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RomanceWesternActionMystery

Station West

- A STRANGER IN TOWN...WHERE STRANGERS WEREN'T WELCOME!...and he found out a gal double-crossed is Deadly as Poison!

When two US cavalrymen transporting a gold shipment get killed, US Army Intelligence investigator John Haven goes undercover to a mining and logging town to find the killers.

Release Date : 1948-09-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : RKO Radio Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Dick Powell

Character Name : Lt. John Martin Haven

Original Name : Dick Powell

Gender : Male

Jane Greer

Character Name : Charlie

Original Name : Jane Greer

Gender : Female

Agnes Moorehead

Character Name : Mrs. Mary Caslon

Original Name : Agnes Moorehead

Gender : Female

Tom Powers

Character Name : Captain George Iles

Original Name : Tom Powers

Gender : Male

Gordon Oliver

Character Name : Prince

Original Name : Gordon Oliver

Gender : Male

Steve Brodie

Character Name : Lt. Stellman

Original Name : Steve Brodie

Gender : Male

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams

Character Name : Mick Marion

Original Name : Guinn "Big Boy" Williams

Gender : Male

Raymond Burr

Character Name : Lawyer Mark Bristow

Original Name : Raymond Burr

Gender : Male

Regis Toomey

Character Name : Jim Goddard

Original Name : Regis Toomey

Gender : Male

Michael Steele

Character Name : Jerry

Original Name : Michael Steele

Gender : Male

Olin Howland

Character Name : Cook

Original Name : Olin Howland

Gender : Male

John Berkes

Character Name : Pianist

Original Name : John Berkes

Gender : Male

Dan White

Character Name : Pete

Original Name : Dan White

Gender : Male

John Kellogg

Character Name : Ben

Original Name : John Kellogg

Gender : Male

Charles Middleton

Character Name : Sheriff

Original Name : Charles Middleton

Gender : Male

John Doucette

Character Name : Bartender

Original Name : John Doucette

Gender : Male

Suzi Crandall

Character Name : Girl

Original Name : Suzi Crandall

Gender : Male

Burl Ives

Character Name : Hotel Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Burl Ives

Gender : Male

Erville Alderson

Character Name : Stageline Hired Hand (uncredited)

Original Name : Erville Alderson

Gender : Male

Al Bain

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Bain

Gender : Male

Stanley Blystone

Character Name : Bouncer (uncredited)

Original Name : Stanley Blystone

Gender : Male

Rudy Bowman

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Rudy Bowman

Gender : Male

Chet Brandenburg

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Gender : Male

Bing Conley

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Bing Conley

Gender : Male

Victor Cox

Character Name : Kibitzer (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Cox

Gender : Male

Art Felix

Character Name : Barfly (uncredited)

Original Name : Art Felix

Gender : Male

Robert Gates

Character Name : Sam (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Gates

Gender : Male

Slim Gaut

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Slim Gaut

Gender : Male

Herman Hack

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Herman Hack

Gender : Male

Al Hill

Character Name : Dice Table Croupier (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Hill

Gender : Male

Robert Jefferson

Character Name : Wagon Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Jefferson

Gender : Male

Ethan Laidlaw

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Ethan Laidlaw

Gender : Male

Cactus Mack

Character Name : Barfly (uncredited)

Original Name : Cactus Mack

Gender : Male

Frank Matts

Character Name : Barfly (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Matts

Gender : Male

Leo J. McMahon

Character Name : Rider (uncredited)

Original Name : Leo J. McMahon

Gender : Male

Monte Montague

Character Name : Brawl Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Monte Montague

Gender : Male

Bud Osborne

Character Name : Brawl Spectator / Holdup Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Bud Osborne

Gender : Male

William Phipps

Character Name : Sergeant (uncredited)

Original Name : William Phipps

Gender : Male

Joey Ray

Character Name : Stickman (uncredited)

Original Name : Joey Ray

Gender : Male

Sammy Shack

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Sammy Shack

Gender : Male

Jack Stoney

Character Name : Bouncer (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Stoney

Gender : Male

Lomax Study

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Lomax Study

Gender : Male

Marie Thomas

Character Name : Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Marie Thomas

Gender : Female

Jack Tornek

Character Name : Barfly (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Tornek

Gender : Male

Sid Troy

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Sid Troy

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

A Stranger in Rock Pass. Station West is directed by Sidney Lanfield and adapted to screenplay by Frank Fenton and Winston Miller from the novel written by Luke Short. It stars Dick Powell, Jane Greer, Agnes Moorehead, Raymond Burr, Tom Powers, Guinn Williams, Gordon Oliver and Burl Ives. Music is by Heinz Roemheld and cinematography by Harry J. Wild. Powell plays an undercover army agent sent into Rock Pass to find out who robbed and murdered two soldiers who were guarding a gold shipment. There has always – and always will be – debates about what constitutes film noir, but undoubtedly it is a line of film making that positively thrives on a style that cloaks a number of characterisations. Thus we have the many off-shoots of film noir, such as the Noir Western. Noir Westerns in all actuality don’t number more than 20, and even some of those that get put forward are tenuous additions. Where the likes of Pursued, Ramrod and Blood on the Moon are confidently held up as the leading lights of Noir Westerns, it actually pays to look towards a rarer picture like Raton Pass or this here under seen treasure, Station West, for unseen sub-noir rewards. Station West has it all so as to earn its noir badge. It’s got Powell doing a Western version of Phillip Marlowe, complete with swagger, sarcasm and the ability to nonchalantly smile in the face of peril. Then there’s Greer, fresh from Out of the Past the previous year, Greer is in full tilt femme fatale mode, marrying up her hard beauty with feminist strength. Both Powell and Greer are wonderful, their respective characters constantly jostling for domination, trading quips and glib asides, the sexual tension consistently palpable. The town of Rock Pass is in the process of booming, but with that comes corruption, and it is rife, with unlikely sources pulling the crooked strings. Greed and betrayal are words that hover over the intelligent screenplay, even as the script snaps with delightful one liners and sarcastic wit, there’s a moody ambiance snuggling on up with the fun side of things, these bed fellows are meant to be. While the man himself, Haven (Powell), has a reputation for not towing the party line, he’s clearly in the right place then! Filmed out of beautiful Sedona in Arizona, Harry Wild’s photography is gorgeous for the exterior locations (those rock formations are just visual orgasms), and film noir nirvana for everything else as he brings expressionistic touches to all the key sequences. In the support acting ranks we have Burr as a twitchy lawyer, Moorehead as a stoic wealthy widow, Williams as bad boy muscle, Oliver as the smarm, Powers as the grumpy un-cooperative army captain and Ives as a hotel clerk – cum – balladeer who has a morbid hobby on the side. All of them contribute good characterisations. I can’t say that Roemheld’s score is particularly memorable, and a big fist-fight between Williams and Powell is ferocious but tainted by the over dramatics that were indicative of the time, but from begining to sombre end this is a cracker and it deserves to be better known and loved. 9/10