A 99-year-old hotelier and an ex-bank robber walk onto a bus... no punchline, just America.
The world-famous Greyhound bus is almost as old as the Wild West. It is a symbol of North America, of progress, and of nostalgia. Reporter Studs Terkel travelled 2,000 miles across the United States by Greyhound. From Seattle to Chicago, he observes his fellow-passengers. He meets a number of travelers who appear to be very interesting people: a Native American boxer on his way to his birthplace in Montana, a bar owner who was a bank robber in a former 'career', a 99 year old woman who is still running a busy hotel, and, of course, a pedigree cowboy. The spectator of this film listens to their personal stories, watches the beautiful scenery, and is treated to famous feature film fragments in which the Greyhound bus plays a part. Seven states and two time zones later, he is back in his cinema seat.
Writing
Terkel's curiosity turns bus strangers into epic protagonists.
Editing
Hollywood clips woven in like collective memory interrupting reality.
Director
Carina Cooper
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Greyhound peaked in 1960 with 4 million annual passengers; by 1989 it was already becoming a symbol of downward mobility.
Studs Terkel's 'The Good War' had won the Pulitzer just four years earlier—this was him at peak powers, slumming it beautifully.
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