Union Pacific

 

Emblems of Agape

I found Cecil B. DeMille's Union Pacific, from 1939, to be largely a delight. A love triangle set amidst the building of the transcontinental railroad, Union Pacific lacks the ponderousness of some of his other epics. At well over two hours, it sails along as an epitome of classic Hollywood filmmaking. Robert Preston offers a pungent performance as a gambler and scalawag, giving the film a much needed dose of Eros. Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck do what they can as stiff emblems of Agape. 

McCrea struggles to display his charm in what seems to be a role designed for Gary Cooper. His ridiculous outfit doesn't help, be he is able to inject some life into his terse and cliched dialogue. Stanwyck is ill cast in the role of a feisty railroad rat. Sporting a ludicrous brogue, she plays a gal just out of her teens when she is obviously past thirty. When Preston woos her, he was barely past twenty, the effect is incongruous. Still, Stanwyck was about the best actress in Hollywood at the time and wrings every bit of emotion from her scenes. Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff embody well, respectively, villainy and comic relief.

DeMille's reputation is somewhat embalmed today, but Union Pacific shows what a lively director he could be. His deftness with crowd scenes is evident, as is his skill with pacing. Union Pacific packs in a lot during its running time: two train wrecks, an Indian attack, numerous fights, hagiography and romance; yet it whizzes by. (08/06/19)

Emblem of Eros