Union Station

In the 1940’s filme noir was hot. It was stylish crime drama, featuring stark lighting, intricate plots, and cynical characters. Union Station qualifies as filme noir, except in one aspect. At the last minute, the story veers sharply away from bleakness and flits toward a light-hearted finale. For me, director Rudolph Mate’s decision to depart from pessimism is smart. A hard-boiled thriller can stand to benefit from a little romance. In fact, even more of it would have been helpful in softening the main characters. In other respects, this movie is dynamite. The pacing is taut and tense. A girl is kidnapped by a maniacal killer, Lyle Bettger. He holds her for ransom to be paid off at a train station, whose chief of police is William Holden. The only reliable witness is a woman Nancy Olson, and this dogged lady is not about to be pushed aside by the officers. Under inspector Barry Fitzgerald; shake-downs, stake-outs, and break-ins are ordered to flush out the kidnapper. In the process, we see how criminal justice operated in 1950. The police round up the bad guys without Miranda law, search warrants, or bans on roughing up suspects. As a result, one fellow is held in front of an oncoming train and nearly pushed under for his obstinacy. How far we’ve come from those days. Holden is awesome and outstanding as the handsome, hard-bitten and cagey detective. Whether he addresses thugs or ladies, his rapid-fire diction is perfect, a hallmark of his acting. Fitzgerald is the opposite. His heavy Irish accent for me is a detriment, and key plot events go by without my understanding them due to his baffling brogue. Kidnapper Bettger, is as menacing a villain as they get. Credit also goes to the magical cinematography. In evocative black and white, the camera captures a cattle stampede, swirling crowds at the station, and a spectacular shootout. This is topnotch entertainment, filled with suspense from first moment to last.

This is film noir at it's best. The plot is excellent as is the acting. Although the time period is long past, you can still relate to the people and their problems. The climax at the end was very exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is well worth watching.

Enjoyable to watch but sort of average or slightly above. At best 3.5 stars.

I have seen this movie at least a dozen times. Great suspense! The villian is a nasty piece of work. The black and white photography is top notch. Barry Fitzgerald is at his best.

Just ordered the DVD of this movie. I had it on VHS, then was able to record it to DVD-R but want a professional copy also. This movie is among my favorite noir. I like William Holden and Barry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald in Naked City was excellent and he does a good job here also. The late 40's and early 50's were, in my opinion, the golden age of noir. Many fine movies were made in that genre and this is one of them. You had the tough but really sensitive cop or private eye, the girl in distress, the criminal who was out to get everyone, and some really classic settings on locale. Combine that together and you have some really good entertainment. It's a window to a bygone era. I could care less about some of the aspects some reviewers put into their synopsis. It's entertainment, what more do you want?

You have to return defective dvd to get refund. I will never buy another dvd from them or anyone who has this policy. Not worth the time to wrap and then mail item to seller. Fraudulent name: "Service First Media"

Nonstop suspence from superior actors like William Holden, Nancy Olson and Barry Fitzgerald. The story line is credible, and the entire production a genuine success. Holden and Olson also appeared together that same year (1950) in Sunset Boulevard.

Good Film Noir. R/R buffs would enjoy this. SP trains and LA Union passenger station. Although it cuts back east for the elevated train scenes(LA had no EL like that). Good crisp copy,sound good.

ein spannender Krimi, eindrucksvolle Bilder, gute Schauspieler Barry Fitzgerald gefiel mir am Besten) ... ein Film für spätere Stunden ...

This is a great movie. For something made in 1950 it has a higher degree of grittiness than you might expect and the story is very strong. The acting is mostly excellent and the photography is pin sharp and the lighting gives it oodles of atmosphere. For those who like film noir classics, this one has to go into their top 10. The story concerns a woman, the secretary of a rich man, who happens to spot that two men who get out of a car at a station, board the train separately and that one of them is carrying a gun. Fearing a hold-up she gets the conductor to signal ahead to the end of the line (Union Station) where the train is met by the head of Railroad security (Holden) who - although initially sceptical - follows one of the men to a left luggage locker where the man deposits a suitcase and leaves. When they then open the suitcase they find that it contains the personal effects of the daughter of the rich man for whom the secretary works. Soon after they learn she has been kidnapped. What follows is a great detective yarn, mostly taking place in and around the station - lovingly recreated as a huge set for the most part - culminating in a race against time and a battle in the darkness of the tunnels under the station between the railroad cop and the principal kidnapper. It's tense, it holds the interest (which is not bad 65 years after it was made!) and although there are a couple of (mercifully short) scenes where the male and female lead exchange lines of the "I think you're awfully nice" type, it mostly motors along at a pretty brisk pace.

Union Station is a film that delivers quality entertainment for any lover of film noir, particularly the film noirs that came out of Hollywood during the 1940's and 1950's. The film also has a young William Holden in a rare appearance in a film noir, and though the role is nothing special in particular playing a Union Station police detective, it does offer the viewer a glimpse of Holden at the beginning of his career. I was rather surprised to learn in this film that Union Station had its own extensive police force at the time, though I am not sure that is still the case today. As often is the case in many film noirs, the story is somewhat weak, but what makes the film work is the film noir atmosphere/mood and the varied characters in the film. Of particular interest is the main villain, brilliantly played by Lyle Bettger, who is totally believable as the cold blooded psychopathic kidnapper and murderer. In many ways, he steals this film from the top billed stars. Barry Fitzgerald is great in his usual cute curmudgeonly way, and Olsen and Holden are solid as the heroine and hero.