The Bandits are the unnamed main antagonists of the 1903 silent short film, The Great Train Robbery. They're a quartet of thieves who sneak onto a train and steal various money from people. They're also notable for being some of film's first villains on-screen.
Biography[]
Two of the robbers are first seen entering a rural RR telegraph office and forced the station's telegraph operator to get the 'signal block' to stop an approaching train. Through the window of the station, the train is seen coming to a stop. They make him write a false order to the engineer to take on water at this station (instead of at "Red Lodge," the regular watering stop). The bandits crouch out of sight while pointing their revolvers at him, as the train conductor approaches the window. The frightened telegraph operator delivers the note with the fictitious order to the conductor. As soon as the conductor leaves, they knock the operator out with a blow to the head. They tie his legs together and his arms behind his back and leave him on the floor. They also place a gag around his mouth. They quickly move outside to catch up with the train, seen starting to move through the window.
The two bandits join up with the other two bandits and hide behind the water tower near the station as the train slowly pulls up and takes on water due to the false order. The criminals stealthily sneak on board the train just before it pulls away.
The car's mail messenger is busy at work in the mail car as the train moves along. Through the open side door of the car, moving scenery can be seen. The worker is alarmed when he hears an unusual sound. He peeks through the door's keyhole leading to the tender and locomotive cab and sees two of the bandits trying to break through the express car door. After being startled, he quickly recovers and locks the strong box containing the valuables, and throws the key out of the open side door. He draws his revolver and crouches behind the work desk, just as the robbers break down the door and enter. After a pistol duel, the messenger is killed.
While one of the bandits stands watch by the door, the other one tries to open the strong box. When he finds it locked, he vainly searches the messenger's pocket for the key. To open it, he attaches an explosive to the safe and then runs for cover after lighting the fuse. The dynamite explosion blows the box open, sending billowing smoke and bits of money into the air. They grab the valuables and three mail bags, and leave the car through the door leading to the locomotive cab.
While two of the bandits have been robbing the mail car, another bandit climbs over the tender and holds the engineer at gunpoint. A fourth bandit struggles with the fireman, who has seized a coal shovel for defense and climbed up on the tender. They have a fist-fight on the tender until they fall. The bandit has the advantage - he lands on top of the fireman. He takes a lump of coal and strikes the fireman on the head until he is unconscious. Then after overpowering him, he hurls the victim's body off the top of the moving train. The bandits force the engineer to bring the train to a stop.
At gunpoint, the engineer is forced to leave the locomotive, and walk back to uncouple the locomotive from the rest of the passenger cars. They walk back to the front of the train and board the locomotive. The engineer is forced to pull the train ahead about 100 feet, leaving the rest of the cars behind.
The train passengers are forced to leave the coaches. One of the gun-wielding bandits compels everyone to keep their hands up. All of the passengers are lined up along the adjoining train tracks. While they are threatened and covered with a gun, the bandits rob them of their valuables. One of the passengers runs away from the group in an escape attempt, but is shot in the back. After everyone has been searched and robbed, the bandits terrorize the passengers by firing their guns into the air. They make their escape to the locomotive at the front of the train. After the bandits have disappeared, the passengers rush to assist the wounded man on the ground.
The bandits board the locomotive with large bags of valuables. They force the engineer to start the train and move off into the distance to the left. Farther along on the tracks, several miles from the scene of the hold up, the four robbers force the engineer to stop the locomotive. They jump from the train and escape down the side of the hill next to the tracks. The bandits run through a beautiful valley, approaching closer into view. They cross a narrow stream. They mount their tethered, waiting horses in a nearby wood, and ride off toward the wilderness.
Eventually, the station operator managed to escape the ropes the bandits toed him up in, with some help from his daughter, but he was unconscious before his daughter threw water on him. The station operator alerted the various people at a dance square who form a posse and leave the hall.
Through a forested area, the four mounted bandits ride into view, pursued closely by the large posse. As they ride, they exchange gunfire at each other, causing smoke to blast from the weapons. One of the bandits is shot and falls from his horse to the ground. He staggers to his feet and fires at one of the posse members to defend himself, but is shot dead a few moments later. The posse rides on after the other three bandits. One of the posse members stops and looks at the dead body.
The remaining bandits have dismounted from their horses. After looking around and not seeing any danger and thinking that they have eluded their pursuers, they dump the contents of their pouches on the ground to examine their 'take.' As they kneel and crouch down and sift through their booty, they do not notice the members of the posse approaching on foot from behind - until it is too late. They are surrounded. A short, ferocious gun battle beginsand one by one, the bandits are killed. A few of the posse have also lost their lives. The members of the posse gather up the stolen loot and confiscate the bandits' guns.