Transport Technology and Potboilers

Car chases scattering dustbins, market barrows and mothers with prams - acrobatic crashes - exploding petrol tanks (villains only) - miraculously unscathed abuse of urban traffic systems - these are the staples of Hollywood. Think classics like Bullitt, The Blues Brothers, The French Connection, The Dukes of Hazzard. Think of every tacky derivative US Gun-o-Rama in the video store.

We owe it all to transport technology. With rare exceptions (eg Speed), public transport is not on the mental radar of the directors of potboilers. What would they have done if the motor car had never caught on ? Would we be seeing more bicycle chases like in Quicksilver ?

Apart from the invention of the push-bike, technical developments during the nineteenth century favoured public transport rather than private. For speed, cheapness and journeying range a horse and carriage could not match a steam railway, or for that matter a steam, cable or electric tram.
- Ian Manning, in The Open Street

Quite. And do you think crash-bang-wallop chase fantasies are a modern invention ?

The train had already begun to move as Holmes spoke. Glancing back I saw a tall man pushing his way furiously through the crowd and waving his hand as if he desired to have the train stopped. It was too late, however, for we were rapidly gathering momentum, and an instant later had shot clear of the station.

"With all our precautions, you see that we have cut it rather fine," said Holmes, laughing. He rose, and throwing off the black cassock and hat which had formed his disguise ...

.......

"As this is an express, and as the boat runs in connection with it, I should think we have shaken him off very effectively."
"My dear Watson, you evidently did not realise my meaning when I said that this man may be taken as being quite on the same intellectual plane as myself. You do not imagine that if I were the pursuer I should allow myself to be baffled by so slight an obstacle. Why, then, should you think so meanly of him ?"
"What will he do ?"
"What I should do."
"What would you do, then ?"
"Engage a special."
"But it must be late."
"By no means. This train stops at Canterbury ; and there is always at least a quarter of an hour's delay at the boat. He will catch us there."

.......

At Canterbury, therefore, we alighted ...

.......

I was still looking rather ruefully after the rapidly disappearing luggage van which contained my wardrobe, when Holmes pulled my sleeve and pointed up the line.
"Already, you see," said he.
Far away from among the Kentish woods there arose a thin spray of smoke. A minute later a carriage and engine could be seen flying along the open curve which leads to the station. We had hardly time to take our places behind a pile of luggage when it passed with a rattle and a roar, beating a blast of hot air into our faces.
"There he goes", said Holmes, as we watched the carriage swing and rock over the points ....

- From The Final Problem, Arthur Conan Doyle