. Having now watched part two it was of an equally high standard. I did notice though that the weather seemed to be more in line with August (the first programme had no leaves on the trees etc). I did feel however that more time could have been taken to explain where Reynolds and Edwards were when they were on the run as the programme implied they were in the UK when in fact they spent time in Mexico.

Another slight glitch was when Roy James made his "escape", he landed on hard packed earth where in fact he had a specially prepared "landing strip" made of dug up earth to lessen the impact of his fall. Apart from that, this was a most enjoyable two parter and hopefully we'll see more of the same Was the above review useful to you? 3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: going after the big one from United States 12 December 2015 "The Great Train Robbery" is a miniseries in two parts. The first part focuses on mid-range crooks, led by Bruce Reynolds (Luke Evans) who decide to rob a train carrying a fortune in money. The second is about the police investigation and search for them. I really enjoyed the first part, but the second part for me was a let- down. The criminals were more interesting than the police, led by DI Frank Williams (Robert Glenister) for some reason. And I sort of wanted them to get away with it. I'm sure that sounds terrible.

The acting is very good, and since it's based on a true story, it was interesting to see how the police picked up the trail of the crooks and to read at the end what happened to them. I do recommend it, but you'll find the second part less compelling. Was the above review useful to you? 3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Fascinating Chroncile in Two POV Accounts of the Greatest Heist in British History: A Real-Life Ocean's 11 from Oakland, CA 6 December 2015 In 1963, 75 km (46 miles) north of London, about 17 blokes pinched a train with a coach containing millions of pounds of cash being transported via Her Majesty's Royal Mail. It was the biggest heist in British history in which the perpetrators lifted about £2.6 million (about £50 million in today's money or $80 million). Because of the amount of money which was taken from the British government instead of a private party, an all-out investigation ensued. Eventually, about 2/3rds of the members were arrested and sent to prison.

Since the heist many films and references to the heist have appeared in popular culture, including a line in the Beatles' film "Help" in which Lennon asks a Scotland Yard detective how the heist investigation is coming. The current film, a made-for-television miniseries in 2013, is probably the best screen adaption of the heist, presenting the events in two parts. The first is from the point-of-view of the criminals, called "A Robber's Tale", and the second from the view of the investigators called "A Copper's Tale". Both segments are equally compelling with outstanding actors showing us how the crime is viewed from different sides of the railroad tracks, so to speak. Two sets of casts are used for each segment, until the very end of the second segment in which characters from both segments begin interacting. Bruce Reynolds (Luke Evans) is the mastermind and leader of the heist. Their first large job, an airport heist in 1962, yields not nearly as much in cash as they had hoped, around £65,000 (about £1.25 million or $2 million today, which seems like a lot of money!). They were hoping for a bigger payoff.

Through a tip, they discover a train bound for London from Glasgow, Scotland, contains a coach designated as Her Majesty's Royal Mail. In addition to the typical mail, the car also contains sacks of cash, pound notes probably being taken out of circulation. Reynolds resolves to pilfer the sacks of cash and puts together a team to engage the heist, including someone who claims he can stop trains. They find an old abandoned farm as a temporary hideout. As events play out, the teams hits unexpected twists in their plan, including the amount of money which turns out, like the airport heist, not to be what was expected... The second part then chronicles the investigation and eventual arrests of members of the heist gang. Tommy Butler (Jim Broadbent) leads the Scotland Yard investigation. Butler is not only shrewd but uncompromising. He decides the best means for a successful apprehension of the criminals is to keep information close to his chest as his second-in-command Frank Williams (Robert Glenister) points out. He also forces his team to work long hours with little rest.

Then the upper echelons of Scotland Yard, probably due to pressure from members of Parliament, decide to release the names and photos of the known perpetrators to the public, much to the objections of Butler and Williams. The releasing of information, as Butler and Williams predicts, leads to disastrous results, further compromising the investigation. A very enjoyable and well-acted series. Evans makes a good Reynolds, who is not exactly a ruthless criminal but definitely uses rationalization to justify the heist. Broadbent makes a fine Butler, whose aloofness may compromise the success of the investigation. He's tempered by Robert Glenister as Frank Williams who seems the primary voice of reason during the investigation. If you like heist films, this is a real one, and it demonstrates these crimes as not nearly as easy to pull off as you would imagine if you've seen "Ocean's 11". Was the above review useful to you? 2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: A great TV show from France 23 February 2015 I was born any a couple of months after the great train robbery, back in 1963. And I have always been fascinated by it.

My dream would be to go on the actual place where it occurred, the Bridego Bridge. I possess nearly every document about it, footage archive and fiction material. The most memorable, of course, remains Peter Yates's ROBBERY, back in 1967, and the other movie starring the actor starring Derrick - sorry I don't remember his name. Some viewers said on IMDb that this feature was not flawless, concerning details specified to UK, for instances trains and cars from this very era. Well, I have never lived in UK, so...But concerning this film, the only thing that annoyed me was the BOAC company heist, at the beginning. These guys are supposed to be professional robbers with a criminal record as thick as a phone book, and they pull the heist without any gloves !!!! Because finger prints, see? Rubbish. For the rest, it is a terrific piece of work, and the character description is absolutely outstanding.

I loved the very ending when Bruce Reynolds tells the hard boiled inspector from SY, who chased them in such a raging way all over the years, that he did not do this for money but for "camaraderie" as he actually said, using a french word meaning companionship, brotherhood among friends. An outstanding face to face between those two adversaries. An authentic masterpiece. But it could have shown the several escapes from jail of some of the great train robbers. Was the above review useful to you? 5 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Low-Key Retelling of a Celebrated Case from London 25 December 2013 Broadcast in two parts - "The Robber's Tale" and "The Copper's Tale" - THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY retells the famous events of August 1963 when over £2m. was stolen from a mail train traveling from Glasgow to London. The events have been extensively retold elsewhere, notably in Peter Yates' fictionalized version ROBBERY (1967) with Stanley Baker, or BUSTER (1988) a comedy-drama with Phil Collins as robber Buster Edwards. "The Robber's Tale" (dir.

Julian Jarrold) focuses specifically on Bruce Reynolds (Luke Evans) as the brains behind the whole operation; the more celebrated crook Ronald Biggs (Jack Gordon) - who passed away the night the program received its first broadcast - receives scant attention. "The Copper's Tale" looks at the painstaking ways in which Tommy Butler (Jim Broadbent) went about investigating the case and bringing the criminals to justice. Stylistically speaking the production is very much in keeping with current British television costume dramas, with low-key, almost washed-out lighting, lots of period detail (for example, the obligatory London bus from the mid-Sixties) passing across the back of the frame, or a couple of young mothers pushing their prams round the park) and plenty of focus on character through shot/reverse shot sequences. The style is diffuse, with the emphasis placed on ambiance as much as plot. "The Robber's Tale" actually proves something of a disappointment; not a lot happens in terms of action, while some of the (predominantly youthful) cast simply do not seem convincing as mid- Sixties London hoodlums. Perhaps they might have done more research into the behavior, mannerisms and (most significantly) the argot of that period.

"The Copper's Tale" is a lot better, not least because of the interplay - or should that be rivalry - between Butler and his immediate subordinate Frank Williams (Robert Glenister). Although ostensibly on the same side, they seem unable to form a united front, at least professionally. Butler might be a good cop, but he certainly lacks any management abilities. Was the above review useful to you? 1 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Oh those 60's south London boys.. 25 August 2015 *** This review may contain spoilers *** Put me down for another Yank who ranks it a solid 7 I thought the three hours were tightly edited with no wasted scenes. What critical info, if any, was left out I do not know, as I watched this as a preliminary to reading about the robbery. Altho I can't comment on the period detail to the extent other posters here have ("the license plate serials actually didn't change til six month later" - WOW), I think the setting, styles, and lingo were all of a piece with other 60's London films and recreations.

So I enjoyed this quite a bit, including the levity - self-proclaimed "wanker boss", "key up me jacksie", Butler's smile on Thursday mornings, etc, which "offset Broadbent's stern gravity and Evans's Jon Hamm like 60's charm offensive. I especially liked the portrayal of the Butler-Williams relationship and how despite Butler's fears his underling would give more away to his "snouts" than he got, Williams' contacts did lead to at least some grassing. The final Heat-style "confrontation" with Reynolds claiming a "victimless" crime leading to such enormous sentences (yet, he was out in nine) would lead to the much greater use of guns in robberies seemed egregiously revisionist, but I suppose among the many contributing factors to that sad development was the sentencing in this case. Goody apparently was straight out framed (Paul Anderson in another wonderful performance.) Certainly in hindsight a crime committed by 15 men with at least half a dozen accomplices and netting so much cash was fated to go bust.

But that Butler had to delay retirement for so long was a testimony not just to his vocation, but also to the robbers' use of that critical "luck" factor. The fact Butler left a mess for Nipper Read and had allowed Williams to go way too far off the reservation is subject matter for other films. Still, film has to make an emotional as well as an informational mark, and I'm left wanting to chalk this one up for the bad boys. Mix south London and Brighton firms and you apparently got a very lively lot. "Dreaming big", and establishing the same bond of camaraderie the Flying Squad unit did evidently trumped even the millions. Or so this engrossing film would have us believe. Was the above review useful to you? 1 out of 2 people found the following review useful: The Project Coordinator's Tale Author: vitabrevis-219-530758 22 January 2015 Part One was mildly interesting. One is always curious to learn how a particularly complicated operation is carried out. As to the solving of the crime in Part Two, I was expecting Tommy Butler to be a detective. He wasn't.

He was basically a dour, obsessive project manager who had little or no special insight into who the perps might be. He simply put together a team of men who had a lot of connections in the underworld plus one competent forensic expert, and flogged them until they brought him the names of the gang members. Then Butler would drive somewhere in his special car, arrest the unlucky chump and remove one more photo from the board. I suppose that's how the investigation was in fact carried out, but there was something unsatisfying about the whole episode. Strip out the period clothing, cars and music and what you're left with is a fairly bland and uninteresting narrative. Was the above review useful to you? 1 out of 3 people found the following review useful: "Snow all day".. 30 September 2014 *** This review may contain spoilers *** I live in Copenhagen and as quiet a few of you have been writing is about the weather. I'm sure it's pretty the same temperature/Fahrenheit here in Copenhagen as in Great Britain. And for the love of money i don't get why you can't see pass that..?It's not a documentary!

For me the "sun was shinning" all the time.Cos the actors were doing such a pretty god job and for me it could have been snowing all day if you get my drift.. And for the ten lines, witch is a stupid idea.. I hope we will see more to English series like this, cos they usually are pretty backdrop'ish with a studio audio line that follows. So hurray for that old chap. Was the above review useful to you? 4 out of 9 people found the following review useful: On and off the rails from United Kingdom 9 January 2014 At the time, the Great Train Robbery was the biggest theft in British criminal history and was as much a part of 1963 here as the Profumo Scandal and the emergence of the Beatles. With the fiftieth anniversary of significant events in that year being commemorated right left and centre (the making of the first Beatles album, the first Dr Who TV show, of course the Kennedy assassination), I guess this notorious occurrence was also too big to miss.

With a large cast consisting of some of the best of British male acting talent (female characters hardly get a look-in), painstakingly accurate set design not to mention the actual train itself, the component parts were all there and waiting to be assembled into place. The imaginative decision to break it into two films, the first part concerning the planning and execution of the crime itself and focusing on the criminal gangs which came together to do the misdeed, the second, the aftermath, concentrating on the police investigation run by Jim Broadbent's tough-as-old-boots D.I Tommy Butler, was, on paper, a good one and for the first half certainly successful. In part one, we see the scheme being formulated by Luke Fisher's bespectacled (obviously marking him out as the brains) Bruce Reynolds the coordinator of the operation, including the recruitment of the necessary personnel, implementation of the crime and the plan on how to escape the law after the robbery. Pacily directed and well-acted by the whole group, the viewer is completely taken into the criminal world and despite myself, caught up in the anticipation and even excitement as they set about their dirty work.

I must admit my distaste at the scene where they realise the enormity of what they've done and celebrate with abandon, even though I knew they didn't get away with it for long. Which leads onto part two, which I felt was altogether less successful. The narrative changes tack and now follows the police investigation into the crime with Broadbent and his weary men one by one picking off the assembled pictures of the perpetrators on their incident-room notice board. Unfortunately at this point the director decides that Broadbent and his team are the UK equivalent of The Untouchables so that we get endless shots of Broadbent grimly gazing at the camera and when they walk, it's in De Palma-esque slow-motion. All the artifice that was stripped away in the impressive first 90 minutes is overloaded into the second one and while there's still drama in watching all the villains get their come-uppance, you completely lose the sense of authenticity built up thus far. The soundtrack was confusing too, quite why 50's Frank Sinatra songs proliferate, I can't tell and for some reason the great Spencer Davis Group song "I'm A Man", cut in 1966 gets played as the background to events from three years before.

The use of Nina Simone songs, especially "Sinner Man" did work better but again, like the overall production, they only got this part half-right too. I almost thought that the two parts must have been directed by two different directors but no, it was just poor execution of a good plan, sort of like how the robbers handled their getaway. Was the above review useful to you? 5 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Crooks and cops from United Kingdom 19 December 2013 This two part drama was a retelling of the The Great Train of 1963. The first part was the Robbers Tale which was a straightforward story of the planning and execution of the robbery. This was the most fascinating aspect of the drama as over the years, the personalities of some of the robbers (Ronnie Biggs, Buster Edwards) has overshadowed the events of the Train Robbery and the main players involved. Luke Evans, Martin Compston and Paul Anderson give the best performances. The second part was the Policeman's Tale and featured Jim Broadbent as DCS Butler, hell bent in getting the gang like the sheriff of an old wild west town which was very much how he was introduced.

This was more procedural and not as interesting or riveting as the first part. Incidentally both parts had different directors but Butler was just too much of a dullard and Broadbent looks too old to even be playing a cop on the verge of retirement. Able support by Robert Glenister as the exasperated and interesting to see that 'Slipper of the Yard' (played by Nick Moran) who in later years seemed to have been more prominent in the media as the cop hunting the train robbers was more of a relegated character in this drama. Well now Slipper is dead he will not be able to sue for his lack of prominence as in the past when he was alive he was rather quick to shout libel for any slight shown on his character! Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 2: Train robber Edwards is found hanged | The Independent Train robber Edwards is found hanged Wednesday 30 November 1994 00:02 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Ronald ''Buster'' Edwards, arguably the most feted of the Great Train Robbers, was found hanged in a lock-up garage yesterday after apparently committing suicide.

Edwards, 63, was found by his brother, Terence, hanging from a steel girder inside the garage near Waterloo Station, south London, just after noon. Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious. Widely known for his rehabilitation as a flower-seller at the station, Edwards served nine years for his part in the infamous raid on a Glasgow-to-Euston mail train in 1963. The robbers escaped with pounds 2.6m - the equivalent of about pounds 30m today - but the train driver, Jack Mills, was badly beaten in the process. He never returned to work and died in 1970. Edwards went on the run with his share of the proceeds but surrendered to police three years after the robbery, apparently because of demands for money from the criminal fraternity. He was released in 1975 and opened his flower stall, where he had been seen by tens of thousands of commuters almost every day since. But Edwards was said to hanker after his days as a criminal, and to be bored and depressed by his legitimate life. Staff at local pubs said he drank heavily.

According to witnesses, Edwards was at his stall as usual yesterday but looked ill and depressed. He asked a friend to mind the stall for a short while, but he never returned. Graeme Bradley, a worker on the Jubilee underground line extension, may have been the last man to see Edwards alive. He said: ''When I saw him he looked very poorly, very ill-looking. I asked him what he was doing for Christmas and he didn't seem to know. A couple of hours later one of the lads came into the office and said he was dead''. Speaking from Rio de Janeiro, Ronnie Biggs promised to ''have a couple of beers'' for Edwards, but he said he would not return for the funeral. ''It makes me very sad to learn that Buster has left us in this way,'' said Biggs. ''I always remember him as a jolly fella.'' In 1988, Edwards was plunged back into controversy with the making of Buster, a film starring the singer Phil Collins as Edwards. Critics argued it made a hero out of Edwards and glamourised a brutal crime.

Piers Paul Read, who wrote a book about the robbery in 1978, said Edwards was the man who coshed Mills, although the police never established who struck the blow. Phil Collins was ''very, very saddened'' by the death of Edwards, with whom he had become friendly. ''He always seemed up and he was a bit of a role model: someone having turned his life around. I'll miss him very much,'' said Mr Collins. ''Contrary to what a lot of people who haven't met Buster thought, he was a very warm person.'' Jack Slipper, the detective who tracked Biggs down to Brazil but failed to extradite him, said he was ''saddened'' by Edwards's death. ''I can't say I will miss him, but I am very very sorry to see a man take his own life.'' Since the robbers were captured, rumours have grown of a secret hoard, as much as half the money, that was hidden and never spent. Edwards's modest way of life suggested the rumours may have been false, but Biggs seemed anxious to keep the myth alive. ''He knew where the money was hidden, and he knew the names of the ones who were never caught,'' he said.

''So do I. We will all take that with us to the grave.'' The big mistake, page 26 (Photograph omitted) The Great Train Robbers: Who were they? - BBC News BBC News The Great Train Robbers: Who were they? 18 December 2013 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption From left to right, pictures of Bruce Reynolds, Ronald "Buster" Edwards and Ronnie Biggs released by police at the time of the robbery in 1963 British criminal Ronnie Biggs, best known for his part in the 1963 Great Train Robbery, has died at the age of 84. He was part of the gang that escaped with £2.6m from the Glasgow to London mail train on 8 August 1963. The haul the 15 men secured is the equivalent of £40m in today's money - and was a record at that time. So who was he and who were the other gang members?

Ronnie Biggs Ronald Arthur "Ronnie" Biggs was jailed in 1964 for his part in the robbery, but his subsequent escape from prison and his life as a fugitive for 36 years gained him notoriety. After fleeing over the wall of London's Wandsworth prison in April 1965, Biggs had plastic surgery and moved firstly to Australia and then Brazil, evading a number of arrests, extradition and even kidnap. During this time he courted the media with his story. Eventually in 2001, when he was very ill, he decided to return to Britain to face arrest. His health continued to deteriorate while serving the remainder of his sentence, and he was finally freed in 2009 on "compassionate grounds" by then Justice Secretary Jack Straw. He died in the early hours of 18 December at a care home in East Barnet, north London. Bruce Reynolds Bruce Reynolds, a thief and antiques dealer, planned the robbery that has become one of the most notorious in British criminal history. Nicknamed "Napoleon", he first fled to Mexico on a false passport then later to Canada with his wife Angela and son Nick.

In 1968, five years after the crime, Reynolds returned to England and was captured in Torquay and jailed for 25 years. He was released in 1978 and lived alone and broke in a small flat off London's Edgware Road. He was jailed again in the 1980s for three years for dealing amphetamines. After his second release, Reynolds went on to work briefly as a consultant on a film about the robbery, Buster, and published the Autobiography of a Thief in 1995. He died in his sleep in the early hours of 28 February 2013. Ronald Edwards Ronald "Buster" Edwards, who is perhaps best known as the subject of the 1988 film Buster, in which he was played by singer Phil Collins, is widely believed to have wielded the cosh used to hit train driver Jack Mills over the head. Like Reynolds, the former boxer and club owner fled to Mexico after the robbery, but gave himself up in 1966. After serving nine years in jail, he became a familiar figure selling flowers outside London's Waterloo station.

He was found hanged in a garage in 1994 at the age of 62. Two wreaths in the shape of trains accompanied his funeral cortege. Charles Wilson Charles Frederick Wilson was the "treasurer" who gave each of the robbers their cut of the haul. He was captured quickly and during his trial earned the nickname "the silent man" because he refused to say anything. He was jailed for 30 years but escaped after just four months only to be captured again in Canada after four years on the run. He served another decade behind bars. When he finally emerged from prison in 1978, he moved to Spain where he was shot and killed by a hitman on a bicycle in 1990. Roy James Roy John James, who was the chief getaway driver and nicknamed "Weasel", left a crucial fingerprint at the gang's farm hideout and was eventually caught after a rooftop chase. A silversmith and proficient racing driver, he planned to invest his share of the cash in new car technology. After serving 12 years of a 30-year sentence, he sold silver at a market before moving to Spain.

In 1993 he was jailed again for six years for shooting his wife's father and hitting her with a pistol. He died soon after getting out of prison, aged 62. Brian Field A crooked solicitor, Brian Arthur Field was used to make the arrangements to buy the farm hideout used immediately after the robbery. He was sentenced to 25 years in jail, but that term was later reduced to five. He died in a motorway crash in 1979. He is pictured here arriving with Leonard Field, no relation, for their first court appearance in Linslade, Buckinghamshire, in 1963. A merchant seaman, Leonard Field was sentenced to 25 years, reduced to five. He was released from jail in 1967 and moved to north London. Gordon Goody A hairdresser who was jailed for 30 years and released in 1975, Douglas "Gordon" Goody moved to Spain to run a bar after release. James Hussey A decorator known as "Big Jim", James Hussey was sentenced to 30 years and released in 1975.

After working on a market stall, he later opened a restaurant in Soho. In 1989 he was jailed for seven years for a drug smuggling conspiracy with fellow train robber Wisbey. Roger Cordrey Florist Roger Cordrey was arrested in Bournemouth after renting a lock-up from a policeman's widow. He was jailed for 20 years, reduced to 14 on appeal. Following his release in 1971, he went back to the flower business and moved to the West Country. James White James "Jimmy" White, a former paratrooper, was known as "quartermaster" for the robbery. He was caught in Kent after three years on the run and sentenced to 18 years. He was released in 1975 and moved to Sussex. Tommy Wisbey A bookie and self-confessed "heavy", it was Tommy Wisbey's role to frighten the train staff. He was sentenced to 30 years and released in 1976, but he was jailed for another 10 years in 1989 for cocaine dealing. After his release, he ran a flower stall and went to live in north London.

He suffered several strokes as his health deteriorated. Bobby Welch Nightclub boss Bobby Welch was sentenced to 30 years and released in 1976. He was later left crippled when an operation on his leg went wrong. After jail he became a car dealer and gambler in London. Bill Boal Engineer Bill Boal was arrested with Cordrey in possession of £141,000, charged with receiving stolen goods and jailed for 24 years, reduced to 14 on appeal. Reynolds claimed Boal was not involved in the robbery and was "an innocent man". He died of cancer in jail in 1970. John Wheater A solicitor who was convicted of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. He was sentenced to three years and released in 1966. He went to live in Surrey.

Buster Edwards `too drunk' to have committed suicide | The Independent Buster Edwards `too drunk' to have committed suicide Friday 10 February 1995 00:02 BST Click to follow The Independent Online An open verdict was recorded yesterday on the death of Ronald "Buster" Edwards, the Great Train Robber turned florist, who was found hanged in a lock-up garage. Southwark Coroner's Court was told that Mr Edwards - whose colourful life and role in the robbery was made into the 1988 film Buster - suffered from acute depression and had a serious drink problem. He had made two previous suicide attempts. Sir Montague Levine, the coroner, said that Mr Edwards, 62, who spent three years on the run in Europe and Mexico before serving nine years for his part in the £2m raid on the Euston-to-Glasgow train in 1963, drank a bottle of vodka a day. Medical reports showed his family had "been at the end of their tether" trying to stop him drinking. But a report from one specialist noted he doubted that Mr Edwards really wanted to stop.

When Mr Edwards's brother, Terence, discovered him hanging from a metal girder in the garage near his flower stall at Waterloo station, he had enough alcohol in his body to kill someone unused to drink, the court was told. A small bottle of vodka - one-third full - was found discarded by his body. The pathologist, Dr Vesna Djurovic, said he had died just before he was discovered. Sir Montague said the "enormous quantity of alcohol" in his blood - more than four times the drink-drive limit - cast doubt on his ability to form the intent to take his own life. But he added he was certain no other person was involved. Mr Edwards's wife, June, was too distressed to attend the hearing but his daughter, Nicola, was present. She left the room during the pathologist's evidence. Sir Montague said the family could take comfort from the knowledge that Mr Edwards must have lost consciousness quickly and suffered no pain. The hearing was a quieter affair than the elaborate send-off for Mr Edwards in December which was attended by a number of superannuated career criminals, including two of the nine surviving train robbers and Charlie Kray, elder brother of the Kray twins.

But there was still a touch of style. The family was collected from court by a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce with heavily tinted windows. A family friend, who was allowed to ask questions of witnesses, provided the only excitement when he was chased by photographers after becoming rather camera shy outside the court. In court, Terence said his brother had been depressed that his business was losing trade because of the extension to the London Underground Jubilee Line. But he added he was sure the depression and drinking stemmed from his nine years in prison. Mr Edwards opened the stall after being released from prison in 1975. In a magazine interview the man who was played on screen by Phil Collins gave an insight into the predicament of going straight. "I know I'm lucky to have got a chance to have this stall and be my own boss but it's so dreary compared with the life I used to lead," he said. "It wasn't even the money.

I've been on jobs that haven't netted me a penny but, oh, does the adrenaline flow." More about: 21st October 2011, 4:58 PM Steven Russell pictured in 1997 (Photo: George Hixson) Steven Russell was originally imprisoned for fraud. Four successful, non-violent, love-fuelled prison-escapes later and he has achieved infamy. His life is immortalised in the film ‘I Love You Phillip Morris’, in which he is portrayed by Jim Carrey. He is currently serving a 144-year sentence in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility. Laurence Watts interviewed him by exchange of letters. Moviegoers love a good crime flick. We love a good chase and we love to watch hapless police being given the run-around by criminals and conmen. We especially love it when these words appear on screen: based on a true story. Hollywood knows this. Thus, Phil Collins played Great Train Robber Buster Edwards in the 1988 film Buster and Leonardo DiCaprio played forger and impersonator Frank Abagnale in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can.

What was different about Jim Carrey’s decision to play fraudster and escape artist Steven Russell in 2010’s I Love You Phillip Morris was his character’s sexuality: Steven Russell is gay, on screen and in real life. How involved was he with the movie? “Not at all,” he tells me. “Phillip was involved extensively. He was released in November 2003. Ewan McGregor spent a few days with him at his home in Arkansas. I’ve only seen bits of the movie during media interviews, but from what I’ve seen the movie looks awesome. After the film was released my mail increased from about five or six letters a month to thousands.” Russell’s infamy began on March 13th 1992 when he escaped from Harris County Jail, Houston, Texas. When Russell had been sentenced a month earlier he knew that if he remained in prison he would never again see his lover, Jim Kemple, alive. Kemple had AIDS. “Keep in mind that Texas was asking me to serve ten years for insurance fraud, another six months for passport fraud and Virginia wanted 90 days of jail time from me for theft,” says Russell.

“By the time I was to get out of prison, Jim would be dead.” Russell decided to escape. He studiously observed the prison’s guards, acquired a t-shirt and some red sweat pants and stole a Walkie Talkie. When the time was right he changed out of his prison jumpsuit, into his new clothes, walked past the prison guards, into the visitors’ area and out through the front door. “My first escape worked because I used that portable police radio to tap on the window of the guard’s picket. The guards thought I was an undercover police officer. It was such an adrenaline rush. Those first moments of freedom felt amazing. Best of all I knew I would get to see and take care of Jimmy. He lived another 26 months after my escape.” Russell and Kemple fled to Mexico City, only returning to America because of money issues and Kemple’s health. Russell spent two years on the run with Kemple, caring for him as his health deteriorated. Eventually the police tracked Russell down in Philadelphia. He was back in custody. Kemple died a few weeks later, which devastated Russell. In the spring of the following year, 1995, Russell met Phillip Morris in the prison law library.

Morris was serving time for automobile-related theft. They fell in love. By the end of the year they were both paroled and set about building a life together. Eager to provide for Morris, Russell falsified his resume and got a job as the CFO of a health management organisation called NAMM. During the four months he worked for them, in early 1996, he stole $800,000. Why wasn’t going straight an option for him? “The HMOs put Jim and I through hell during his illness,” says Russell. “They wouldn’t cover the cost of certain treatments. At NAMM I watched executives badger their medical directors to put pressure on network physicians to get patients out of the hospital as soon as possible because otherwise it would affect their bonus. That got my revenge genes all greased up. I decided to make NAMM pay for their deeds as well as the other HMO’s deeds towards Jimmy.” Russell was back in jail at the end of May 1996. Pending trial and facing a 45-year sentence for theft, his bail was initially set at $900,000. Russell decided 45 years was simply too long to serve.

Impersonating a judge, he called the district clerk’s office and reduced his bail amount to $45,000. Once free on bail, he fled. It was his second escape. Three days later however he’d been caught and was back in jail. His third escape happened five months later when he again walked out the prison’s front door. This time he was dressed as a doctor, having dyed a white pair of prison scrubs green using water and Magic Marker pens. He and Phillip fled to Mississippi, but were arrested within ten days. Russell’s fourth and final escape was his most audacious. He falsified his medical records, lost a huge amount of weight and faked the symptoms of late stage AIDS. Believing he was about to die the authorities admitted him to a hospice near San Antonio on special needs parole in March 1998. Next, Russell called the hospice from an internal phone, impersonating a doctor specialising in experimental AIDS treatment. He had himself taken away from the centre to take part in the fictitious treatment and later declared himself dead. He was free. Did he feel bad about the fraud? After all, his former lover died of AIDS. “No,” says Russell.

“In Texas, an escape from custody can be prevented using deadly force. An escape will never be successful unless you use the least intrusive means of escaping. I viewed the AIDS blast of 1998 as the safest way for everyone involved to accomplish my goal of escaping.” Since Russell is once again behind bars it goes without saying that he was recaptured. He was caught because he refused to let go of something law officials could track: Phillip Morris. Because of his track record Russell is now kept in what is effectively solitary confinement. It wasn’t always like this for him. What is prison generally like for gay men? “It’s not easy being in prison if you’re gay,” says Russell. “If you aren’t willing to fight, it’s going to be hell. The vultures, who consider themselves straight, are going to try and have sex with someone who is openly gay.” I mention Britain’s Kray twins, both of who spent more than 25 years in prison for racketeering. While Ronnie Kray was openly bisexual before his imprisonment, his twin Reggie reportedly started having relationships with men only after many years in prison. Can prison change someone’s sexuality? “No,” answers Russell.

“I happen to believe that if a man has sex with another man in prison then he is either gay or bisexual. Coming to prison did nothing to change his sexual proclivity.” Catch Me If You Can’s Frank Abagnale served just five years in jail. He was released on condition he assist federal authorities counter the types of forging he had perpetrated. Would Russell consider a similar deal consulting on prison security? “I think it would be an excellent career,” he says. “However prison officials think they know everything and would never accept advice from an ex-con. That’s why you’ve never heard of it happening.” With no further escapes in the last 13 years, the additional security Russell is now placed under might be said to be working. It is however hard to see what danger he still poses to society. Does he hold out any hope that he might one day be released? “It’s not something I spend much time focusing on,” he says. “Don’t take that to mean that I’m a negative person. I just realise the odds are against me. The folks who run this state took what I’ve done personal. Right now though, I’m doing just fine without all of the drama my prior life afforded me.”

Question: Who played Great Train Robber Buster Edwards in the 1988 film ‘Buster’?
Answer: Phil Collins