Station West (1948)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Sidney Lanfield

Writers:

Frank Fenton (screenplay) and
Winston Miller (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 October 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance | Western

Tagline:

A STRANGER IN TOWN...WHERE STRANGERS WEREN'T WELCOME!...and he found out a gal double-crossed is Deadly as Poison!

Plot:

Dick Powell stars as Haven, a government private investigator assigned to investigate the murders of two cavalrymen...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Saloon | Male Female Relationship | 1880s | Stagecoach

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Dick Powell	...	Lt. John Martin Haven
Jane Greer	...	Charlie
Agnes Moorehead	...	Mrs. Mary Caslon
Burl Ives	...	Hotel Clerk
Tom Powers	...	Captain George Iles
Gordon Oliver	...	Prince
Steve Brodie	...	Lt. Stellman
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Mick Marion
Raymond Burr	...	Lawyer Mark Bristow
Regis Toomey	...	Jim Goddard
Olin Howland	...	Cook at Logging Camp (as Olin Howlin)
John Berkes	...	Sam- the Deaf Pianist
Michael Steele	...	Whitey
Dan White	...	Pete
John Kellogg	...	Ben

Runtime:

USA:87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1950) | USA:Approved (certificate #12639) | Sweden:15 | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Sedona, Arizona, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Soundtrack:

A Man Can't Grow Old

Criminally Overlooked

This excellent Western is really a tough film noir cleverly set in the Old West. The dialogue is sublime, so razor sharp that the actors probably had to bandage their hands after reading the script. And there are interesting little details as well; for instance, the way Dick Powell condescendingly pats attractive women on the arm (the way you might a pet) to let them know who's really in control. (Or so he'd like to think.) Toss in a first rate supporting cast that includes Raymond Burr, Burl Ives, and Agnes Moorehead - all generously given their scenes to shine - and you've got one heck of a movie.

On the surface, Dick Powell, as the undercover military officer trying to solve a series of gold robberies, is an unlikely leading man. He's more commanding here than many square-jawed actors, and when the film is over it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

This is one of those extremely satisfying movies where nothing seems forced or labored. It has that effortless fluidity and clearness of purpose that makes it just as entertaining today as I'm sure it was 50 years ago.