If you love old locomotives and want to see Jean Arthur in an early role, this film may be for you, but beware, it's rather slow and comes with a good dose of melodrama. Arthur plays the love interest torn between two men - her betrothed, a train foreman (Louis Wolheim), and a talented guy he's hired practically by force (Robert Armstrong). The film weaves in railroad footage, some of it fantastic, like the trains pushing against each other on the same track or the approach to Chicago, and it has its moments romantically too. Arthur and Armstrong sharing a forbidden kiss as a train roars past them, her short hair blowing in the breeze, is wonderful. It's just that everything around these things is more than a little creaky, and hampered by the mediocre quality of the audio technology.
I have to say, the train foreman is an odd characterization too. First we see him bawling out workers and literally punching a tramp (Armstrong) to force him to work during an emergency, then we see him as a good guy at heart and engaged to a younger woman (Arthur). (Never mind that he's watched her grow up before they've gotten romantic, which is a little cringey to the modern viewer). Despite his cruelty to another hobo (the poorly cast Hugh Herbert), who he causes to have a load of coal dumped on, ultimately he's meant to be a positive character, and a stand-in for how irascible bosses everywhere want to be perceived - as great leaders, smart, driven, and in the end, fair to their people. I have serious doubts for how often such people are kind at heart, but no matter, you have to suspend your disbelief in bigger ways elsewhere, e.g. The action sequences that have them racing cross country at the end.
It's a real shame that the alternate, wide-screen print of this film doesn't survive, because that undoubtedly would have enhanced the gritty feeling of the rail yard scenes. This one's not awful, but guard your expectations, and watch it for its little nuggets of gold.
I have to say, the train foreman is an odd characterization too. First we see him bawling out workers and literally punching a tramp (Armstrong) to force him to work during an emergency, then we see him as a good guy at heart and engaged to a younger woman (Arthur). (Never mind that he's watched her grow up before they've gotten romantic, which is a little cringey to the modern viewer). Despite his cruelty to another hobo (the poorly cast Hugh Herbert), who he causes to have a load of coal dumped on, ultimately he's meant to be a positive character, and a stand-in for how irascible bosses everywhere want to be perceived - as great leaders, smart, driven, and in the end, fair to their people. I have serious doubts for how often such people are kind at heart, but no matter, you have to suspend your disbelief in bigger ways elsewhere, e.g. The action sequences that have them racing cross country at the end.
It's a real shame that the alternate, wide-screen print of this film doesn't survive, because that undoubtedly would have enhanced the gritty feeling of the rail yard scenes. This one's not awful, but guard your expectations, and watch it for its little nuggets of gold.