Union Depot

Directed by Alfred E. Green, Union Depot follows a charismatic hobo (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.’s Chick Miller) as he meets and falls for a down-on-her-luck performer named Ruth Collins (Joan Blondell) – with complications ensuing after Chick’s decision to steal a train passenger’s suitcase comes back to haunt him. Filmmaker Green, armed with a script by Kenyon Nicholson and Walter DeLeon, does a terrific job of immediately luring the viewer into the erratic yet mostly compelling narrative, as the picture kicks off with a striking and downright spellbinding tracking shot that starts outside a train station and eventually makes its way inside – with the impressively stylish visuals subsequently remaining an ongoing highlight within the proceedings. And although the movie’s opening half hour (or so) isn’t quite as engaging or enthralling as one might’ve hoped, Union Depot‘s growing emphasis on Fairbanks Jr. and Blondell’s respective characters paves the way for a second half that becomes more and more entertaining as it unfolds – with, especially, the exciting third act, which boasts a solid pursuit through a busy train yard, packing a substantial, visceral punch and ensuring that the whole thing concludes on a decidedly positive note.

*** out of ****