Union Station (1950)

A sharp-eyed woman spots a man with a gun on a train and her alert to the railroad police helps them in their search for a ruthless gang who have kidnapped a blind heiress.

Director:

Rudolph Maté

Writers:

Sydney Boehm (screenplay), Thomas Walsh (story)

Stars:

William Holden, Nancy Olson, Barry Fitzgerald

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Holden	...	Lt. William Calhoun
Nancy Olson	...	Joyce Willecombe
Barry Fitzgerald	...	Inspector Donnelly
Lyle Bettger	...	Joe Beacom
Jan Sterling	...	Marge Wrighter
Allene Roberts	...	Lorna Murchison
Herbert Heyes	...	Henry L. Murchison
Don Dunning	...	Gus Hadder
Fred Graff	...	Vince Marley
James Seay	...	Detective Eddie Shattuck
Parley Baer	...	Detective Gottschalk (as Parley E. Baer)
Ralph Sanford	...	Detective Fay
Richard Karlan	...	Detective George Stein
Bigelow Sayre	...	Detective Ross
Charles Dayton	...	Howard Kettner

Storyline

Secretary Joyce Willecombe grows suspicious of two men boarding her train and is referred to 'Tough Willy' Calhoun, head of the Union Station police. The all-seeing, no-nonsense Calhoun is initially skeptical, but the men (who escape) prove to be involved in a kidnap case. Calhoun calls in equally tough police Inspector Donnelly, but the ruthless kidnapper's precision planning stays one jump ahead of them. Most of the action centers around bustling Union Station.

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Plot Keywords:

rum | ex convict | two word title | union station los angeles | train | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The chase scene on the elevated train used the Third Ave El in New York City for long shots and the Pacific Electric Railway cars in L.A. for close-in shots on the train.

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Goofs

When bad guy Joe Beacom approaches the locked door to the tunnels, all four panes of glass in the door are intact. In the next shot, shot from *inside* the tunnels, one panel is broken, and Beacom reaches through that pane to open the door.

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Quotes

Marge Wrighter: Gonna send that kid home, aren't you, Joe? I mean after we collect.
Joe Beacom: She'll go home... they ever fish her out of the river. Let's have the coffee, huh?

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Connections

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

User Reviews

The Psycho/Phantom of Union Station

Union Station is the locale of a kidnapping and in its labyrinth of tunnels that bare no accidental resemblance to the catacombs of Rome, the victim, Allene Roberts, is snatched and held captive by Lyle Bettger.

Allene is the blind daughter of wealthy industrialist Herbert Hayes and since the crime happened on railroad property William Holden as the chief railroad detective has the case. Of course the LAPD is brought in in the person of Barry Fitzgerald.

Holden is alerted to the kidnap by Nancy Olson who is traveling with Roberts. She's Hayes's secretary, but Bettger eludes them. It's a race against time to apprehend him before a payoff is made.

This was Lyle Bettger's third film and the one where he first got notice. During his career, Mr. Bettger played some of the loveliest psychotics ever put on film. This one is one of his best and in his little hideaway where he keeps the terrified Ms. Roberts, Bettger bares no small resemblance to the Phantom of the Opera. Bettger really steals the film from the good guy stars.

Union Station is one tightly constructed film with not a second of wasted footage in it. I wish it were out on VHS or DVD. Don't miss it if TCM ever broadcasts it.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Manhattan Madness

Filming Locations:

Saugus, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1