Union Pacific (1939)

The overseer (Joel McCrea) of the construction of the first transcontinental railroad (Union Pacific) finds a network of schemers bent on sabotage. He finds himself at odds with an old Army buddy (Robert Preston), who not only is working with the bad guys but they're both competing for the hand of the same woman (Barbara Stanwyck). Based on the novel TROUBLE SHOOTER by Ernest Haycox and directed by Cecil B. DeMille (TEN COMMANDMENTS). A routine western but with DeMille at the helm, it becomes a bloated "epic" running well over the two hour mark. While not without interest and entertainment value, the film is marred by its portrayal of Native Americans which is pretty embarrassing. The normally always reliable Barbara Stanwyck is stuck in the role of "the girl" and gets sunk by a wonky Irish accent that comes and goes. The film features not one but two spectacular train crashes but neither as impressive as DeMille's train crash in THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (1952). With Brian Donlevy, Anthony Quinn, Evelyn Keyes, Akim Tamiroff and Lynne Overman.