Western Union

Randolph Scott wrestles with fate in this Fritz Lang western
It might seem strange that Fritz Lang would make a western, since his forte was clearly the crime film, but then you remember that his first American film, "Fury," was about a lynching and you realize that the Old West has long been an ideal location for playing out the major themes of the American identity. "Western Union" is the story of the first trans-continental telegraph line being strung across the west, which represents the director's interest in modern technology, although clearly this is retrospective in the same way that "Metropolis" was futuristic. Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott) is fleeing a posse and when his goes lame he ends up with Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger), a telegraph engineer who hires the outlaw as a scout. Richard Blake (Robert Young) is a surveyor who arrives from the east and takes a spark to Sue Creighton (Virginia Gilmore), the sister of Edward, which sets up the film's love triangle. Meanwhile, Confederate raiders led by Jack Slade (Barton MacLane) are...

The Singing Wires
This is a review of WESTERN UNION (1941), an early Technicolor western directed by Fritz Lang, who the year before directed another technicolor western for Fox, THE RETURN OF FRANK JAMES. Apparently even now,in 2010 and in the US, WESTERN UNION is only available on VHS videotape, no DVD as of yet.

In WESTERN UNION, Edward Creighton, played by Dean Jagger, is a chief enginer for the telegarph company installing poles and wires from Omaha to Salt Lake City during the Civil War era.

Crieghton hires Vance Shaw, played by Randolph Scott, an ex-outlaw, as what now would be known as a facilitator. Vance enters a usually friendly rivalary with an engineer/surveyer from Harvard, Richard Blake, played by Robert Young, over the courtship of Creighton's lovely sister, Sue, played by Virgina Gilmore.
Vance and Richard also have disagreements about work related matters as well but when some genuine as well as ersatz Indians led by Jack Slade,who as I have said, is...

Randolph Scott movie
This is a great movie if you love Randolph Scott as I do. The picture quality was excellent. Would highly recommend this movie to a friend.

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