The Great Train Robbery: America’s Original Heist Movie

Aaron Cole

December 14, 2025

            The Great Train Robbery is a silent film in 1903 that was directed by Edwin S. Porter. It is in black and white and was considered the first narrative film. One of the main stars, Broncho Billy Anderson, played multiple characters in the film.

            The film was shot in New Jersey depicts 14 scenes in a sequence detailing the robbery. The intent of this film is to represent the American wild west. The film begins with a couple robbers forcing a telegraph operator to tell an incoming train to stop and to go to a location where the robbers want the train to go. They then tie up and knock out the operator, and board the train. They go through the train, killing a few crew members along the way. One scene replaces an actor with a dummy when showing one of the robbers tossing a crew member overboard. It shows the crew member getting beat up and then does a quick cut showing the robber tossing a dummy off the train. They make it to the front of the train and force the engineer to separate the front of the train from the rest of the train. They then order all the passengers off the train and take all their valuables. When one passenger tries to flee, they shoot him dead. The robbers drive the front of the train a certain distance and then get off. They go to a rendezvous point and get on their horses and ride them through the woods. The film cuts back to the telegraph operator. His daughter arrives and wakes and unties him. He then goes to the local law enforcement. They are able to catch them and shoot them down and retrieve the money, proving crime doesn’t pay.

            This short film basically laid the blueprint for future heist movies. It really emphasizes that film is a visual medium, especially since there is no dialogue. It goes through the process of how the robbers stop the train and are able to get what they want from the train, only to abandon the it in an attempt some misdirection. It obviously doesn’t work, but it is cool to see one of the first films that go through the process of what a heist would supposedly look like. The film is wide shot, focusing more on the background and locations rather than the characters. You aren’t able to clearly see the characters’ faces, except for the very ending of the film. This was probably done because one of the actors played multiple characters in the film. The film ends with a closeup of a man shooting a gun directly at the camera. I’m not quite sure of the purpose of this scene, most likely to shock the audience and leave a lasting impression. Considering that this film is in the archive of the U.S. Library of Congress, I’ll say it worked.