Silent Barriers (1937)
"The Great Barrier" (original title)

The building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Director:

Milton Rosmer

Writers:

Alan Sullivan (novel), Michael Barringer (screen play),

Stars:

Richard Arlen, Barry MacKay, Roy Emerton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Arlen	...	Hickey
Barry MacKay	...	Steve (as Barry Mackay)
Roy Emerton	...	Moody
Antoinette Cellier	...	Mary Moody
Lilli Palmer	...	Lou
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Major Rogers (as J.Farrell Macdonald)
Reginald Barlow	...	James Hill - Member of C.P.R. Board
Arthur Loft	...	William Van Horne - Member of C.P.R. Board
Ben Welden	...	Joe (as Ben Weldon)
Jock MacKay	...	Bates (as Jock Mackay)
Henry Victor	...	Bulldog Kelly
Ernest Sefton	...	Magistrate
Frank McGlynn Sr.	...	Sir John Macdonald - Prime Minister of Canada
Gilbert Emery	...	George Stephen - Member of C.P.R. Board
Howard C. Hickman	...	Donald Smith - Member of C.P.R. Board

Storyline

The building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

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Plot Keywords:

railway | train | canada | based on novel

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 March 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Silent Barriers

Filming Locations:

Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont British Picture Corporation of America

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Palmer, a hooker?!

I recorded this just to see one of my favourite actresses, Miss Lilli Palmer. The delightful little lady, always so proper, so stiff-upper-lip, so serene...and suddenly she's in a low cut dress with a tight bodice, a blonde wig, hanging around a cheap bar. The town floozy. And to her credit, she absolutely pulls it off, like Jean Kent's reversal from The Reluctant Widow back to The Wicked Lady. If this had been an American production, I daresay Palmer would have gotten an Oscar nomination for her superb playing. But, enough of that. This isn't JUST "the building of the Canadian Pacific Railroad", that makes it sound dull. Sure, that's what it's centered on - finding a pass through the Rockies to complete the rail - but it's so much more. A couple of card sharks start the action by coming to town; not to work, but to win. But they end up working anyway, after a fight at the saloon finds them in court, without money for bail, and with a full prison cell. The movies shows how they both take to their fate, and the many obstacles, some of them romantic, in their way. This is real, and it's not a happy ending for some. Great movie overall, 9/10.