History Film / LastClearChance

For the ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' version, please go to the [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E20RadarSecretService episode recap page]].

A police officer obsessed with train and automotive safety torments an innocent mid-western farm family the day that their youngest son receives his driver's licence. He holds them hostage while rattling off tales of horrible driving etiquette and railroad-related horrors, even confronting their youngest son with the horrible image of his deceased friend. Ultimately, for reasons of his own, he finally relents. But has his grim lesson sunk in, or will innocent people die this day at the hands of our mortal enemy, the train? (Answer: Yes.)

* HeyItsThatGuy: William Boyett, playing the role of Trooper Hal Jackson, became best known as Sergeant William "Mac" [=MacDonald=] (the superior officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed reported to) in the 1968-1975 police drama ''Series/AdamTwelve''. Boyett, incidentally, would frequently play police officers throughout his career.

--> Servo: Hey, the cop never said anything about doing ''intensely stupid'' things!

* CouldThisHappenToYou: The film ends with the police officer reminding the viewers of the fate of Frank.

** Trooper Hal points out multiple times that while an offending driver may have gotten away with violating traffic laws or ignoring safety rules without consequence many times before, his moral is that it only takes one time to get killed. For instance, with the man who passed several cars while climbing a hill in a clearly marked no passing zone, Hal mentions that it was his first – and last – accident.

* RailroadTracksOfDoom: Much of the premise of the movie – trains pose a danger to drivers, they can be expected at any time of the day or night, double tracks can mean double trouble particularly with a second train just after the first one clears the tracks ... and the trope can be enforced if basic safety rules and warnings aren't heeded (ergo, the results of a car-train collision will likely be deadly). Indeed, the trope is reality for Frank Jr. and his fiancé, Betty (who initially survives but it is implied that she, too, will die). The rest of the movie is padded out by reinforcing other driving safety tips.

While maligned by some as [[{{Narm}} too narmish]] – particularly for a reactionary scene near the end of the film, where one railroad worker asks why some drivers fail to heed basic safety rules – it was lauded by many others as a sobering effort to instill safe driving in young drivers. Today, it also stands out as a showcase of rural America in the late 1950s, before superhighways – although a few four-lane highways are shown – and urban sprawl and when farming was still a major part of the economy in unincorporated areas; plus, some old-school railroad crossing technology, most notably the wig-wag (swinging pendulum) crossing signal, can be seen in use, and a vintage, early 1900s-style railroad crossbuck (diamond-shaped) sign … years before the crossings were upgraded with modern signals and gates … plus the long relegated-to-history caboose at the end of several trains. The movie itself was filmed in southwestern Idaho, with some footage also filmed in northern Colorado.

* ScareEmStraight: Although it contrasted with many other driver's ed films of the era -- less preachy (it used a drama presentation, plus Boyett's conversational style narration vs. the lecturing of other safety films) and less graphic (many driver's ed films of the era showed graphic carnage of actual accident victims and destroyed cars) -- it still made its point: Obey all safety rules all of the time or you risk becoming a statistic.

* NostalgiaFilter: Trooper Hal sets the stage for the then-new superhighway system by reflecting back on the days of the horse-and-buggy, Ford Model Ts and tandem bicycles – all of which he says weren't just showpieces in old-time festivals but a legitimate part of life and within the lifetimes of most people 50 and older were alive in 1959. Hal also reflects on quiet country roads and that everyone at the time stopped for railroad crossings, contrasting that with modern highways – the interstate highway system was in its infancy, although there were still plenty of four-lane superhighways in the late 1950s – and even railroad overpasses and underpasses that allow trains to pass through urban areas and/or travel over or under major highways without impeding traffic. Hal prefaces this, however, with the obligatory caution: While highways (and cars) have gotten better and safer, the human body has not changed and that drivers need to be even more careful now and pay heed to all traffic laws all the time.

* ScareEmStraight: What most of the driver's ed films were prior to the 1990s – lots of blood, gore and graphic depictions of accidents.

While maligned by some as [[{{Narm}} too narmish]] – particularly for a reactionary scene near the end of the film, where one railroad worker asks why some drivers fail to heed basic safety rules – it was lauded by many others as a sobering effort to instill safe driving in young drivers. Today, it also stands out as a showcase of rural America in the late 1950s, before superhighways – although a few four-lane highways are shown – and urban sprawl and when farming was still a major part of the economy in unincorporated areas; plus, some old-school railroad crossing technology, most notably the wig-wag (swinging pendulum) crossing signal, can be seen in use, and a vintage, early 1900s-style railroad crossbuck (diamond-shaped) sign … years before the crossings were upgraded with modern signals and gates … plus the long relegated-to-history caboose at the end of several trains. The movie itself was filmed in southwestern Idaho.

* AskAStupidQuestion: The question Trooper Hal says many drivers ask if they are fortunate enough to survive a car-train collision: "Where did the train come from?" The answer, of course (as he says), is "the railroad tracks." The point being, of course, that a train can be expected at any crossing, at any time, that drivers must be aware at all times and that one time of failing to heed warning signs and signals, or looking for a train is all it takes to get seriously injured or killed.

* IdiotBall: Multiple drivers ignoring basic safety rules … but most prominently Frank Jr. At least twice, he is shown crossing the tracks in front of a train, but managing to clear the tracks mere seconds before the train speeds through the crossing. The odds catch up with Frank Jr. in the end, although ironically enough, he is not trying to beat a train this time; it is his inattention that causes the deadly wreck. But at least three other drivers - one Al's friend, another a middle-aged man who was trying to pass another car while overtopping a hill and still another an elderly man who fell asleep behind the wheel – are killed.

* NostalgiaFilter: Trooper Hal sets the stage for the then-new superhighway system by reflecting back on the days of the horse-and-buggy, Ford Model Ts and tandem bicycles – all of which he says weren't just showpieces in old-time festivals but a legitimate part of life and within the lifetimes of most 70 and 80 year olds who were alive in 1959. Hal also reflects on quiet country roads and that everyone at the time stopped for railroad crossings, contrasting that with modern highways – the interstate highway system was in its infancy, although there were still plenty of four-lane superhighways in the late 1950s – and even railroad overpasses and underpasses that allow trains to pass through urban areas and/or travel over or under major highways without impeding traffic.

* IdiotBall: Multiple drivers ignoring basic safety rules … but most prominently Frank Jr. At least twice, he is shown crossing the tracks in front of a train, but managing to clear the tracks mere seconds before the train speeds through the crossing; the odds catch up with him in the end (although ironically enough, he is not trying to beat a train this time; it is his inattention that causes the deadly wreck). But at least three other drivers - one Al's friend, another a middle-aged man who was trying to pass another car while overtopping a hill and still another an elderly man who fell asleep behind the wheel – are killed.
** Trooper Hall points out multiple times that while an offending driver may have gotten away with violating traffic laws or ignoring safety rules without consequence many times before, his moral is that it only takes one time to get killed. For instance, with the man who passed several cars while climbing a hill in a clearly marked no passing zone, Hal mentions that it was his first – and last – accident.

While maligned by some as [[{{Narm}} too narmish]] – particularly for a reactionary scene near the end of the film, where one railroad worker asks why some drivers fail to heed basic safety rules – it was lauded by many others as a sobering effort to instill safe driving in young drivers. Today, it also stands out as a showcase of rural America in the late 1950s, before superhighways – although a few four-lane highways are shown – and urban sprawl and when farming was still a major part of the economy in unincorporated areas; plus, some old-school railroad crossing technology, most notably the wig-wag (swinging pendulum) crossing signal, can be seen in use, years before the crossings were upgraded with modern signals and gates. The movie itself was filmed in southwestern Idaho.

* ChaseScene: Trooper Hal describes a car chase, involving a 17-year-old boy (and acquaintance of young Alan) speeding in a hot rod. The crash ends tragically when the boy loses control of his car and plummets down the side of a hill; the boy is killed instantly when the car lands on top of him.

* GoOutWithASmile: But only because Frank and Betty are oblivious to the danger of the oncoming train. They are presumably still waving back at Alan and smiling when the train strike the car

* IdiotBall: Multiple drivers ignoring basic safety rules … but most prominently Frank Jr. At least twice, he is shown crossing the tracks in front of a train, but managing to clear the tracks mere seconds before the train speeds through the crossing; the odds catch up with him in the end. But at least three other drivers - one Al's friend, another a middle-aged man who was trying to pass another car while overtopping a hill and still another an elderly man who fell asleep behind the wheel – are killed.

* BloodlessCarnage: Betty's body is otherwise uninjured despite her having died in ''train collision''.

* RailroadTracksOfDoom: Much of the premise of the movie – trains pose a danger to drivers, they can be expected at any time of the day or night, double tracks can mean a second train just after the first one clears the tracks ... and the trope can be enforced if basic safety rules and warnings aren't heeded (ergo, the results of a car-train collision will likely be deadly). The rest of the movie is padded out by reinforcing other driving safety tips.

* BasedOnATrueStory: The story of a farm family that is ultimately shattered by tragedy is based on a real-life family's experiences, [http://books.google.com/books?id=tmgEAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Last+Clear+Chance as can be seen in the book "The Field Guide to Sponsored Films."]

* ScareEmStraight

* HeyItsThatGuy: William Boyett, playing the role of Trooper Hal Jackson, became best known as Lt. William "Mac" MacDonald in the 1968-1975 police drama ''Series/AdamTwelve''. Boyett, incidentally, would frequently play police officers throughout his career.

A police officer obsessed with with train safety torments an innocent mid-western farm family, holding them hostage while he rattles off tales of railroad-related horrors, even confronting their youngest son with the horrible image of his deceased friend. Ultimately, for reasons of his own, he finally relents, but has his grim lesson sunk in, or will innocent people die this day at the hands of our mortal enemy, the train? (Answer: Yes.)