Union Pacific (1939)

 

Union Pacific - 1939

Coming up next we have 1939's "Union Pacific", a story about the meeting of two railroads from opposite ends of the USA and a tale of love that blossoms on the rails.

The film's cast includes Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, Akim Tamiroff, Robert Preston, Lynne Overman, Brian Donlevy, Robert Barrat, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Ridges, and Sam McDaniel.

A transcontinental railroad is being built in the USA.  Two railroads, the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific, are vying to be the first to reach a designated point where they will meet.

There are those on the Union Pacific that don't want it to arrive on time.  The man in charge has bet heavily on the Central Pacific, and he knows that he will make a huge amount of money should the Union Pacific arrive last.  He hires Sid Campeau to follow the building of the Union Pacific rails and make as much trouble as he can to slow the progress.

And he does a good job of it, too.  He stirs up a whole bunch of trouble.  He sets up saloons, which distract the men from their work, and he also stirs up trouble with the Indians that live along the way.

Currently on the Central Pacific line is sassy Irish postmistress Mollie Monahan.  She's there with a friend of hers, Dick Allen, who is also the right hand man of troublemaker Sid Campeau.  Dick is in love with Mollie, but she keeps him on his toes and doesn't commit herself.

Also on board is railroad troubleshooter Jeff Butler, whose job is to make sure the work continues on schedule.  He's a very likeable guy, and he's assigned two bodyguards: Fiesta and Leach.  After meeting Jeff, Leach says to Fiesta, "I declare, he seems like a right nice young feller.  I hope he lives long enough so that we can get acquainted."

Jeff gets right to work by interfering with some of Campeau's men, even tossing one off of the train.  He marches right up to Campeau and lets him know who is boss.  "He's going to be unpopular," says Dick.  "Not with me," says Mollie with a smile as she watches Jeff work.  It turns out that Dick and Jeff are old army buddies, which is unfortunate given Dick's association with Campeau.

Campeau's saloons are responsible for the death of at least one man per day.  As hard as Campeau works at trying to keep the men distracted, Jeff gets one up on him and clears the place out with a rumor of a gold strike at the end of the line.  Campeau isn't happy.

Meanwhile, Mollie and Jeff start spending a lot of time together.  Both start to fall for one another.

At the end of the track, Jeff has to deal with a troublemaker who wants his wages immediately.  Jeff is able to win a fight against him and convince the rest of the men that the money is coming.  When it does come, Campeau has Dick steal it.  Jeff knows that Dick's stolen it and pays him a visit.

Things don't go well during that confrontation.  Campeau arrives on the scene with backup and the only thing that saves Jeff is Mollie, who hastily agrees to marry Dick to save Jeff's life.

Jeff later gets proof that Dick stole the money and confronts him just after his wedding to Mollie.  Dick causes some confusion in the crowd and is able to slip away.

The next morning as the train moves on, Mollie is startled when someone enters her train car.  It's Dick, who has hidden underneath the train.

Mollie tells him that the only reason she married him was to save Jeff's life.  Dick tells her that he knows, but he wanted her for his wife under any circumstances.

The train comes under attack from a tribe of Indians, who ultimately cause the train to derail.  Jeff makes his way to Mollie's car and is surprised to find Jeff.  With their lives threatened, all thoughts are turned towards survival.  Mollie is able to telegraph for help using a very crudely made telegraph system.  The help comes just in the nick of time.

After they are safe, Jeff gives Dick a horse and instructions to not be seen on the Union Pacific line, otherwise he will have to kill him.  Dick shakes Jeff's hand and cautions him not to forget that Mollie is his wife.  Jeff smiles and says, "I might.  She wouldn't."

After some more hardships, both railroad lines are united at Promontory Summit, Utah.  And Dick wastes no time in finding Mollie.  He goes to find Jeff after he hears that Campeau is nearby and Jeff isn't wearing his guns.

Campeau kills Dick after mistaking him for Jeff, and he almost puts a bullet in Jeff's back.  (Don't worry.  Campeau gets his comeuppance courtesy of Leach and Fiesta.)

As the two railroads finally meet, Jeff goes to Mollie and tells her that Dick is dead.  They are free to begin their life together.  "Some of your sweetness got into my blood.  I guess it's there for life," Jeff says.  To which Mollie replies, "And my heart will be answering you...as long as ever it beats."

Cast rundown:

   Barbara Stanwyck...........................Mollie Monahan

   Joel McCrea....................................Jeff Butler

   Akim Tamiroff.................................Fiesta

   Robert Preston................................Dick Allen

   Lynne Overman...............................Leach Overmile

   Brian Donlevy.................................Sid Campeau

   Robert Barrat..................................Duke Ring

   Anthony Quinn................................Jack Cordray

   Stanley Ridges................................Gen. Casement

   Sam McDaniel.................................Waiter

And that's all for Union Pacific.  When the railroads met in 1869, a golden spike was used to mark the end of the construction.  For the filming of this movie, the original golden spike was loaned out by Stanford University for use in the film.  Cecil B. DeMille directed most of the movie from a stretcher because he was recovering from an operation.  Quite a feat when you consider the scale of this movie.

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Magnificent Doll (1946)

Magnificent Doll - 1946

Our next film is 1946's historical drama "Magnificent Doll", starring Ginger Rogers and David Niven.  This is a telling of the story of Dolley Madison and how she became encased in the history of the United States.

The film's supporting cast includes Burgess Meredith, Peggy Wood, Stephen McNally, Robert Barrat, Grandon Rhodes, and Frances E. Williams.

The film begins with Dolley Madison narrating.  At this particular moment, she is the First Lady of the United States.  She talks a little about some of the events that led up to this moment, including cutting the picture of George Washington from its frame when the British came to burn the White House.  She begins the real portion of her story when she was a young girl.

Dolley's father has come back from war.  She and her mother are overjoyed at his return, but quickly find him changed.  He tells them that he's become a Quaker and that he has arranged Dolley's marriage to a total stranger.  She's furious.

To please her father, they give up all of their rich and worldly things.  She marries John Todd and vows to never love him.

Even after their marriage and their birth of their son, Dolley still cannot bring herself to love him.  Dolley again vows not to love him.  "You're wrong, Dolley," says John.  "Someday you'll come running to tell me you love me."

What John says comes true.  After their son dies, John dies after contracting a fever.  Dolley runs to tell him she loves him, but it is too late.

After the death of John and her father, Dolley and her mother open a boarding house in Philadelphia.  Their maid comes and tells them that their first boarder has arrived.

It turns out to be Aaron Burr, who very quickly sweeps the Widow Todd and her mother off their feet.

He and Dolley spend a lot of time together.  And she's very taken with his charming manner.

After riding together one afternoon, Aaron meets James Madison in the stables, who has just seen Dolley.  He wishes Aaron to introduce them.  Aaron hesitates and walks back to the boarding house with Dolley.

James follows them there, and eventually he becomes another boarder.  Dolley instantly likes him for his easy-going manner.

She still goes about town with Aaron, who takes her to some dangerous places.

She also spends a lot of time with James.  Dolley finds him very agreeable and very easy to talk with.

Dolley even helps James get some members of Congress talking together by hosting her first dinner party.  Everything is a huge success, and James is very grateful to her.

With Aaron, Dolley talks about how much she enjoys politics and how if she was a man she would be fully immersed in it.

With James, Dolley talks about the regrets of her life and how she wishes she was a better wife to John Todd.  James tells her that life is too short to live in regrets and there is still much happiness to be had.

One afternoon, Aaron tells Dolley of his dissatisfaction with the way the government is working.  He wants America to be seen as an empire, and he has plans to be at the head of that empire.  Dolley has horrified at the way he talks and calls it treasonous.

She goes to see James and he shares with her his vision for America.  She loves the way he speaks about the future of the country and finds herself falling in love with him.  She agrees to marry him.

When she returns to the boarding house to tell Aaron, he is furious.  After some forceful remarks, he storms out.

During election season, Aaron makes a move that he hopes will secure him as the head of a new American empire.  Dolley goes to him to plead with him not to do it.  He tells her he won't lift a finger to further his own cause.  However, he says his time will come and when it does, he'll find a way for her to be by his side.  She bids him goodbye and quickly leaves.

Instead of Aaron, Thomas Jefferson is elected president and he names James as his Secretary of State.  He asks Dolley to help with the official hostess duties at the White House.  She takes on the challenge with gusto.

During a White House party, Aaron finds Dolley and tells her that he's ready to make his move.  She begs him again not to do it.

Aaron tries to muster an army big enough to fight government troops.  But when he tells them his plans, they desert him.

He is arrested.  He does the one thing he can think of: send a message that will placed by his servant in Dolley's hands.

Dolley reads the message and then goes to James to ask his advice.  He tells her that he can't tell her what to do.  She must do what she feels to do in her heart.

Dolley decides to go to the prison where Aaron is being held during the trial.  She tries to make him see reason, but he's anxious to get the crowd to hate him so they can thwart the rule of law.  He is found not guilty of treason and is ready to be released.

She goes to the angry crowd and gives them a speech about the rule of law and the importance of it in their young country.

When Aaron comes out of the courthouse a free man, Dolley has the crowd turn their backs on him and not pay him any attention.  No longer having the power to turn public opinion, Aaron walks off in defeat.

Even though she is victorious in her speech with the crowd, Dolley sadly watches as Aaron walks away.

James makes a surprise appearance in support of Dolley.  Dolley reaffirms her love for him.

Cast rundown:

   Ginger Rogers................................Dolley Payne Madison

   David Niven...................................Aaron Burr

   Burgess Meredith............................James Madison

   Peggy Wood...................................Mrs. Payne

   Stephen McNally.............................John Todd

   Robert Barrat..................................Mr. Payne

   Grandon Rhodes..............................Thomas Jefferson

   Frances E. Williams..........................Amy

And that's all for Magnificent Doll.  The film didn't do well at the box office.  Dissatisfied with the way the final scene was written, Ginger Rogers rewrote it herself.  When she presented it to the director and producer, they agreed to use it with no further changes.  The filming of this movie was marred by tragedy.  The night before filming began, David Niven and his wife were at a dinner party.  After the dinner, the guests began playing a game of hide-and-go-seek.  Niven's wife opened a door which she believed was a closet and fell to her death down a set of stairs into the house basement.  Niven felt that his performance in this film was not good, and he always said so.

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