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Last Clear Chance

January 05, 2023

For the legal doctrine, see Last clear chance.

Last Clear Chance is a 1959 American short film produced and directed by Robert Carlisle.

Last Clear Chance
Title card
Directed byRobert Carlisle
Screenplay byLeland Baxter
Produced byRobert Carlisle
StarringWilliam Boyett
Harold Agee
Mrs. Harold Agee
William Agee
Narrated byWilliam Boyett
CinematographyBert Spielvogel
Edited byMort Fallick
Production
companies
Wondsel, Carlisle & Dunphy Inc
Distributed byUnion Pacific Railroad
Release date
  • 1959 (1959)
Running time
25 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Background

Sponsored by Union Pacific Railroad, Last Clear Chance is a high school safety film intended to warn young drivers to be careful at railroad crossings. The film's cast consists of William Boyett, Harold Agee, Mrs. Harold Agee, Tim Bosworth, William Agee, Christine Lynch, and Lou Spraker. Written by Leland Baxter, the film was shot in parts of Idaho. Wondsel, Carlisle & Dunphy Inc, based in New York City, served as the film's production company.

The film centers on the Dixon family, in particular Alan Dixon, who has recently received his driver's license and is eager to begin driving a car. When local police officer Hal Jackson visits the Dixons and learns that Alan's license has arrived, he sits down and tells Alan ways to drive safely and avoid getting into accidents. Although the film is fictional, it was inspired by a real family who experienced a scenario similar to the film. During production, assistance was provided by staff of the National Safety Council, along with the Idaho State Police and the Colorado State Patrol.

Last Clear Chance was distributed by Union Pacific and was featured in a 1993 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. A copy of the film is preserved in the Prelinger Archives, where it is able to be downloaded or streamed online free of charge.

Plot

Idaho police officer Hal Jackson (William Boyett) arrives at the funeral for a young man from the Dixon family who has died in a car accident. Hal, a friend of the Dixon family, does not go inside, feeling it would be too difficult to take. Hal finds it hard to believe that, only a few days ago, the Dixons were a relatively regular family. In flashback, he recounts what led to this death. Frank Jr. (Bill Agee) has returned home for the summer to aid his father, Frank Sr. (Harold Agee), on the family farm. He also visits his girlfriend Betty Hutchins (Christine Lynch). When Frank Sr.'s new tractor arrives at the local train station, Frank Jr.'s brother Alan (Tim Bosworth) wishes to drive it, having recently taken a driver's test. His father disallows it, so Frank Jr. drives it home.

The next day, Alan discovers that his license has arrived in the mail. Ecstatic, he wishes to drive immediately, asking his family members if they need help with any errands. Later, Hal shows up at the Dixon home. Knowing that Alan's license had been scheduled to arrive, he begins to talk to Alan, telling him about things he should know in order to be able to drive safely, the primary emphasis being on railroad crossings: heeding signal lights, listening for train horns and being wary around double-track crossings. As Jackson finishes giving the advice, Frank Jr. and Betty return home. Alan asks his father if he can drive the car into town. His father lets him, and Frank Jr. and Betty agree to go with him to make sure he arrives safely.

Alan begins driving the car down the road, and sees Frank Jr. and Betty in front of him. They look behind to wave to Alan, and he waves back. However, the pair keep driving while looking backwards. Observing that a railroad with an oncoming train is near, Alan desperately tries to signal to them to stop waving and look ahead. When they do not pay attention to him and continue waving, Alan shields his eyes as the two drive right into the path of the train and are struck off-camera. In the aftermath, the car is wrecked on its side, a sheet is pulled over Frank’s nearby body, and Betty is on a gurney and being loaded into the rear of an ambulance by somber medics.

Back in the present, at the funeral, Hal enters his police car, determined to go back on the road in order to prevent more traffic accidents from occurring, notably in the name of convenient law breaking.

While the primary focus is on driver safety near railroad crossings, other basic driving safety rules are reinforced, such as not passing on hills or curves, not driving or pulling over when fatigued or sleepy and not being a distracted driver. Alan is also shown a police report of an accident where an acquaintance of his had died in an accident due to his reckless driving. Filling out the film is a nostalgic look back at the early 1900s, when such things as horseless carriages were parts of everyday life and four-lane superhighways—in the late 1950s still a relatively new concept—weren't even thought of, and slower and less congested roadways meant fewer dangers in driving; however, Hal cautions that his point is that the human body hasn't changed and that even more attention to safety must be heeded.

Production

The entire film is in the public domain, as a copyright was never registered.[1]

Last Clear Chance was produced and directed by Robert Carlisle.[1] The production was supervised by Francis B. Lewis, who was the Union Pacific Railroad's Director of Safety and Courtesy.[2] Assistance on research for the film was provided by staff of the National Safety Council.[3] A note at the end of the film gives thanks to the Idaho State Police, the Colorado State Patrol, and their respective staffs for "their unstinted cooperation and assistance in making this film."[4]

The film features William Boyett as police officer Hal Jackson. Frank Dixon, Sr. is played by Harold Agee, while his wife Suzanne (billed only as "Mrs. Harold Agee") plays the role of Mrs. Dixon. Future corporate executive William Agee, Harold's real-life son, plays Frank Dixon, Jr. with Christine Lynch appearing as his girlfriend, Betty Hutchins. Tim Bosworth was cast as Alan Dixon, and Lou Spraker plays the grandfather.[5] The film, written by Leland Baxter,[1] features a scenario that was inspired by a real-life family.[6] Bert Spielvogel served as the cinematographer for Last Clear Chance,[1] with Peter Norman working as assistant cameraman.[7] Shot in Kodachrome.[8]

Filming locations include:

≈ 0:40 - 1:57 and 23:25 - 23:47 Kohlerlawn Cemetery 300 6th St. N Nampa, Idaho ( 43°35'30.29"N 116°33'48.16"W )

≈2:29 - 3:12 Union Pacific depot, Meridian, Idaho;[6] [demolished] ( 43°36'31.67"N 116°23'26.10"W )

≈3:13 - 3:33 Crossing at Main (First) St and Boise Valley RR MP 457.53 Meridian, ID ( 43°36'30.95"N 116°23'29.44"W )

≈19:18 - 19:31 Bridge (Avalon) St Kuna, ID at UP crossing MP 447.23 ( 43°29'20.82"N 116°25'15.11"W )

Main character Hal wears an Idaho State Police uniform.[9] Mort Fallick was the film's editor.[7]

Made five years after The Days of Our Years,[8] another Union Pacific Railroad-sponsored safety film that was also spoofed by MST3K,[10][11] Last Clear Chance was produced by Wondsel, Carlisle and Dunphy, Inc. in order to inform young drivers how to make sure to avoid accidents.[8] Archivist, author, and filmmaker Rick Prelinger notes that the film also includes other themes, such as "a teen’s feeling of invulnerability, the police officer as authority figure, and the train’s dual role as economic partner and potential killer."[6] Prelinger believes that "longer films aspire to higher goals, and one way to achieve these goals is to pack them with hints of meaning in many directions."[8]

Release and legacy

Last Clear Chance was originally distributed only in western states that were served by Union Pacific. It was released in 16 mm film,[6] and by 1960 was described as being "shown widely in all sections of the country."[3] A copyright on the film was not registered,[1] and it is in the public domain. A copy of the film is in the Prelinger Archives, and as such it is available to be freely downloaded or streamed from the Internet Archive.[12]

The film was received positively by many people who worked in the safety industry, with it being reported that many of them considered it to be "the most moving and hard-hitting educational film on highway grade crossing accident prevention and traffic safety in recent years."[3] It received an award at a national safety film contest.[3] Rick Prelinger described the film as being "engaging"[8] and opined that it was a "skillful drama."[6] Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict branded the film as "hyper somber" and wrote that "we learn, finally, why reckless driving, trains, and painful automotive accidents don't mix. The question everyone keeps asking is 'Why don't they look?' The answer is simple. They're dopes!"[13]

 
Rick Prelinger used clips from Last Clear Chance in his film Panorama Ephemera.

Last Clear Chance was featured in an episode of the comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. Last Clear Chance appeared in the twentieth episode of the fifth season,[13] which was originally broadcast on December 18, 1993. Last Clear Chance became a "huge hit" thanks to its appearance on the show,[9] and it has been described as one of the "Mystery Science Theater 3000 favorites."[14] Actor and writer Kevin Murphy, who plays Tom Servo on the show, opined that Last Clear Chance "is right up there with my all-time favorite shorts."[15] Rhino Entertainment has released the segment featuring Last Clear Chance on VHS, as part of Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Shorts Volume 2.[16] Shorts Volume 2 was later re-released on DVD in 2003, as part of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 3.[13]

Clips from Last Clear Chance are featured in 2004's Panorama Ephemera, a film created by Rick Prelinger which compiles clips from 64 short films in order to form a cohesive narrative.[17] The clip used from Last Clear Chance is the scene where Frank Jr. and Betty drive into the path of an oncoming train.[18] Panorama Ephemera can be downloaded or streamed for free at the Internet Archive.[19]

It was also spoofed by RiffTrax on August 9, 2022.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Prelinger 2006, p. 52
  2. ^ Carlise, Robert (1959). Last Clear Chance (MP4) (film). Archive.org. Event occurs at 24:44. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d National Safety Council 1960, p. 139
  4. ^ Carlise, Robert (1959). Last Clear Chance (MP4) (film). Archive.org. Event occurs at 25:20. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  5. ^ Carlise, Robert (1959). Last Clear Chance (MP4) (film). Archive.org. Event occurs at 25:05. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e Prelinger 2006, p. 53
  7. ^ a b Carlise, Robert (1959). Last Clear Chance (MP4) (film). Archive.org. Event occurs at 24:53. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d e Reinke & Taylor 2000, p. 204
  9. ^ a b Reinke & Taylor 2000, p. 205
  10. ^ Reinke & Taylor 2000, p. 201
  11. ^ MST3K treatment of Days of Our Years on Shout Factory TV
  12. ^ "Last Clear Chance". Prelinger Archives. Internet Archive. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  13. ^ a b c Gibron, Bill (July 9, 2003). . DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  14. ^ Bowman, Donna. "The Field Guide To Sponsored Films - Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  15. ^ Beaulieu 1996, p. 103
  16. ^ Gale 2007, p. 2004
  17. ^ Dargis, Manohla (April 4, 2005). "In Snippets, an America That Ducked and Covered". The New York Times. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  18. ^ Prelinger, Rick (2004). Panorama Ephemera (MP4) (film). Archive.org. Event occurs at 1:26:18. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  19. ^ Prelinger, Rick. "Panorama Ephemera". Internet Archive. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  20. ^ RiffTrax

Bibliography

  • Beaulieu, Trace (1 April 1996). The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide. Bantam Books. ISBN 978-0-553-37783-5.
  • Gale, Thomson (October 2007). Video Sourcebook: A Guide to Programs Currently Available on Video in the Areas Of: Movies/Entertainment, General Interest/Education, Sports/Recreation, Fine Arts, Heal. Gale / Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-4144-0099-0.
  • National Safety Council (1960). Transactions - National Safety Congress.
  • Prelinger, Rick (2006). The Field Guide to Sponsored Films. National Film Preservation Foundation. ISBN 978-0-9747099-3-2.
  • Reinke, Steve; Taylor, Tom (1 January 2000). Lux: A Decade of Artists' Film and Video. YYZ Books/Pleasure Dome. ISBN 9780920397268.

External links

  • Last Clear Chance at IMDb
  • The short film Last Clear Chance is available for free download at the Internet Archive.
  • MST3K treatment on Shout Factory TV

January 05, 2023
last, clear, chance, legal, doctrine, last, clear, chance, 1959, american, short, film, produced, directed, robert, carlisle, title, carddirected, byrobert, carlislescreenplay, byleland, baxterproduced, byrobert, carlislestarringwilliam, boyettharold, ageemrs,. For the legal doctrine see Last clear chance Last Clear Chance is a 1959 American short film produced and directed by Robert Carlisle Last Clear ChanceTitle cardDirected byRobert CarlisleScreenplay byLeland BaxterProduced byRobert CarlisleStarringWilliam BoyettHarold AgeeMrs Harold AgeeWilliam AgeeNarrated byWilliam BoyettCinematographyBert SpielvogelEdited byMort FallickProductioncompaniesWondsel Carlisle amp Dunphy IncDistributed byUnion Pacific RailroadRelease date1959 1959 Running time25 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish Contents 1 Background 2 Plot 3 Production 4 Release and legacy 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External linksBackground EditSponsored by Union Pacific Railroad Last Clear Chance is a high school safety film intended to warn young drivers to be careful at railroad crossings The film s cast consists of William Boyett Harold Agee Mrs Harold Agee Tim Bosworth William Agee Christine Lynch and Lou Spraker Written by Leland Baxter the film was shot in parts of Idaho Wondsel Carlisle amp Dunphy Inc based in New York City served as the film s production company The film centers on the Dixon family in particular Alan Dixon who has recently received his driver s license and is eager to begin driving a car When local police officer Hal Jackson visits the Dixons and learns that Alan s license has arrived he sits down and tells Alan ways to drive safely and avoid getting into accidents Although the film is fictional it was inspired by a real family who experienced a scenario similar to the film During production assistance was provided by staff of the National Safety Council along with the Idaho State Police and the Colorado State Patrol Last Clear Chance was distributed by Union Pacific and was featured in a 1993 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 A copy of the film is preserved in the Prelinger Archives where it is able to be downloaded or streamed online free of charge Plot EditIdaho police officer Hal Jackson William Boyett arrives at the funeral for a young man from the Dixon family who has died in a car accident Hal a friend of the Dixon family does not go inside feeling it would be too difficult to take Hal finds it hard to believe that only a few days ago the Dixons were a relatively regular family In flashback he recounts what led to this death Frank Jr Bill Agee has returned home for the summer to aid his father Frank Sr Harold Agee on the family farm He also visits his girlfriend Betty Hutchins Christine Lynch When Frank Sr s new tractor arrives at the local train station Frank Jr s brother Alan Tim Bosworth wishes to drive it having recently taken a driver s test His father disallows it so Frank Jr drives it home The next day Alan discovers that his license has arrived in the mail Ecstatic he wishes to drive immediately asking his family members if they need help with any errands Later Hal shows up at the Dixon home Knowing that Alan s license had been scheduled to arrive he begins to talk to Alan telling him about things he should know in order to be able to drive safely the primary emphasis being on railroad crossings heeding signal lights listening for train horns and being wary around double track crossings As Jackson finishes giving the advice Frank Jr and Betty return home Alan asks his father if he can drive the car into town His father lets him and Frank Jr and Betty agree to go with him to make sure he arrives safely Alan begins driving the car down the road and sees Frank Jr and Betty in front of him They look behind to wave to Alan and he waves back However the pair keep driving while looking backwards Observing that a railroad with an oncoming train is near Alan desperately tries to signal to them to stop waving and look ahead When they do not pay attention to him and continue waving Alan shields his eyes as the two drive right into the path of the train and are struck off camera In the aftermath the car is wrecked on its side a sheet is pulled over Frank s nearby body and Betty is on a gurney and being loaded into the rear of an ambulance by somber medics Back in the present at the funeral Hal enters his police car determined to go back on the road in order to prevent more traffic accidents from occurring notably in the name of convenient law breaking While the primary focus is on driver safety near railroad crossings other basic driving safety rules are reinforced such as not passing on hills or curves not driving or pulling over when fatigued or sleepy and not being a distracted driver Alan is also shown a police report of an accident where an acquaintance of his had died in an accident due to his reckless driving Filling out the film is a nostalgic look back at the early 1900s when such things as horseless carriages were parts of everyday life and four lane superhighways in the late 1950s still a relatively new concept weren t even thought of and slower and less congested roadways meant fewer dangers in driving however Hal cautions that his point is that the human body hasn t changed and that even more attention to safety must be heeded Production Edit source source source source source source source source The entire film is in the public domain as a copyright was never registered 1 Last Clear Chance was produced and directed by Robert Carlisle 1 The production was supervised by Francis B Lewis who was the Union Pacific Railroad s Director of Safety and Courtesy 2 Assistance on research for the film was provided by staff of the National Safety Council 3 A note at the end of the film gives thanks to the Idaho State Police the Colorado State Patrol and their respective staffs for their unstinted cooperation and assistance in making this film 4 The film features William Boyett as police officer Hal Jackson Frank Dixon Sr is played by Harold Agee while his wife Suzanne billed only as Mrs Harold Agee plays the role of Mrs Dixon Future corporate executive William Agee Harold s real life son plays Frank Dixon Jr with Christine Lynch appearing as his girlfriend Betty Hutchins Tim Bosworth was cast as Alan Dixon and Lou Spraker plays the grandfather 5 The film written by Leland Baxter 1 features a scenario that was inspired by a real life family 6 Bert Spielvogel served as the cinematographer for Last Clear Chance 1 with Peter Norman working as assistant cameraman 7 Shot in Kodachrome 8 Filming locations include 0 40 1 57 and 23 25 23 47 Kohlerlawn Cemetery 300 6th St N Nampa Idaho 43 35 30 29 N 116 33 48 16 W 2 29 3 12 Union Pacific depot Meridian Idaho 6 demolished 43 36 31 67 N 116 23 26 10 W 3 13 3 33 Crossing at Main First St and Boise Valley RR MP 457 53 Meridian ID 43 36 30 95 N 116 23 29 44 W 19 18 19 31 Bridge Avalon St Kuna ID at UP crossing MP 447 23 43 29 20 82 N 116 25 15 11 W Main character Hal wears an Idaho State Police uniform 9 Mort Fallick was the film s editor 7 Made five years after The Days of Our Years 8 another Union Pacific Railroad sponsored safety film that was also spoofed by MST3K 10 11 Last Clear Chance was produced by Wondsel Carlisle and Dunphy Inc in order to inform young drivers how to make sure to avoid accidents 8 Archivist author and filmmaker Rick Prelinger notes that the film also includes other themes such as a teen s feeling of invulnerability the police officer as authority figure and the train s dual role as economic partner and potential killer 6 Prelinger believes that longer films aspire to higher goals and one way to achieve these goals is to pack them with hints of meaning in many directions 8 Release and legacy EditLast Clear Chance was originally distributed only in western states that were served by Union Pacific It was released in 16 mm film 6 and by 1960 was described as being shown widely in all sections of the country 3 A copyright on the film was not registered 1 and it is in the public domain A copy of the film is in the Prelinger Archives and as such it is available to be freely downloaded or streamed from the Internet Archive 12 The film was received positively by many people who worked in the safety industry with it being reported that many of them considered it to be the most moving and hard hitting educational film on highway grade crossing accident prevention and traffic safety in recent years 3 It received an award at a national safety film contest 3 Rick Prelinger described the film as being engaging 8 and opined that it was a skillful drama 6 Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict branded the film as hyper somber and wrote that we learn finally why reckless driving trains and painful automotive accidents don t mix The question everyone keeps asking is Why don t they look The answer is simple They re dopes 13 Rick Prelinger used clips from Last Clear Chance in his film Panorama Ephemera Last Clear Chance was featured in an episode of the comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 Last Clear Chance appeared in the twentieth episode of the fifth season 13 which was originally broadcast on December 18 1993 Last Clear Chance became a huge hit thanks to its appearance on the show 9 and it has been described as one of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 favorites 14 Actor and writer Kevin Murphy who plays Tom Servo on the show opined that Last Clear Chance is right up there with my all time favorite shorts 15 Rhino Entertainment has released the segment featuring Last Clear Chance on VHS as part of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Shorts Volume 2 16 Shorts Volume 2 was later re released on DVD in 2003 as part of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection Volume 3 13 Clips from Last Clear Chance are featured in 2004 s Panorama Ephemera a film created by Rick Prelinger which compiles clips from 64 short films in order to form a cohesive narrative 17 The clip used from Last Clear Chance is the scene where Frank Jr and Betty drive into the path of an oncoming train 18 Panorama Ephemera can be downloaded or streamed for free at the Internet Archive 19 It was also spoofed by RiffTrax on August 9 2022 20 References Edit a b c d e Prelinger 2006 p 52 Carlise Robert 1959 Last Clear Chance MP4 film Archive org Event occurs at 24 44 Retrieved November 9 2013 a b c d National Safety Council 1960 p 139 Carlise Robert 1959 Last Clear Chance MP4 film Archive org Event occurs at 25 20 Retrieved November 9 2013 Carlise Robert 1959 Last Clear Chance MP4 film Archive org Event occurs at 25 05 Retrieved November 9 2013 a b c d e Prelinger 2006 p 53 a b Carlise Robert 1959 Last Clear Chance MP4 film Archive org Event occurs at 24 53 Retrieved November 9 2013 a b c d e Reinke amp Taylor 2000 p 204 a b Reinke amp Taylor 2000 p 205 Reinke amp Taylor 2000 p 201 MST3K treatment of Days of Our Years on Shout Factory TV Last Clear Chance Prelinger Archives Internet Archive Retrieved November 10 2013 a b c Gibron Bill July 9 2003 Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection Volume 3 DVD Verdict Archived from the original on April 14 2009 Retrieved November 10 2013 Bowman Donna The Field Guide To Sponsored Films Review The A V Club Retrieved November 10 2013 Beaulieu 1996 p 103 Gale 2007 p 2004 Dargis Manohla April 4 2005 In Snippets an America That Ducked and Covered The New York Times Retrieved November 10 2013 Prelinger Rick 2004 Panorama Ephemera MP4 film Archive org Event occurs at 1 26 18 Retrieved November 10 2013 Prelinger Rick Panorama Ephemera Internet Archive Retrieved November 10 2013 RiffTraxBibliography EditBeaulieu Trace 1 April 1996 The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide Bantam Books ISBN 978 0 553 37783 5 Gale Thomson October 2007 Video Sourcebook A Guide to Programs Currently Available on Video in the Areas Of Movies Entertainment General Interest Education Sports Recreation Fine Arts Heal Gale Cengage Learning ISBN 978 1 4144 0099 0 National Safety Council 1960 Transactions National Safety Congress Prelinger Rick 2006 The Field Guide to Sponsored Films National Film Preservation Foundation ISBN 978 0 9747099 3 2 Reinke Steve Taylor Tom 1 January 2000 Lux A Decade of Artists Film and Video YYZ Books Pleasure Dome ISBN 9780920397268 External links EditLast Clear Chance at IMDb The short film Last Clear Chance is available for free download at the Internet Archive MST3K treatment on Shout Factory TVPortal Film Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Last Clear Chance amp oldid 1125051971, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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