Union Pacific

Buy This Item Union Pacific by Universal Studios  Available from Amazon  $14.98  on 11-26-2008     "The legend of Union Pacific is the drama of a nation, young, tough, prodigal and invincible, conquering with an iron highroad the endless reaches of the West." This stemwinder of a foreword strikes the pseudo-biblical/American Empire keynote for Cecil B. DeMille's "history" of building the transcontinent railroad. Only the bombast--and Arthur Rosson's second-unit direction--rises to the film's epic mission. The mustache-twirling villainy is right out of 19th-century melodrama, and the romantic triangle of Joel McCrea's railroad troubleshooter, Barbara Stanwyck's aggressively "Oirish" postmistress-on-wheels, and their black-sheep chum played by newcomer Robert Preston is a feeble distraction. Worse, the stars do their stuff on studio sets, in sterile isolation from the locomotives, Indians, and buffalo hovering slightly out of scale on process screens behind them. There's not one but two train wrecks (always a DeMille favorite); in every other department, John Ford had C.B. beat 15 years earlier with <I>The Iron Horse</I>. <I>--Richard T. Jameson</I> Reader Reviews I had always thought I was a Kathryn Hepburn fan, but Barbara Stanwyck can sling a line or two also! Her Irish brogue is truly delightful. Joel McCrea does a fine job also, but is a bit wooden at times. Great acting and directing, and a story line that was very well done for the period in which it was written. However, the Union Pacific tries mightily to steal as many scenes as possible, and often does so quite handily. The track laying scenes are very instructive, with wonderful angles and creative photography. While I have never been an Uncle Pete fan, I knew my railroad library could never be complete without this Cecil B. De Mille classic. This movie is truly a "must have" and I highly recommend it! CHT in Virginia

Union Pacific Available from Amazon Price: $14.98 Updated on 11-26-2008.

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