Union Station (1950)

57% of users liked it
(186 ratings)

Union Station is a tense crime thriller in the tradition of The Naked City that unfolds in Los Angeles. William Holden plays railroad worker Lt. William Calhoun. Calhoun goes into action when Lorna Murchison (Allene Roberts), the sightless daughter of millionaire Henry Murchison (Herbert Heyes), is… More Union Station is a tense crime thriller in the tradition of The Naked City that unfolds in Los Angeles. William Holden plays railroad worker Lt. William Calhoun. Calhoun goes into action when Lorna Murchison (Allene Roberts), the sightless daughter of millionaire Henry Murchison (Herbert Heyes), is kidnapped by ruthless Joe Beacon (Lyle Bettger). The abduction is witnessed by Joyce Willecombe (Nancy Olson), Murchison's secretary. Using the handful of clues provided by Joyce, Calhoun and his associate, Inspector Donnelly (Barry Fitzgerald) do their best to second-guess the kidnapper. The film's most harrowing scene finds Beacon abandoning the blind and helpless Lorna in a deserted car barn in the deepest recesses of the titular station. Jan Sterling co-stars as Marge, Beacon's conscience-stricken moll. Former cinematographer Rudolph Mate does a nice, neat job as director, seamlessly matching location shots with studio mockups. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Rudolph Maté
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

On DVD: Jul 27, 2010

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
An exciting kidnapping story despite the routine plot.

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

Someone's kidnapped the blind daughter of a wealthy tycoon and the L.A.P.D. is hot on their trail. William Holden and Nancy Olson are united once again (see also <i>Sunset Boulevard</i>) in this crime drama set mainly in L.A.'s Union Train Station.
jay n

Solid crime drama with excellent cast. Holden and Nancy Olson play well off each other and Lyle Bettger oozed slime like few others, on top of that there's Barry Fitzgerals as the wizened chief of police. Some of the procedures are a bit quaint now but taking into account when it… More
Solid crime drama with excellent cast. Holden and Nancy Olson play well off each other and Lyle Bettger oozed slime like few others, on top of that there's Barry Fitzgerals as the wizened chief of police. Some of the procedures are a bit quaint now but taking into account when it was made an entertaining little programmer all in all.
monty h

Exciting thriller set in LA, about a train station policeman named Lt. Willie Calhoun (super performance by William Holden) chasing down a ruthless kidnapper. The bad guy has taken the blind daughter of a millionaire and holds her for ransom. The kidnapping is seen by the rich… More
Exciting thriller set in LA, about a train station policeman named Lt. Willie Calhoun (super performance by William Holden) chasing down a ruthless kidnapper. The bad guy has taken the blind daughter of a millionaire and holds her for ransom. The kidnapping is seen by the rich man's secretary (a solid Nancy Olson). Calhoun swears that he will find the girl and put the kidnapper down, and everyone believes him because Calhoun is one hell of a cop. A very short film at about 80 minutes long, but it is packed with riveting drama and some terrific action. Holden is top notch as the policeman, this being one of his best performances ever. And Lyle Bettger is memorable as bad guy Joe Beacon, the kind you love to hate. Union Station is one of those little films that not too many people have heard about, much less seen, but it is one terrific movie. One of my personal favorites. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marge Wrighter: Gonna send that kid home, aren't you, Joe? I mean after we collect. Joe Beacom: She'll go home...they ever fish her out of the river. Let's have the coffee, huh?

Cast

            William Holden as Lt. William Calhoun

            Nancy Olson as Joyce Willecombe

            Barry Fitzgerald as Inspector Donnelly

            Lyle Bettger as Joe Beacom

            Jan Sterling as Marge Wrighter

            Allene Roberts as Lorna Murchison

            Herbert Heyes as Henry Murchison

            Don Dunning as Gus Hadder

            Fred Graff as Vince Marley

            James Seay as Det. Eddie Shattuck

            Parley Baer as Detective Gottschalk

            Ralph Sanford as Detective Fay

            Richard Karlan as Detective George Stein

            Bigelow Sayre as Detective Ross

            Charles Dayton as Howard Kettner

            Jean Ruth as Pretty Girl

            Paul Lees as Young Man Masher

            Harry Hayden as Conductor Skelly

            Eric Alden as Doctor

            Trevor Bardette as Patrolman

            Ralph Byrd as Priest

            Robert Cornthwaite as Orderly

            Edgar Dearing as Detective

            Mike Pat Donovan as Watchman

            Bob Easton as Hayseed

            Dick Elliott as Employee

            Laura Elliot as Clerk

            Edith Evanson as Mrs. Willecombe

            Al Ferguson as Detective

            Byron Foulger as Horace

            Jack Gargan as Police Stenographer

            Sumner Getchell as Police Car Driver

            Barbara Knudson as Clerk

            George Lynn as Moreno

            Mike Mahoney as Patrolman

            Howard Mitchell as Detective

            Ralph Montgomery as Con man

            Charles Sherlock as Doctor

            Queenie Smith as Landlady

            Douglas Spencer as Stationmaster

            Joe Warfield as Manny

            Robert Wood as Patrolman

            Clifton Young as Ambulance Driver

            Gerry Ganzer as Clerk

            Howard Negley as Conductor

            Richard Barron as Halloran

            Thomas E. Jackson as Detective

            Jack Roberts as Freddie

            Fred Zendar
            
            Charmienne Harker as Clerk

            Jerry James as Con man

            Bill Meader as Projectionist

            Hans Moebus as Charlie the chauffeur

            Joe Recht as Messenger

            John Crawford as Hackett

            Isabel Cushin as Clerk

            Bob Hoffman as Messenger

            Bernard Szold as Counterman

            Gil Warren as Doctor

            Landon Dunning
            
See full cast