Here is a film set entirely in or very near a 1930's train station. Thousands of people moving in and through, each with a story. You would have to be as old as I am to understand that train depots, especially in big cities, were nearly as big and even busier than the airports of today. The film has a dark and harsh quality, which in many ways, is typical of the period. Here is an out of work chorus girl (Joan Blondell) desperate to get $54.00 for a ticket to Salt Lake City, almost willing to prostitute herself to get it; here is a pair of hobos (Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Guy Kibbee) willing to steal clothes and finding money therein. They run afoul of a counterfeiter, a sexual sadist and the law, and through a series of highly unlikely coincidences manage to keep the plot hopping. This film has some superb camera work, great editing, and some wonderfully underplayed acting, especially by Joan Blondell. It's no wonder she was such a workhorse for Warner's. She could pretty much do it all. It's well worth the hour or so spent watching.
29 Reviews
Very entertaining in a rough and salacious way
planktonrules1 January 2007
This film is highly entertaining and will probably keep your interest throughout, though it is far from cerebral or polished. Instead, it's a very good example of a drama spiced up with liberal doses of sex and violence during the "pre-Code era". Unlike a film that would have been made only a few years later, this film abounds with sleazy characters and plot lines as well as "colorful dialog" that would have been taboo once the more rigid and widely enforced Production Code was enacted due to pressure from low ticket sales and public outrage. As for me, I actually love to watch these films because they dare to be so different and because they are the antithesis of what people today think older films were.
So what were some of the pre-Code plot elements? First, the "hero" of the film, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., is a hobo who steals, lies and even slaps around a woman who he thinks is a prostitute! In addition, subplots involve a dirty old man who is addicted to having a nice young lady (Joan Blondell) read him dirty stories, a woman who walks her husband to the train where he's a porter and leaves with her lover who is just getting off this same train, pickpockets, counterfeiters, attempted murder and actual prostitution! You name a sin, and it's probably alluded to in some way during the course of this breezy film! Now despite all these sleazy elements, the film is surprisingly well-written and integrates all these subplots into a fine coherent picture. TCM described the movie as being inspired by the book GRAND HOTEL (the movie of this book actually came out after UNION DEPOT) and while this is certainly true, this film also features far more subplots and pre-Code taboos than the film version of GRAND HOTEL--which was a lot more polished and refined. In many ways, the sophisticated GRAND HOTEL (from the more polished studio, MGM) is more like an upper-crust version of this film and UNION DEPOT is more a film for the common man and woman--and so it's not surprising it's a Warner Brothers film.
So what were some of the pre-Code plot elements? First, the "hero" of the film, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., is a hobo who steals, lies and even slaps around a woman who he thinks is a prostitute! In addition, subplots involve a dirty old man who is addicted to having a nice young lady (Joan Blondell) read him dirty stories, a woman who walks her husband to the train where he's a porter and leaves with her lover who is just getting off this same train, pickpockets, counterfeiters, attempted murder and actual prostitution! You name a sin, and it's probably alluded to in some way during the course of this breezy film! Now despite all these sleazy elements, the film is surprisingly well-written and integrates all these subplots into a fine coherent picture. TCM described the movie as being inspired by the book GRAND HOTEL (the movie of this book actually came out after UNION DEPOT) and while this is certainly true, this film also features far more subplots and pre-Code taboos than the film version of GRAND HOTEL--which was a lot more polished and refined. In many ways, the sophisticated GRAND HOTEL (from the more polished studio, MGM) is more like an upper-crust version of this film and UNION DEPOT is more a film for the common man and woman--and so it's not surprising it's a Warner Brothers film.
The 64 dollar question is ...
AlsExGal5 June 2012
...why would Ruth Collins (Joan Blondell) take desperate measures - and in the case of women in 1932 that could mean only one thing - to get that 64 dollars? The setting is a train station - "Union Depot" - during the Depression. At the beginning the camera goes back and forth over travelers that ultimately do not have much to do with the story - immigrant families speaking in foreign languages, a mother walking along with her four children tied together like a caravan, a sailor trying to make it with a street wise girl and getting nowhere, a woman saying goodbye to her Pullman porter husband and when he is out of sight embracing her lover with the good news - he's gone for a week! Into this hustle and bustle walk two hungry vagrants - Scrap Iron Scratch (Guy Kibbee) and young Chick Miller (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.). Scratch has retained his sense of humor but you can tell he has given up on life giving him a break. Chick is a quick thinking good looking fellow that in better times could have gone up any corporate ladder, but this is the Depression and it's all about your next meal and survival for these two and many others.
They, along with Ruth, have a one day adventure at the station that involves G-Men on the look-out for counterfeiters, the counterfeiters themselves, a violin-case stuffed with fake cash, and just for good measure, a villain in the classic sense - Dr. Bernardi that doesn't have anything to do with these other villains. He's a dirty old man with failing eyesight and a bad leg, yet he thinks he's up to physically overpowering a young healthy woman like Ruth? Despite Clint Eastwood's timeless true warning that a man's got to know his limitations, the villain still pursues her.
There's plenty of action in a place that is dangerous for any kind of action - Union Depot's train yards as locomotives exit and enter at high speed, and there's that great Depression slice of life that Warner Brothers was so good at during the pre-code years. Also look out for Frank McHugh in a small but important role as a man who in his drunken state can't tell a member of the armed forces from an information desk manager and whose forgetfulness in leaving his bag behind in the men's washroom - complete with new suit and shaving kit - is a piece of good luck for Chick. Or maybe it's ultimately bad luck? Watch and find out which. It will definitely hold your interest.
They, along with Ruth, have a one day adventure at the station that involves G-Men on the look-out for counterfeiters, the counterfeiters themselves, a violin-case stuffed with fake cash, and just for good measure, a villain in the classic sense - Dr. Bernardi that doesn't have anything to do with these other villains. He's a dirty old man with failing eyesight and a bad leg, yet he thinks he's up to physically overpowering a young healthy woman like Ruth? Despite Clint Eastwood's timeless true warning that a man's got to know his limitations, the villain still pursues her.
There's plenty of action in a place that is dangerous for any kind of action - Union Depot's train yards as locomotives exit and enter at high speed, and there's that great Depression slice of life that Warner Brothers was so good at during the pre-code years. Also look out for Frank McHugh in a small but important role as a man who in his drunken state can't tell a member of the armed forces from an information desk manager and whose forgetfulness in leaving his bag behind in the men's washroom - complete with new suit and shaving kit - is a piece of good luck for Chick. Or maybe it's ultimately bad luck? Watch and find out which. It will definitely hold your interest.
Train Station Clientele From The Wrong Side Of The Tracks
GManfred15 August 2011
"Union Depot" is an interesting and absorbing melodrama loaded with vignettes and subplots. There is something for everyone in this train station but the plot focuses on Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Joan Blondell, she a struggling actress and he a hobo in disguise. But besides their budding romance there is more going on than meets the eye; the FBI has staked out the station for a counterfeiter arriving on a train; an unbalanced psycho has followed Blondell, hoping to grab her/ attack her/ kill her, or all of the above. And so on.
There is a lot of activity and camera movement which keeps the picture moving and a screenplay which I felt captures the unsavory nature - or, perhaps, the human nature of a train depot, warts and all. Lowlifes blend in with the uppercrust just as would be the case in a real train station, and with some pre-code elements thrown in which couldn't be done a few years later. There are several recognizable character actors adding to the production, among them Guy Kibbee (hobo), David Landau (FBI), Alan Hale (crook) and Frank McHugh (amiable drunk).
TCM showed this one the other day. If you missed it and old movies are your cup of tea, catch it the next time it's listed, because it's a cut above the norm.
There is a lot of activity and camera movement which keeps the picture moving and a screenplay which I felt captures the unsavory nature - or, perhaps, the human nature of a train depot, warts and all. Lowlifes blend in with the uppercrust just as would be the case in a real train station, and with some pre-code elements thrown in which couldn't be done a few years later. There are several recognizable character actors adding to the production, among them Guy Kibbee (hobo), David Landau (FBI), Alan Hale (crook) and Frank McHugh (amiable drunk).
TCM showed this one the other day. If you missed it and old movies are your cup of tea, catch it the next time it's listed, because it's a cut above the norm.
Gentleman for a Day
wes-connors14 September 2011
At a busy train station, handsome hobo Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (as Charles "Chic" Miller) finds an abandoned piece of luggage with a perfectly fitting suit and shave case. After changing and shaving, Mr. Fairbanks finds a wad of money in a suit pocket. He gets a good meal and decides to enjoy sex with a prostitute, mistaking pretty blonde chorus girl Joan Blondell (as Ruth Collins) for a train station whore. She's "been around," but is basically "decent," Ms. Blondell tells Fairbanks. Naturally, Fairbanks decides to help Blondell. She needed fare to get to Salt Lake City for a job, and is also being chased by a sleazy limping George Rosener (as Bernardi). Meanwhile, Fairbanks' scruffy companion Guy Kibbee (as Scrap Iron Scratch) finds a discarded claim check, which he gives Fairbanks to redeem - it's for a fiddle case full of cash...
Lurking around among the travelers are suspicious-looking Alan Hale (as Bushy Sloan) and agents David Landau and Earle Foxe. Everything comes together quite neatly and suspenseful, arguably with the exception of Blondell's pursuer, who could have been more fully examined. "Union Station" was reportedly inspired by the book "Grand Hotel" and came out before the movie. The setting is a rich playground for director Alfred E. Green, but it's not quite an "ensemble" of drama. Fairbanks is clearly the central figure and the film could have been titled "Gentleman for a Day" after one of his closing lines. He is excellent in the role, by the way. Co-star Blondell beautifully leads the Warner Bros. supporting cast of characters. The pace, performances and excitement levels head off some production creakiness. The ending is surprisingly effective.
******* Union Depot (1/14/32) Alfred E. Green ~ Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, Alan Hale
Lurking around among the travelers are suspicious-looking Alan Hale (as Bushy Sloan) and agents David Landau and Earle Foxe. Everything comes together quite neatly and suspenseful, arguably with the exception of Blondell's pursuer, who could have been more fully examined. "Union Station" was reportedly inspired by the book "Grand Hotel" and came out before the movie. The setting is a rich playground for director Alfred E. Green, but it's not quite an "ensemble" of drama. Fairbanks is clearly the central figure and the film could have been titled "Gentleman for a Day" after one of his closing lines. He is excellent in the role, by the way. Co-star Blondell beautifully leads the Warner Bros. supporting cast of characters. The pace, performances and excitement levels head off some production creakiness. The ending is surprisingly effective.
******* Union Depot (1/14/32) Alfred E. Green ~ Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, Alan Hale
where a nice suit might getcha
postmanwhoalwaysringstwice7 December 2006
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. stars in "Union Depot" a pre-code effort from Alfred E. Green that follows the myriad stories found roaming within the hustle and bustle at a train station. Fairbanks is a shrewd tramp who weasels his way into interesting situations, which include getting into the suit of a rich man. Once he cleans up (quite nicely), he crosses paths with the gorgeous Joan Blondell, who plays a chorus girl desperate to get to Salt Lake City where a new gig awaits her if she can arrive in time.
"Union Depot" is a very busy, fast paced film full of fun coincidences, and those highly improbable circumstances that make classic Hollywood fare so refreshing. It never quite becomes the "Grand Hotel" in a train station it desired to be, but it's a nice place to spend a little over an hour nonetheless.
"Union Depot" is a very busy, fast paced film full of fun coincidences, and those highly improbable circumstances that make classic Hollywood fare so refreshing. It never quite becomes the "Grand Hotel" in a train station it desired to be, but it's a nice place to spend a little over an hour nonetheless.
"Nobody's gonna sing the blues around me. I've got enough troubles of my own."
utgard1411 November 2014
Interesting Pre-Code movie about a hobo (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) at a train station who finds a bag with money and clothes that he uses to transform himself into a gentleman, at least on the outside. He meets a woman (Joan Blondell) who's down on her luck and, after initially treating her pretty rough, decides to try and help her out. There are other characters with their own stories and eventually they all intersect.
Doug Fairbanks is good in a role that's hard to like at first. He has nice chemistry with Joan Blondell. Joan's both sexy and cute, playing slightly against the types of parts she was normally playing then. Guy Kibbee is fun as Fairbanks' friend Scrap Iron. Frank McHugh has an amusing bit as a drunk, Alan Hale is a counterfeiter, David Landau a tough cop, and George Rosener a perverted weirdo after Blondell. The movie moves along at a quick pace and gets the most out of its 67 minutes. Colorful characters and a snappy script with some laughs, drama, and even action. It's solid entertainment but also has some interest for those curious about Depression-era America.
Doug Fairbanks is good in a role that's hard to like at first. He has nice chemistry with Joan Blondell. Joan's both sexy and cute, playing slightly against the types of parts she was normally playing then. Guy Kibbee is fun as Fairbanks' friend Scrap Iron. Frank McHugh has an amusing bit as a drunk, Alan Hale is a counterfeiter, David Landau a tough cop, and George Rosener a perverted weirdo after Blondell. The movie moves along at a quick pace and gets the most out of its 67 minutes. Colorful characters and a snappy script with some laughs, drama, and even action. It's solid entertainment but also has some interest for those curious about Depression-era America.
Pre-Code Warner Brothers At Its Best
gerrytwo4 August 2000
Union Depot starts with an exterior crane shot that slowly zooms into the train station from above, with no noticeable break as camera goes through the wall into the lobby of the station. Alfred Green, the director of this and many other Warner Bros. movies in the 1930s, keeps things hopping as two homeless men, played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Guy Kibbee, come into some money accidentally. Joan Blondell, always a welcome addition to any movie, enters the picture as jobless young woman who meets Fairbanks while at the station, running away from a sex maniac played by George Rosener, usually a screenwriter. Someone figured he looked right for the part. Union Depot, with its cynical view of life and its casual approach to sex, stands up better than the synthetic movies made after the strict Production Code took effect in July, 1934. The stars, the off-beat story and Alfred Green's fluid direction make this dated movie fine entertainment.
Clothes Make The Man
bkoganbing15 May 2017
Union Depot boasts an impressive cast of Warner Brothers regulars to supplement leads Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joan Blondell. I've always maintained that Warner Brothers film of the 30s and 40s were never quite complete unless either Frank McHugh or Alan Hale was in them. Union Depot has both in the cast.
Fairbanks in Union Depot is proof positive that clothes do make the man. He and Guy Kibbee are a pair of tramps who hang around the railroad station and this night is both their lucky night and nearly the finish of them. When a drunken Frank McHugh leaves his bag running for a train, Fairbanks gets it and he's got all kinds of stuff including a nice wad of cash. Although how he ever fit in one of Frank McHugh's suit I'm still scratching my head over. They're not exactly the same size and body types.
Nevertheless sporting a new look Fairbanks meets down on her heels Joan Blondell an actress stranded when her show folded. She's doing what she has to do to survive and this part of the film could not have been made when the Code came in place. Fairbanks now a bit flush is looking for a little action and that's abundantly clear. But instead the two fall for each other.
In the meantime Kibbee finds a lost claim check for one of the lockers. That leads to the meat of the story involving counterfeiter Alan Hale. I won't say more.
There are a whole lot of small subplots involving the people who inhabit Union Station. This and Grand Hotel are probably the first of these kind of films with interconnecting stories involving a large cast and both came out in 1932. Some of these vignettes like the one involving a Pullman porter bidding his wife goodbye as his train departs and her going into the arms of her boyfriend are really priceless. There are many like that.
Union Depot is one fine pre-Code drama with both Fairbanks and Blondell at the top of their game.
Fairbanks in Union Depot is proof positive that clothes do make the man. He and Guy Kibbee are a pair of tramps who hang around the railroad station and this night is both their lucky night and nearly the finish of them. When a drunken Frank McHugh leaves his bag running for a train, Fairbanks gets it and he's got all kinds of stuff including a nice wad of cash. Although how he ever fit in one of Frank McHugh's suit I'm still scratching my head over. They're not exactly the same size and body types.
Nevertheless sporting a new look Fairbanks meets down on her heels Joan Blondell an actress stranded when her show folded. She's doing what she has to do to survive and this part of the film could not have been made when the Code came in place. Fairbanks now a bit flush is looking for a little action and that's abundantly clear. But instead the two fall for each other.
In the meantime Kibbee finds a lost claim check for one of the lockers. That leads to the meat of the story involving counterfeiter Alan Hale. I won't say more.
There are a whole lot of small subplots involving the people who inhabit Union Station. This and Grand Hotel are probably the first of these kind of films with interconnecting stories involving a large cast and both came out in 1932. Some of these vignettes like the one involving a Pullman porter bidding his wife goodbye as his train departs and her going into the arms of her boyfriend are really priceless. There are many like that.
Union Depot is one fine pre-Code drama with both Fairbanks and Blondell at the top of their game.
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joan Blondell=Gem
miss_meli25 September 2010
This film may not be as pretty as Grand Hotel but its on-par entertainment with that film. What drew me to this film was its Pre-Code status and Joan Blondell. Those things were definitely worth watching but let me put it this way, I came for Joan but stayed for Douglas. He carries this film and carries it well and I love his pairing with Guy Kibbee. I recognized Guy from the films Gold Diggers and I believe 42nd Street-some other pre-code gems. He's playing a very different character here than in those films and plays it well. I recently took a chance and purchased this on warner archive.com and I'm glad I checked out these helpful reviews. I decided to add my own review as every little bit helps and I while I love most old films they all aren't worth the time but this one is. The ending is especially real and I can't help but wonder if it in some small way inspired the ending for Casablanca. Watch it so you'll know what I mean. 9 out of 10!
two hobos think they've hit the mother lode
blanche-215 September 2014
Union Depot is a 1932 precode film starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Guy Kibbee, and Joan Blondell.
Chick (Fairbanks) and Scrap Iron Scratch (Kibbee) are two hobos during the Depression, hungry and hanging around Union Depot to beg for money and look for opportunities to get money.
The first opportunity comes in the form of a conductor's uniform hanging in the mens room, which Chick steals by sticking a pole through the mens room window. Then he gets a real windfall - a man (Frank McHugh) leaves his suitcase in the mens room. Chick chases him to return it, but the man is gone. Inside is everything Chick will need to look like the handsome man that he is: a suit, shaving cream, shaver. He emerges from the mens room looking great. He also has money that was in the suit pocket.
He goes to a diner and orders soup to nuts and racks up a huge bill of $1.75. I can't believe the prices in those days. He sees a forlorn looking young woman in the station. It's Ruth (Joan Blondell) who needs $64 to get to Salt Lake City to join a show that she was in before she broke her ankle. And she'll do anything to get it. That's fine with Chick. He takes her to a private dining room and makes a pass. She tries, but she can't go through with it. She finally tells Chick her full story, that besides needing to get to the show, she's running from a creep that lived in her rooming house. Chick believes her and says he'll buy her ticket.
Somewhere along the line, he meets up with Scratch, who has found a wallet with a pawn ticket. The pawn ticket is for a violin in a case. Chick takes it to the pawnbroker across the way. While the pawnbroker is taking care of another customer, Chick opens the violin and finds $13,000 -- the equivalent of nearly a quarter of a million dollars today. Frankly, I could use the $13,000 now, and it's over 80 years later.
Chick hides the violin case and leaves Scratch in charge of it and takes some of the money with him. And there the fun begins.
This is a fast-moving, entertaining story that leaves one with a tinge of sadness. I am a huge fan of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. I think he was a very underrated actor. He's marvelous here, as effective as a hobo as he is as a dapper gentleman. Both his comedy and dramatic work are marvelous. Joan Blondell is adorable -- so pretty and sweet, but with an edge that shows that the character has been through hard times.
Precode has a more liberal view of sex. People have it, for one thing. And you don't have to be married. Fairbanks is fairly cavalier about it and angry when Blondell doesn't come across.
Very good movie - if you see that it's on TCM, don't miss it. I would have liked a less downbeat ending, but hey, it was the Depression.
Chick (Fairbanks) and Scrap Iron Scratch (Kibbee) are two hobos during the Depression, hungry and hanging around Union Depot to beg for money and look for opportunities to get money.
The first opportunity comes in the form of a conductor's uniform hanging in the mens room, which Chick steals by sticking a pole through the mens room window. Then he gets a real windfall - a man (Frank McHugh) leaves his suitcase in the mens room. Chick chases him to return it, but the man is gone. Inside is everything Chick will need to look like the handsome man that he is: a suit, shaving cream, shaver. He emerges from the mens room looking great. He also has money that was in the suit pocket.
He goes to a diner and orders soup to nuts and racks up a huge bill of $1.75. I can't believe the prices in those days. He sees a forlorn looking young woman in the station. It's Ruth (Joan Blondell) who needs $64 to get to Salt Lake City to join a show that she was in before she broke her ankle. And she'll do anything to get it. That's fine with Chick. He takes her to a private dining room and makes a pass. She tries, but she can't go through with it. She finally tells Chick her full story, that besides needing to get to the show, she's running from a creep that lived in her rooming house. Chick believes her and says he'll buy her ticket.
Somewhere along the line, he meets up with Scratch, who has found a wallet with a pawn ticket. The pawn ticket is for a violin in a case. Chick takes it to the pawnbroker across the way. While the pawnbroker is taking care of another customer, Chick opens the violin and finds $13,000 -- the equivalent of nearly a quarter of a million dollars today. Frankly, I could use the $13,000 now, and it's over 80 years later.
Chick hides the violin case and leaves Scratch in charge of it and takes some of the money with him. And there the fun begins.
This is a fast-moving, entertaining story that leaves one with a tinge of sadness. I am a huge fan of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. I think he was a very underrated actor. He's marvelous here, as effective as a hobo as he is as a dapper gentleman. Both his comedy and dramatic work are marvelous. Joan Blondell is adorable -- so pretty and sweet, but with an edge that shows that the character has been through hard times.
Precode has a more liberal view of sex. People have it, for one thing. And you don't have to be married. Fairbanks is fairly cavalier about it and angry when Blondell doesn't come across.
Very good movie - if you see that it's on TCM, don't miss it. I would have liked a less downbeat ending, but hey, it was the Depression.
Superior Pre-Code Effort
mukava9916 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
UNION DEPOT is a must see for all fans of Pre-Code Hollywood movies! Its chief attractions are fluid camera movement, a fast moving plot involving hardboiled Warner Bros-type characters from the lower rungs of society, as well as plenty of sexual situations, humor, suspense and action. ***POSSIBLE SPOILER*** One may notice that after Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Alan Hale engage in a train yard fight - jumping off boxcars, crawling through gravel, rolling around over oily tracks, getting kicked and punched - they emerge inside the station a moment later looking perfectly intact! Not even a smear of grime on their cheeks or a disheveled lock of hair or a rip in the fabric of their garments! ***END OF POSSIBLE SPOILER***One can, of course, suspend disbelief like mad because the movie is so splendidly entertaining and colorfully cast. Joan Blondell has never been more charming or attractive, playing a "decent" girl who by economic necessity must mix with indecent people. And the ending is harsh and rather sad. What a refreshing piece of work!
Low key but very well made film.
alexanderdavies-9938231 August 2017
"Union Depot" is a "Warner Bros" film that takes place as close to real time as possible. The story unfolds during a single night at a busy railway station where the viewers get to see people from all walks of life. The photography effectively shows all this, via a montage of people waiting for trains, having something to eat at the station cafeteria etc. In the midst of all this, two hobos played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Guy Kibee are looking for ways to feed themselves. Fairbanks is a smart operator in acquiring a new look by disguising his real one. He changes clothing, has a shave and then comes across a violin case that's full of stolen money. Then the film kicks off into high gear. Joan Blondell plays another character with a "hard luck" angle but it works well in "Union Depot." Alan Hale is great as the villain but Frank McHugh has little to do. The plot moves at a steady pace and the climax is very good.
train station thriller
SnoopyStyle14 September 2020
Chick Miller (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) and Scrap Iron Scratch (Guy Kibbee) are two hobos working the train station Union Depot. Chick steals a train uniform and then steals a suitcase. He encounters chorus girl Ruth Collins (Joan Blondell). She needs $64 for a train ticket to Salt Lake City. It's a night of danger and mysterious characters.
I like the chaos of the train station and the convoluted plot. It's like Grand Hotel except not in a hotel. I like that it all takes place in one night which gives it an intense immediacy. It does ramp up in action and thrills. All in all, it's a good crime drama.
I like the chaos of the train station and the convoluted plot. It's like Grand Hotel except not in a hotel. I like that it all takes place in one night which gives it an intense immediacy. It does ramp up in action and thrills. All in all, it's a good crime drama.
Solid entertaining B movie for the time - standout performances from Blondell, Fairbanks
Nate-483 October 2019
Must-see for Blondell and Fairbanks. A few eye-catching performances from a couple other actresses in bit parts as well including Mae Madison.
Script is nothing special and the story is not so great.
I was not totally sold on the ending but this is just a B picture after all.
union depot
mossgrymk30 April 2023
Warners typically upstart and populist answer to "Grand Hotel". Best thing about it is the art and set decoration as the usually el cheapo studio (especially in the early 30s) for once did not spare the shekels in their expert and painstaking reproduction of a big city train station. And director Alfred Green does a good job of capturing the tawdry/glamorous atmosphere of a place where hobo meets hooker meets movie star and where anyplace in the USA is but a conductor's oracular announcement away. I also liked the louche pre code tone to the proceedings with intimations of sexual deviancy and non comeuppance for a bum who steals a rich man's suitcase.
Unfortunately, the central story, centered around counterfeit money hidden in a violin case, is less than enthralling and the potentially creepily interesting sub plot involving Joan Blondell's naive chorus girl and a pervy, partially blind doctor goes absolutely nowhere, with the doc dying way too conveniently soon. Hell, we don't even get to see his eyes which Blondell had told Doug Fairbanks were terrifying. And that leads me to my second beef with this movie which is that Blondell, a comic actress of genius, is given nothing even remotely funny to say or do! Fairbanks fares better although, as critics noted, he's a bit too elegant and at home in his purloined suit to be a convincing homeless guy. Give it a generous B minus, mostly for the atmo.
Unfortunately, the central story, centered around counterfeit money hidden in a violin case, is less than enthralling and the potentially creepily interesting sub plot involving Joan Blondell's naive chorus girl and a pervy, partially blind doctor goes absolutely nowhere, with the doc dying way too conveniently soon. Hell, we don't even get to see his eyes which Blondell had told Doug Fairbanks were terrifying. And that leads me to my second beef with this movie which is that Blondell, a comic actress of genius, is given nothing even remotely funny to say or do! Fairbanks fares better although, as critics noted, he's a bit too elegant and at home in his purloined suit to be a convincing homeless guy. Give it a generous B minus, mostly for the atmo.
Charming story with a fantastic ending
gbill-7487721 August 2017
There is a lot to like about this 65 minute pre-Code film from 1932. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is charming as a hobo who finds some money and befriends a chorus girl (Joan Blondell) who needs money for a train ticket. Blondell is brilliant and the relationship that develops between the two of them is touching. Director Alfred E. Green tells a great story – introducing the area of a train station with scenes of sassiness and levity, and then using lots of fluid camera movement while keeping almost all of the action there. Peppered throughout the film are salacious little moments that keep it lively without going over-the-top, and little touches such as the railway employee melodiously yelling "All Aboard!". It's not a heavy drama or anything, but as criminals and the cops close in while trying to find counterfeit money, there are moments of tension. The chase through the train yard is excellent, and in one moment it actually appears as though a train bumps Alan Hale. The ending was a very nice touch and I loved it so much I bumped my rating up, but won't spoil it. Very entertaining.
A Hub of Activity
view_and_review15 February 2024
Union Depot, I imagine, was supposed to be like Grand Central Station. It was a train station from which a person could travel anywhere in the U. S. It was also a hub of activity outside of traveling.
A hobo, a counterfeiter, a G-man, and a woman down on her luck all crossed paths in "Union Depot." Chick Miller (Douglas Fairbanks), the hobo, came into some money when a drunk passenger left his luggage in the train station restroom.
Chick cleaned up nice and hit the depot with his newfound wealth. That's when he spotted Ruth (Joan Blondell). Ruth was in desperate need of dough to catch a train to Salt Lake City. She'd do almost anything for the $64.50 she needed and Chick was just the guy to give it to her. But first she had to satisfy him.
While the Chick/Ruth relationship was developing he came into some more cash. Or so he thought. His hobo pal, Scrap (Guy Kibbee), had a check-in ticket he filched from a wallet. The check-in ticket was for a violin case full of money. Now Chick was on cloud nine, except the cash was counterfeit. It would be a lot more hoopla at the Union Depot before movie's end.
"Union Depot" wasn't too bad. I like Joan Blondell even if this wasn't one of her better roles. "Union Depot" was a little bit of comedy, a little drama, a little action, and even a little suspense. It was akin to movies like "Grand Hotel" and "Manhattan Tower" where a lot was happening in one place that accommodated many people. I think both "Grand Hotel" and "Manhattan Tower" were better, but "Union Depot" isn't too far behind.
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A hobo, a counterfeiter, a G-man, and a woman down on her luck all crossed paths in "Union Depot." Chick Miller (Douglas Fairbanks), the hobo, came into some money when a drunk passenger left his luggage in the train station restroom.
Chick cleaned up nice and hit the depot with his newfound wealth. That's when he spotted Ruth (Joan Blondell). Ruth was in desperate need of dough to catch a train to Salt Lake City. She'd do almost anything for the $64.50 she needed and Chick was just the guy to give it to her. But first she had to satisfy him.
While the Chick/Ruth relationship was developing he came into some more cash. Or so he thought. His hobo pal, Scrap (Guy Kibbee), had a check-in ticket he filched from a wallet. The check-in ticket was for a violin case full of money. Now Chick was on cloud nine, except the cash was counterfeit. It would be a lot more hoopla at the Union Depot before movie's end.
"Union Depot" wasn't too bad. I like Joan Blondell even if this wasn't one of her better roles. "Union Depot" was a little bit of comedy, a little drama, a little action, and even a little suspense. It was akin to movies like "Grand Hotel" and "Manhattan Tower" where a lot was happening in one place that accommodated many people. I think both "Grand Hotel" and "Manhattan Tower" were better, but "Union Depot" isn't too far behind.
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All Aboard For a Fast And Bumpy Precode!
boblipton4 October 2019
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Guy Kibbee are fresh out of jail on vagrancy charges. They're hanging around the Union Depot, looking for a train to ride out on, or at least an angle, when a series of coincidences puts Fairbanks in a nice suit and fills his pockets with money -- counterfeit money that crook Alan Hale and cops David Landau and Earle Foxe are looking for. Joan Blondell is looking for $64 for a ticket to Salt Lake City and a job, and Fairbanks is feeling flush and generous.
That's a three-minute tracking shot that opens this movie, and cinematographer Sol Polito has a bunch of other tricks up his sleeve. Alfred Green directs this 67-minute pre-code movie at the lightning pace favored by Warner Brothers in this period. It's tough, funny, tender and exciting.
Green isn't as well remembered as others of Warners' workhorse directors of this period. He had directed Pickford in LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY, Arliss in three of his earliest talkies and Stanwyck in BABY FACE. His work declined in prestige when strict enforcement of the Code began, but he got Bette Davis from her earliest starring roles to her first Oscar, and continued directing movies until 1954. He died in 1960, aged 71.
That's a three-minute tracking shot that opens this movie, and cinematographer Sol Polito has a bunch of other tricks up his sleeve. Alfred Green directs this 67-minute pre-code movie at the lightning pace favored by Warner Brothers in this period. It's tough, funny, tender and exciting.
Green isn't as well remembered as others of Warners' workhorse directors of this period. He had directed Pickford in LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY, Arliss in three of his earliest talkies and Stanwyck in BABY FACE. His work declined in prestige when strict enforcement of the Code began, but he got Bette Davis from her earliest starring roles to her first Oscar, and continued directing movies until 1954. He died in 1960, aged 71.
The Low Life Element
Falconeer16 February 2019
Those fascinated with CRIME and have a weakness for these Pre-Code Hollywood productions, are going to appreciate this tale of seedy train station life. Douglas Fairbanks Jr, the most handsome guy of 1930's Hollywood, is utterly suave here, as Chick Miller, the transient vagrant, fresh out of jail and looking for a score. He finds an opportunity when a rich drunk loses his suitcase and ol' Chick helps himself to the nice suit and the bank roll inside. He becomes an instant gentleman, and the gorgeous Joan Blondell falls for him, when he helps her out of her own tough predicament. Blondell has these huge, sad and expressive eyes that can just melt the heart, and her and Douglas Fairbanks are irresistible as a couple. This movie has it all; comedy, crime, excitement, and romance. It's dark, gritty quality is right in line with the film style of the early 30's, and this, to many, is the true "Golden Age" of cinema. The Hayes Code of 1934 really seemed to strip movies of all their vitality; they ceased being realistic and began to look like artificial nonsense. No longer could life be portrayed as it really was, and that was an artistic loss. Thankfully we will always have movie diamonds like this to revisit and treasure. Fans of Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in particular, need to hunt this one down, as he absolutely OWNS this movie. "Union Depot" is a joy to behold.
An absolute delight
1930s_Time_Machine20 August 2022
An absolutely perfect example of an early 30s Warner Brothers movie. It's the depression and WB targeted their product for the struggling masses so as you'd expect, it focusses on people, themes and situations that real people back then were facing and could relate to. These movies were made to cheer people up, they were made to bring a smile to the faces of the audience of the 30s and this example one hundred percent still brings a smile to the face of anyone watching in the 21st century.
Everything about Union Depot is perfect. The characters are all instantly likeable and brilliantly acted. Direction from Alfred Green is innovative and energetic. He commands your interest through every minute and unlike some of these early 30s films which feel too short to let the personalities develop or for us to get to know them, this one is just right.
The two leads are excellent: utterly believable. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Superbly channels his inner Clarke Gable and Joan Blondell, whom he mistakes for a prostitute (charging him $64.50), is marvellous and even without her usual 'lingerie scene' she still manages to exude more sex appeal than any human can possibly exude. For a change, she's not playing a street-wise sassy blonde who's in charge of what she's doing. Here she's more fragile, someone actually closer to her own personality. She conveys someone scared, someone vulnerable, someone unsure of what's happening but hopeful that it will work out.
Overall this is a thoroughly entertaining, happy and uplifting film. A good story of course wouldn't be a good story without a series of ever worsening and complicated problems mounting up to overcome but you just know that it's going to be alright at the end - it may not be a perfect fairy-tale ending but a realistic happy ending. This film is an absolute delight.
Everything about Union Depot is perfect. The characters are all instantly likeable and brilliantly acted. Direction from Alfred Green is innovative and energetic. He commands your interest through every minute and unlike some of these early 30s films which feel too short to let the personalities develop or for us to get to know them, this one is just right.
The two leads are excellent: utterly believable. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Superbly channels his inner Clarke Gable and Joan Blondell, whom he mistakes for a prostitute (charging him $64.50), is marvellous and even without her usual 'lingerie scene' she still manages to exude more sex appeal than any human can possibly exude. For a change, she's not playing a street-wise sassy blonde who's in charge of what she's doing. Here she's more fragile, someone actually closer to her own personality. She conveys someone scared, someone vulnerable, someone unsure of what's happening but hopeful that it will work out.
Overall this is a thoroughly entertaining, happy and uplifting film. A good story of course wouldn't be a good story without a series of ever worsening and complicated problems mounting up to overcome but you just know that it's going to be alright at the end - it may not be a perfect fairy-tale ending but a realistic happy ending. This film is an absolute delight.
Unexpected Wonderfull Film
ttremel-820386 October 2019
It's so nice to find something you have never seen before from the pre-code era that is great.
Very entertaining and wonderfully filmed. I very rarely post reviews but this is worth your time.
Great ensemble cast with the great Joan Blondell.
A super-special for train buffs!
JohnHowardReid10 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
An amazing movie, credited to director Alfred E. Green of all people, with truly astonishing camera-work by Sol Polito, here reveling in this opportunity to wave goodbye forever to the restrictive sound-proof booth. Setting his camera free, Polito's lens literally glides over the truly enormous sets at his disposal (undoubtedly a real train depot that was usually locked down in the really early morning). It actually takes a whole reel of breathtaking vignettes, before the movie proper really gets underway. At that point, young Douglas Fairbanks makes his surprising entrance at the head of a huge cast including Joan Blondell, Guy Kibbee, Alan Hale and most especially David Landau, a charismatic and much-in-demand character actor who came from Broadway and made no less than 33 movies from 1931 through 1934. (He died, alas, in '35). This is such a must-see movie that I don't want to give away even a hint of the plot, but it does provide some great opportunities for all the name players. In fact, even many of the character actors like Charles Lane, George Chandler, Ethel Griffies, Theresa Harris and Dorothy Christie get their chance to shine. And of course, if there are any cops around (which there are), Robert Homans is sure to make an appearance.
Short but sweet
jonerogers26 March 2022
Loved this film, it was a short one but this is a film made nearly a century ago, most films from this era are of this length, but it doesn't mean its not good.
It tells the story of a few individuals who for whatever reason are around Union Depot, a train station. It involves a couple of vagrants, a pretty blonde (Joan Blondell) and a shyster trying to carry out a dodgy deal and well, it all going wrong.
Its simple and to the point, no need for CGI here its not needed. Well worth a watch and not in anyway difficult to follow. Plus it has the lovely Joan Blondell,always gets my eye.
It tells the story of a few individuals who for whatever reason are around Union Depot, a train station. It involves a couple of vagrants, a pretty blonde (Joan Blondell) and a shyster trying to carry out a dodgy deal and well, it all going wrong.
Its simple and to the point, no need for CGI here its not needed. Well worth a watch and not in anyway difficult to follow. Plus it has the lovely Joan Blondell,always gets my eye.
Snappy Wide Open Pre-Code Depression Era Urban Landscape
LeonLouisRicci29 November 2014
Snappy, Fluid, and Wide Open Pre-Coder with Doug Fairbanks Jr., Joan Blondell, a Bunch of WB Character Actors, and an On Screen Depression Era Train Station that Impresses. It is an Urban Landscape to Fill with a Cross-Section of the Melting Pot Coming and Going. All Skin-Colors, Languages, and Dress. Upper Crust and and the Crumbs.
This is Quite the Entertaining Movie and the Camera Work and Sound are Outstanding for a 1931 Film. It Never Ceases to Amaze just How Much Plot can be Woven into an Hour Plus. This One is So Full of Colorful Vignettes and Vice that it Effortlessly Makes You Want to Pay Attention to it All.
Above Average Pre-Code Delight and a Larger than Usual Slice of Cityscape Americana on the Move. Unfettered Inclusions...Prostitutes, Extramarital Sex, Prohibition Drinking, an Allusion to Pornography, and More. There is Also a Nod to WWI Vets, Still Much on the Mind of America and the Film also has its Villain with a German Accent.
This is Quite the Entertaining Movie and the Camera Work and Sound are Outstanding for a 1931 Film. It Never Ceases to Amaze just How Much Plot can be Woven into an Hour Plus. This One is So Full of Colorful Vignettes and Vice that it Effortlessly Makes You Want to Pay Attention to it All.
Above Average Pre-Code Delight and a Larger than Usual Slice of Cityscape Americana on the Move. Unfettered Inclusions...Prostitutes, Extramarital Sex, Prohibition Drinking, an Allusion to Pornography, and More. There is Also a Nod to WWI Vets, Still Much on the Mind of America and the Film also has its Villain with a German Accent.
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