Details
Movie Description
WESTERN UNION, Fritz Lang's second color film and second Western, follows the process of installing the cross-country Western Union telegraph wires while telling the story of two brothers whose destinies have brought them together. Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott) is an ex-criminal whose job is to protect the Western Union workers against attacks by gangs of bandits. But, when he learns that his renegade brother, Jack Slade, is leading one of these gangs, Vance realizes this job will not be easy. The melodrama increases as the daughter of Vance's boss, Sue, comes into the picture with her young and inexperienced suitor, Richard Blake (Robert Young). With Vance and Richard waging psychological warfare over Sue's affections, the Western Union lines are threatened at every turn by gangs of bandits impersonating Indians. Fritz Lang's striking use of Technicolor enhances the actual Western landscapes and the real Oglala Indians cast in the film. Virtuoso cinematography and signature Langian psychological suspense elevate this western tale of destiny, desire, and coming of age to a fever pitch of excitement and melodrama.
Film Notes
Theatrical release: February 7, 1941
WESTERN UNION was filmed in Hollywood, California, on the Twentieth Century Fox lot in 1941.
Industry Reviews
"Fritz Lang's witty knockabout version of the Zane Grey novel involves a plethora of classic western character actors..."
Uncut - Kevin Maher (03/01/2005)
"[T]his is a jaunty, good-humoured romp with little trace of Lang's trademark pessimism."
Sight and Sound - Matthew Leyland (04/01/2005)
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