Cecil B. DeMille made his reputation making lavish (and often racy) biblical and historical epics, but in the mid-1930s he turned his sights to American history. Union Pacific (1939), his take on the building of the transcontinental railway, was his third sprawling piece of Americana and his second western.
Based on a novel by the prolific Ernest Haycox (whose short story was the basis for Stagecoach the same year), the drama revolves around the race between the Union Pacific and Central Pacific to reach Utah and the chicanery of a corrupt businessman to slow the Union down in order to make a killing on the stock market.
Joel McCrea plays the former Union cavalry officer who is hired to keep the Union Pacific workers on track (so to speak) while a gambler (Brian Donlevy) and his partner (Robert Preston) create chaos and disrupt the work, but star billing went to Barbara Stanwyck as an Irish tomboy, the daughter of a veteran locomotive engineer.
McCrea and Preston are not only on opposite sides of the conflict, but they are also old friends and rivals for the affections of Stanwyck, and their stories center the episodic narrative. True to its filmmaker, it is a massive production with a huge cast and big set pieces, including an Indian attack and two spectacular train wrecks (created with high-quality miniatures).
Stanwyck's energy (and dubious Irish lilt) makes a good contrast to the stiff, tight-lipped McCrea while Preston brings his showman's charm to the role of the antagonist torn between his job and his friendship and Akin Tamiroff (whose tool of choice is a whip) and Lynn Overman bring a touch of humor to their roles as McCrea's colorful bodyguards.
The film owes much to John Ford's silent epic The Iron Horse (1924), but with DeMille's brawny action and visual spectacle in place of Ford's poetry. The special effects earned the film an Oscar nomination and it was the first movie to win the Palm d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Fans of classic movies and westerns should enjoy the black and white production. The new Blu-ray features commentary by film historians Dr. Eloise Ross and Paul Nelson. A strong option purchase.