Orphan Train (film)

Orphan Train is an American TV movie directed by William Graham which was broadcast on December 22, 1979.

Orphan Train
Genre	Drama
Written by	Millard Lampell
Story by	Dorothea G. Petrie
Directed by	William A. Graham
Starring	Jill Eikenberry Kevin Dobson Linda Manz Melissa Michaelsen
Music by	Laurence Rosenthal
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producers	Tony Converse Roger Gimbel Dorothea G. Petrie Marian Rees
Production locations	Black Hills of South Dakota Savannah, Georgia
Cinematography	Terry K. Meade
Editor	Aaron Stell
Running time	153 minutes
Production company	EMI Television
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	December 22, 1979 (1979-12-22)

Plot

In 1854, over 10,000 abandoned orphan children were living on the streets of New York City. The Orphan Train Movement was created out of this situation as a plan to transport the children to the Midwest where they would have better prospects.

The movie begins by introducing two orphaned brothers, Ben and Tony, who catch rats and sell them to a salon to be used in gambling for a few cents. Ben, the younger brother, hears a train and gets excited, saying Reverend Simms promised to take the orphans on a train to live in the west, but Tony informs him that they're not going anywhere, as Reverend Simms is dead. After selling the rats for less than what was promised to them, a teenaged boy called Liverpool stops them in an ally and takes the money, telling them to go and eat at the mission if they want food. They go to the Children's Rescue Mission, which is now run by Miss. Emma Simms, the late Reverend's niece, and Mr. McGarety, an elderly gentleman. As the children are eating, a young boy called Mouse runs in exclaiming that they're hanging Danny, a teenage orphan, and everyone rushes to watch. As Danny is about to be executed for theft and assaulting a policeman, Liverpool comes from the crowd and asks to tell him goodbye. Danny gives Liverpool his shoes as the two share a silent farewell. Miss. Simms is mortified that the city would kill someone that young, and remembers her uncle's dream to take such children out west for a better life, and decides that she will try to raise the funds to take the children herself. The next day, Miss Simms goes to ask a Reverend and some of his wealthy colleges for donations, but many doubt that the orphans will be wanted out west, as in the city, they are considered vagrants and troublemakers.

Liverpool and Mouse, another young orphaned boy, are robbing a fruit cart to get something to eat when the police catch them. Liverpool tells Mouse to run, distracting the officer before escaping himself. JP sees the incident, but when the officer asks if he knows where Liverpool has gone, he denies it. JP enters an old, rundown theater, to see his mother, who works there. It is revealed that he is actually a girl named Josephine, but she must pretend to be a boy to sell newspapers to support herself. Her mother tells her that she is leaving town, but is unable to bring JP, and the two say goodbye. Next, we see another orphaned girl, Sara, who works for Madam Flora. Sara is told to steal money from the men who come to Flora's business, implied to be a prostitution operation. When a man catches her in the act, Flora tries to make her "apologize" to the man. She runs away the next morning and sees JP, who tells her that the mission will help her now.

Miss Simms is seen with her friend Jessica Martin. She says that everyone she has talked to about the orphan train thinks is it a great plan, but is unwilling to offer ample help. Jessica says that she has no money of her own to give, but knows someone who may be able to supply a railroad car for traveling, a railroad man called Mr. Barrington. At the train stating, Mr. Barrington is listening to a journalist and photographer, Frank Carlin, trying to convince him for a ticket and supplies in exchange for doing a story about the railroad. Miss Simms arrives and only agrees to give her a donation, not a railroad car, which is what the mission needs. Carlin learns of her plan and think it would make a great story. He is able to convince Barrington for the train car, saying that the story would be a best seller.

Miss Simms returns to the mission with the good news, informing the children that they will be leaving in three days. The children are very happy, and go out to spread the word, when JP tells Miss Simms that Sara is missing. Miss Simms goes to find Liverpool, whom JP claims knows how to find her, and meets him in an alley. She recognizes him as Danny's friend, and tries to convince him to come west with the mission instead of ending up like his friend. Liverpool is uninterested, but eventually tells Miss Simms that Sara was forced to go back to Flora's house. Miss Simms ends up paying the two hundred dollars intended for the journey to buy Sara's freedom. Miss Simms tells Jessica that she was wrong, and that they will be unable to travel, but Jessica gives her some expensive jewelry to pay for the trip, saying she believes what they are doing is a great thing. Mouse runs in, yelling that the police have arrested Liverpool (who appears to be a hero to Mouse), and Miss Simms goes to convince the officers to let him come on the train instead of hanging him.

When the children arrive at the train station, ready to leave, the car they were provided with turns out to be in horrible shape, but having no choice, Miss Simms agrees to take it. Some of the many children traveling include Ben and Tony, Liverpool, JP, Sara, and Mouse, in addition to Bruce, a bully, Annie, a young girl with a limp, and Dutch, a young boy who speaks no English. Dutch sees JP take some of Miss Simms's jewelry but is unable to communicate what happened. As the train travels, they are delighted to see the mountains and hills, but Mr. Carlin informs them that the west will not be the fantasy life they dreamed it would be, angering Miss Simms. A few days later, JP, who is still dressed as a boy, enters Mr. Carlin's car, where she looks through some of his photographs. When he catches her, he gets very anger and hits her, causing her to climb atop the moving train. After the insistence of Miss Simms, he goes after her, and the two almost fall. JP goes to apologize and clean up the mess she made, and the two begin to develop a special bond. The train approaches its first stop of Kilgore, and the children are very eager and excited that they may have families of their own soon. Miss Simms goes to find the Reverend she wrote to about the children, but finds that he has left the area, and that there are no families waiting for the children. They are very disappointed and are about to get back on the train, when Liverpool takes off running. Mr. Carlin chases and catches him, and Miss Simms tries to convince him to stay. He tells her that he can make it on his own, and she shops fighting him, telling him to leave if he wants to. He begins walking away, but as the train begins to pull away, he jumps back on, much to the delight of Mouse, and even uses his knife to help cut up the children's loaves of bread, realizing that he is lucky to have been given a second chance.

That night, Mouse is unable to sleep, and tells Miss Simms that he wants a family, but is worried that she will be all alone if all the children are chosen. She tells him that she is not married, and when he asks why, she shares that someone asked her once, but she said no in order to run the mission. The next day, the train reaches the next train station, at which many people are gathered to see the children. The children hurry out of the train, and are photographed by Mr. Carlin for his article. At first. many of the townspeople seem unimpressed with the children's ragged and frail appearance, and when asked who would like to select a child, only one couple comes forward. The man and woman end up taking Mouse. More people begin to warm up to the children. One man is interested in Tony, but would not be able to take Ben as well, and Miss Simms insists that the brothers must stay together. Dutch is chosen by a man and women who speak German, which turns out to be his native language. The town barber wants to take Sara, but Liverpool convinces Miss Simms not to let her go, as she knows the man will "use" her like the people at Floras. Meanwhile, Bruce is taken in as a farmhand, and JP, who seems uninterested in looking for a family, talks to Mr. Carlin and helps him take more photographs. She is disappointed that he will be going to California soon, and hints that she would like to come with him. Liverpool makes himself seem unappealing by describing his jail time and smoking habits, much to Miss Simms's dismay. As the train is about to leave, Mouse sadly says goodbye to Liverpool and Miss Simms, and the children who were not chosen get back on the train to travel to their next destination.

That night, Sara talks to Miss Simms, who reveals that her parents are both dead, and Sara concludes that she is an orphan just like the kids on the train. The train soon reaches its next stop, Clayhorn, where a line of townspeople await their arrival, but before they can get off the train, Mr. Jed Clayhorn, who was seen before speaking to Mr. Carlin about the children, states that none of the children will be welcome in his town. He tells the townspeople that the children are beggars and troublemakers, using Liverpool as a prime example after overhearing him say he spent time in jail. According to Mr. Clayborn, if anyone takes a child, they will not be able to rent land from him anymore, causing everyone to slowly walk away. Several young boys from the town begin throwing eggs and rock at the coach. Liverpool jump off the train, followed by Tony and JP, and the three begin fighting the boys in retaliation, forcing Mr. Carlin and Miss Simms to break up the scuffle. After the fight, JP confesses that she is a girl.

The next night, Sara and Liverpool lie awake. When she tells him she was afraid for him in the fight, he confesses that he gets scared too, but never shows it because when people know you're afraid, they hurt you even more. When the train encounters a problem, a fire starts in the children's car, which is put out by Carlin, who makes sure no one is hurt. He returns to see Miss Simms crying as she proclaims that she has put the children in danger by bringing them on the train, to which he tenderly assures her she is doing the right thing by bringing them to a better life than they had on the streets of the cry. JP secretly returns the jewelry she has stolen, and the train begins moving once more.

During the day, the train stops for supplies, and after helping load their car, the children seem to be having fun exploring the country. JP expresses her worries that he won't like her anymore after discovering she is a girl. He assures her that nothing has changed, and goes to photograph Miss Simms. e tries to get her to take a walk with him, but she hastily claims she must return and watch the orphans. The train begins to travel through Illinois, and Mr. Carlin tells Miss Simms that he will be leaving the next day, which has deeply upset JP. Miss Simms tells him that there are two more stops where she hopes to place the remaining children, but Carlin confronts her for not walking with him, saying that deep down, she hopes the children are not all placed, for then there would be nothing between her and the world. She admits that he could be right, but claims he is hiding behind his camera just as she is hiding behind the children. He tells her that he watched his father throw away his dreams, and refuses to do the same.

At the next stop, Deer Creek, the town is having a celebration of their arrival with music, food, and dancing. Several more children are adopted, including Annie. Liverpool and Sara agree that they should both try to find families until they are grown up. A family wants to take Ben, but he will not leave Tony. JP is disappointed that Mr. Carlin did not tell her goodbye, but finds that he has not left yet, and is taking an alternate route. He gives her a dress to wear as a gift, and nicknames her Josie. The visit ends with a town square dance. Mr. Carlin leaves to take a stage to St Louis, promising to write a good story with a happy ending and saying a tearful goodbye to JP. When boarding the train, only five children remain: Ben, Tony, Sara, JP, and Liverpool.

Soon after the train pulls away, a thunderstorm begins. Ahead, the tracks are severely damaged, and the conductor tells Miss Simms that a key at of the train is broken, and help may not arrive for days. The town of Mildred is only fifteen miles ahead. Miss Simms and the children decide to walk there for one last chance to get a family and get help. The six walk along the railroad tracks until they reach a dangerous bridge, but are able to make it across. Everyone becomes tired, but Liverpool encourages them to keep moving. Miss Simms assures them that if this town does not have families for them, they will keep going until all of them have good homes. They see a town in the distance and begin to run. The townspeople hurry to meet them, embracing the children and welcoming them into their town.

The film concludes with a narrator telling the fate of several core characters: Ben became a blacksmith and Tony a store owner and judge. Sara married and got the family she had always dreamed of. JP attended college and became an English Professor. Liverpool joined the Union army. The narrator goes on to say that over the next fifty years, thousands of children road orphan trains to the west to find families and a better life.

Cast and Characters

• Jill Eikenberry as Emma Simms: A young woman who runs the New York City Children's Rescue Mission after her uncle, who originally ran the program, passes away. She decides to follow his plan to take city orphans on a train to the west to find loving homes and families for them. Throughout the journey, she faces many challenges, but never gives up.
• Kevin Dobson as Frank Carlin: A journalist and photographer who travels with the children in exchange for writing a story about their journey, He forms a special bond with JP.
• Linda Manz as Sarah: A young teenager who lives with Madam Flora. Miss. Simms buys her freedom and she travels on the train to the west and is adopted at the last stop.
• Graham Fletcher-Cook as Donald Liverpool: A young orphaned teenager who speaks with a Cockney accent. He is very independent and has a hard shell around him, but eventually warms up to the idea of being part of a loving family.
• Melissa Michaelsen as J.P.: A young girl who pretends to be a boy in order to sell newspapers. After her mother leaves town to travel with a man, she rides the orphan train and develops a special bond with Mr. Carlin.
• Charles Fields as Mouse (as Charlie Fields): A young boy who looks up to both Liverpool and Miss Simms. He is adopted early in the journey.
• Peter Neuman as Ben: A young Italian orphan who fears becoming separated from his brother, Tony
• John Femia as Tony: Ben's logical older brother
• Sara Inglis as Annie (as Sarah Ingliss): A young girl with a limp who is afraid her disability will prevent people from wanting to adopt her
• Andreas Manske as Dutch: A German orphan who speaks no English. He is adopted by a German couple.
• Glenn Close as Jessica Martin: Miss. Simms's close friend who supports the journey by donating her jewelry for the cause
• Morgan Farley as Mr. McGarrity: An elderly gentleman who runs the mission with Miss. Simms
• Severn Darden as Mr. Barrington: A railroad man who reluctantly supplies a train car who the children to use
• Scott Rogers as Bruce: A strong teenage orphan who is taken in as a farmhand
• Justine Johnston as Mrs. Comstock
• Sue Ann Gilfillan as Mrs. Gardner
• Hallie Foote as Nellie (as Barbara Hallie-Foote)
• Mike Hammett as Danny: A fifteen-year-old boy and friend of Liverpool who is publicly hanged for stealing

Production

The film's budget was $2.85 million. It was filmed on location in Georgia and South Dakota.

External links

• Orphan Train at TCMDB
• Orphan Train at IMDb