Terminus

Terminus is a 33-minute 1961 British Transport Film documentary (filmed in August, 1960) directed by John Schlesinger which presents a 'fly-on-the-wall' look at an ordinary day at Waterloo station in London. Along with most British Transport Films of the period, it was produced by Edgar Anstey. It was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Documentary and, for a time, the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, before being disqualified after it was discovered that the film was first released before the eligibility period. Original music was by Ron Grainer. Content The film covers both staff and passengers around the station. The trains are still pulled by steam locomotives. The most unusual section is the enquiry centre: some two dozen people taking telephone calls with questions about travel. The boat-train "Victoria Castle" arrives and passengers are greeted by friends. A group of prisoners, handcuffed in pairs, are placed in a carriage whilst the general public are held back by police. The lost property office is filled with umbrellas. A coffin is placed in the guard van. A large group of Jamaicans board the train to Southampton.