02:15, B & W, English, United States, - A railroad agent faces treachery from an old friend as he struggles to ensure the completion of the Union Pacific.
7pm CDT tonite (7-9-09) TCM (Turner Classic Movies)
I’ve had it programmed in my DVR for a week now. [:)] Looking forward to seeing it since I’ve never seen it before, only what was shown in National Geographic’s Love Those Trains.
Kevin
It’s a fun movie. The dialogue is a little corny in spots, but it’s got some interesting railroad construction sequences, and a really BIG production. The period locomotives and rolling stock were ‘borrowed’ by Paramount from the Virginia and Truckee railroad, with the little 2-4-0 “J.W.Bowker” (re-named the “General McPherson”) being the nominal “Star” of the film.
Lots of action, including two spectacular train wrecks (photographed with extremely well-done miniatures). Very much worth watching, IMO.
Tom
Thanks, I wasn’t sure if I should check it out or not.
AgentKid
Is this the one that stars Randolph Scott or somebody like that?
No - Joel McCrea, with Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Preston, among many others.
For more details, see the listing for it on the ‘‘Internet Movie Database’’ at - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032080/
AgentKid–
Give it a little time–it’s kind of a slow starter, with a lot of ‘speechifying’ as the 1860’s Congress fights over the Pacific Railroad Act before the railroad action itself gets started. It was one of 1939’s biggest films, and it’s about two hours and fifteen minutes long. But once it gets going, it rolls along at a pretty good clip. And as I said, it’s done on a really BIG scale and it’s pretty darned entertaining, at least IMO. GREAT ‘period’ locomotives and rolling stock.
Tom
Last night was not my first viewing of “Union Pacific” but I actually did manage to stay awake for the entire movie (which is tough for me these days with just about any movie). Did you folks see the small role by Anthony Quinn (had just seen his last movie…“Mobsters” a few nights before)?
How did you like it “bucko”?
As a political junkie, I even enjoyed that part. It is a good movie and it does move right along. It was a good way to spend an evening.
AgentKid
If you enjoy Union Pacific (the movie) you might also enjoy Kansas Pacific (the movie) from the early 1950s. Some of the acting and dialogue is, if that is possible, even more awkward, but there are some decent train scenes and fight scenes and the film moves right along. I do not recall who plays the female love interest but my recollection is that she did not detract one bit from the watchability of the movie! For a time it was available in a very cheap VHS tape that you’d see for sale at food stores and drug stores. I think I paid $2. Whether it is on DVD or not I do not know.
Dave Nelson
I watched it and then watched Dodge City with Erroll Flynn and Olivia D’Haviland,I liked both ,being an Old timer that I am(61) LOL
I checked on imdb and it was Eve Miller and the movie was made in 1953. It also has Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger) in a role without his mask. It had a 5.9 Rating out of 10, compared to Union Pacific which was about 2 points higher. The written reviews I saw though all liked Kansas Pacific.
AgentKid
AgentKid:
KANSAS PACIFIC is kind of fun. The locomotive used is Sierra Railway #3, an 1890 Rogers 4-6-0 that was a ‘movie star’ for many years and appeared in numerous westerns and TV series.
It was kinda/sorta the ‘movie sister’ to Sierra Railway’s #18, a nifty little 2-8-0 that was also quite a movie star, appearing in such major Hollywood films as 1939’s DODGE CITY, and later in SANTA FE TRAIL and numerous other westerns. It was even ‘wrecked’ courtesy of a wood and paper dummy for a scene in DUEL IN THE SUN. Unfortunately, when #18’s flues ran out, the Sierra sold the locomotive to a used car dealer in Sacramento, CA, where the chassis rotted until the locomotive was in absolutely inoperable condition.
#3 is currently at the State Railroad Museum in Jamestown, CA, awaiting restoration. Much as I admire #3, for my money, #18 was by far the handsomer locomotive. If you ever want to see it in movie action, catch the 1939 Errol Flynn western DODGE CITY, where it plays a major role in the opening and climactic scenes of that very exciting western. Especially the finale, where it’s charging across the prairies pulling a burning train, pursued by the Bad Guys. Really exciti
Hmmm…I bought a video of “Kansas Pacific” over 20 years ago (on sale at K-Mart IIRC) but haven’t watched it probably since about the time I bought it. Might have to dig it out - I’m sure it’s down the basement somewhere, still in a box from the move a few years ago. “Canadian Pacific” is the one with Randolph Scott by the way.
“Union Pacific” is IMHO a very good movie. Any movie by C.B. DeMille is generally worth watching - he could be a bit corny or melodramatic but also had at his disposal the best actors, writers, locations etc., plus unlike many producers/directors then, he only did one movie every 2-3 years so tended to put a lot of planning and thought into the ones he did make.
In some years, UP might have won the Academy Award for best picture; as it is, coming out in “The Great Year” of 1939, it wasn’t even nominated. Even a now-classic like “Of Mice and Men” won no awards, although it was nominated for some. “The Wizard of Oz”, “Gone With the Wind”, “Goodbye Mr. Chips”, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” etc. etc.
According to movie legend, when deMille was planning on filming an epic western about 19th-century railroad building, he had narrowed the choices down to the Union Pacific or the Santa Fe. Arthur Rossen, who was 2nd unit director for a great many deMille films, reports that the decision was made by deMille tossing a coin. Heads for Union Pacific, tails for Santa Fe.
The coin came up heads.
I agree with you about 1939. The best that “Union Pacific” could do at the Academy Awards was a nomination for best Special Effects (it lost to Gone With The Wind). It was also deMille’s last black and white film, from then on, he only worked in Technicolor. I’ve always thought it too bad that deMille didn’t plan this one in Technicolor, it would have been a REAL eye-popper!
Tom
The movie Dodge City that aired after Union Pacific was about the Santa Fe coming to Dodge City Kansas and all that went with the wild and wooly west…It was about the only western Errol Flynn did Olivia DeHaviland thot she was at rock bottom of her career when she did it, then came GWTW ! I was a great fan of hers,she would have looked good in a tow sack !
You are right when you said this would hav been a great movie in color but from time to time I can appreciate B&W…