Union Pacific Blu-ray - Barbara Stanwyck

Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential.

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

1) Our weekly Newsletter sent to your Inbox every Monday morning!
2) Patron-only Silent Auctions - so far over 30 Out-of-Print titles have moved to deserved, appreciative, hands!
3) Access to over 20,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you very much.

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Pacific-Express" or "Pacific Express")

Directed by Cecil B. DeMille
USA 1939

Filmmaking legend Cecil B. DeMille (The Plainsman, The Ten Commandments) directs the classic screen duo of Barbara Stanwyck (Internes Can’t Take Money, The Lady Eve) and Joel McCrea (The Great Man’s Lady, The Palm Beach Story) in this explosive western about the struggle to build America’s first transcontinental railroad. Jeff Butler (McCrea), overseer of the Union Pacific’s construction, finds a network of schemers bent on sabotage. Most prominent are gamblers Sid Campeau (Brian Donlevy, Beau Geste), Jack Cordray (Anthony Quinn, Against All Flags) and Dick Allen (Robert Preston, Reap the Wild Wind). Dick is a former pal of Jeff’s, but their relationship changes as they fight over the railroad and over Mollie Monahan (Stanwyck), the railroad’s spirited postmistress. Featuring Akim Tamiroff (The General Died at Dawn) and Lynne Overman (Spawn of the North), this action-packed spectacle, filled with political intrigue, stampeding buffalo and train wrecks, delivers everything you would expect from a Cecil B. DeMille epic.

***

Terrific western from Hollywood's greatest showman. Plot concerns the bitter competition to build America's first transcontinental railroad in the country's post-Civil War expansion. McCrea plays the chief of the Union Pacific line who has to deal with injuns, rival company Central Pacific's dirty tricks campaign (headed by gambler Donlevy) and the distracting attraction of hardy postmistress Stanwyck. DeMille accelerates the drama throughout the film so that come the spectacular cavalry charge finale it's hurtling at full steam. Most actresses would be swamped by the scale and machismo of the action, but the formidable Stanwyck takes it all in her stride.

Excerpt from Channel 4 located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Releases: April 27th, 1939

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Universal - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Koch Media - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Covers			BONUS CAPTURES:
Distribution	Universal Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC	Koch Media - Region FREE - Blu-ray	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
	2:15:13	2:15:14.481	2:15:51.143
	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.51 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,758,158,320 bytes Feature: 35,481,409,536 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.98 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video	1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 45,572,780,881 bytes Feature: 42,021,660,672 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.39 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Blu-ray Koch
Blu-ray Kino
Audio	English (Dolby Digital Mono)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1144 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1144 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) DUBS: DTS-HD Master Audio German 930 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 930 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio German 894 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 894 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1556 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1556 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB
Subtitles	English (hearing impaired), Spanish, French, none	English, none	English (SDH), none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Universal Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratios: 1.33 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: May 23rd, 2006 Tiered Digipak inside VHS sized bookstyle case Chapters: 18	Release Information: Studio: Koch Media 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,758,158,320 bytes Feature: 35,481,409,536 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.98 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • German version - Vorkriegssynchronfassung "Die Frau gehört mir" (1:47:04.167 in 1080P - bitrate 13.99 Mbps) • Image Gallery (9:40) • Trailer (1:40) Blu-ray Release Date: January 12th, 2017 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters: 12	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 45,572,780,881 bytes Feature: 42,021,660,672 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.39 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Dr. Eloise Ross and Paul Anthony Nelson • Theatrical Trailer (1:29) Blu-ray Release Date: August 3rd, 2021 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters: 9

Comments:

NOTE: These Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (August 2021): Kino also have transferred Cecil B. DeMille's Union Pacific to Blu-ray. It seems to be from the same strong source as the Koch 1080P, with he same damage marks, but it is slightly more robustly transferred with a max'ed out bitrate. The improvement won't be readily apparent - depending on your system. It looks very good aside from the small marks and speckles - a great deal of lush grain and impressive contrast. The Kino is slightly darker, appears cleaner and, in the final tally, is the superior image.

NOTE: We have added 54 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

Audio goes to the Koch at 24-bits - slightly deeper - both have option al English subtitles. The score, typical of some De Mille films, is a group effort by Sigmund Krumgold (The Gilded Lilly), John Leipold (Merrily We Go to Hell, Christmas in July, The Devil is a Woman, The Flying Deuces, Duck Soup), Gerard Carbonara (The Monster and the Girl, Dr. Cyclops, Abilene Town), Leo Shuken (Those Redheads From Seattle, composer for Preston Sturges' Christmas in July, The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels etc.) and Victor Young (Arise My Love, Union Pacific, The Accused, Strategic Air Command, The Sun Shines Bright, Johnny Guitar, China Gate etc.). It sounds flat but carrying minor depth. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historians Dr. Eloise Ross and Paul Anthony Nelson. They discuss the elevation of the western genre, DeMille, Stanwyck, McCrea, Quinn, cinematographer Victor Milner etc., how the opening credit sequence being a direct influence on Star Wars and much more. It's pretty good. There is also a trailer for Union Pacific and for 11 other, similar, films also on Blu-ray by Kino.

BOTTOM LINE: The Kino wins marginally on the HD presentation video, Koch marginally on the lossless audio - both probably inconsequential for some. The big extras are the German version inclusion on the Koch and the commentary on the Kino. Its good to have the option. The film reminds me of why I love Hollywood's Golden Age so much and DeMille epics. This was the HUGE year - 1939! McCrea is the upstanding hero, Stanwyck wonderfully strong but feminine, and the supporting cast are superb. Union Pacific is strongly recommended!

***

ADDITION: Koch Media - Region FREE - Blu-ray - August 2017': The image quality is just gorgeous on this Koch Blu-ray out of Germany! Wow - rich, consistent grain, impressive layered contrast result in a beautiful image. It looks to be from the same source as the DVD with the same light scratches.

Audio offers some German DUBs options as well as the original English - via a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel at 1144 kbps (24-bit). The gunshots and brawl aggression export some surprising depth. The score seems a group effort with uncredited Victor Young (The Accused, Strategic Air Command, The Sun Shines Bright, Johnny Guitar, China Gate etc.) contributing and it sounds clean and authentically flat. This is just as adept as the video. The Blu-ray disc (starting with the Universal logo) is, indeed, region FREE.

Extras consiste of the 1 3/4 hour German-ized version of Union Pacific - Vorkriegssynchronfassung "Die Frau gehört mir", complete with German titles, in 1080P with a low bitrate of 13.99 Mbps - not looking anywhere near the main feature's quality. There is also an extensive image gallery and a trailer

This is an excellent Blu-ray presentation of a wonderful late 30's De Mille epic that spared no expense - Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, Akim Tamiroff, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy - keep your eyes peeled for Anthony Quinn, Evelyn Keyes, Lon Chaney Jr. , Don Beddoe, Ward Bond, John Merton and 100's more! They, truly, don't make them like this anymore. We give this a very strong recommendation!

***

ON THE DVD: Another reminder as to why I'm in love with Barbra Stanwyck. This image is the best of the Cecil B. DeMille Collection. It still has the same deficiencies - compression, slight damage etc. but it is to the least degree on this DVD. Contrast and separation are very good.

Gary W. Tooze