Union Pacific

Union Pacific (1939)

Timing: 2:15 (135 min)

6.578/10
77

6.845/10
718

7/10
3800

All about film

Video 2

Photo 2

Actors and characters

Release date

1939-05-05

Country

United States

Production

Paramount

Genre

Drama, Western

Budget

$1 000 000

Revenue

$0

Website

Director

Cecil B. DeMille

Actors

Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, Akim Tamiroff, Robert Preston, Lynne Overman, Brian Donlevy, Robert Barrat, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Ridges, Henry Kolker
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Cecil B. DeMille, William LeBaron

Operator

Victor Milner

Composer

Sigmund Krumgold

Artist

Audition

Editing

Anne Bauchens
All team (27)

• To utilize the necessary number of trains for filming, Paramount Pictures had to obtain a license to operate railways from the relevant state authorities.
• The world premiere of the film took place in Omaha, Nebraska. It turned into a three-day celebration, attracting 250,000 people (doubling the city's population), and requiring the deployment of National Guard units to maintain order. A special train departed from Hollywood for Omaha, carrying the film's director, Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959), as well as cast members Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990), Joel McCrea (1905-1990), and other actors and actresses. The journey took three days, with stops along the way drawing huge crowds. The film was shown simultaneously in three cinemas. It is claimed that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) gave the signal for the premiere by pressing a button in Washington. It is also claimed that the premiere (which was accompanied by parades, radio broadcasts and a banquet) was the largest event of its kind in the history of cinema. The vintage train embarked on a 15-day promotional route from one coast of the United States to the other, with stops in 30 major cities.
• Cecil B. DeMille could not withstand the strain of directing three film crews simultaneously and performed directorial duties while lying on a stretcher for approximately two weeks.
• Paramount Pictures hired a hundred Navajo Native Americans to film the scene of the Native American attack on the train.
• The opening credits of the film, shown against the backdrop of descending railway tracks, later inspired Dan Perri to create the famous scrolling text sequences that preface the films "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope" (George Lucas, 1977) and "The Warriors" (Walter Hill, 1979).
• The world premiere of the film took place in Omaha, Nebraska. It turned into a three-day celebration, attracting 250,000 people (thus doubling the city's population), and requiring the deployment of National Guard units to maintain order. A special train traveled from Hollywood to Omaha, carrying the film's director, Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959), as well as stars Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990), Joel McCrea (1905-1990), and other actors and actresses. The journey took three days, with the train making stops that drew huge crowds. The film was simultaneously shown in three cinemas. It is claimed that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) himself gave the signal for the premiere by pressing a button in Washington. It is also claimed that the premiere (which was accompanied by parades, radio broadcasts, and a banquet) was the largest event of its kind in the history of cinema. The vintage train embarked on a 15-day promotional tour from one coast of the United States to the other, with stops in 30 major cities.