Station West (1948)

8/10

beejer30 March 2000

Dick Powell was a musical comedy star in the 30's who in 1944 made a dramatic career change when he switched to hard-boiled private eye/cop roles. Station West, his only western, is basically this character in a western setting. Make no mistake, Station West is a good western.

Powell plays an undercover army officer trying to find out who murdered two soldiers while stealing a gold shipment (No not the Gold Diggers of 1933). Along the way he meets Jane Greer as a business like saloon owner who may not be what she seems to be.

One of the best moments in the film is the knock down drag out fight Powell has with Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, playing a villain this time around. At first, after Powell knocks him down in the saloon, Williams utters a classic line: "You're too small to have made such a big mistake".

Other notables in the cast include Raymond Burr as a cowardly lawyer, Agnes Moorehead as Powell's "contact", Tom Powers as the army commander, Powell regular Regis Toomey as an undercover agent and an unbilled Burl Ives as a guitar strumming hotel clerk.

The black and white photography is excellent, particularly in the outdoor scenes. Station West raises the question as to why Powell didn't make more westerns. This was a good one.

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8/10

Army Detective Smashes Robbers

bkoganbing10 September 2005

In the Films of Dick Powell, it's pointed out that Powell had done a western only twice before in his musical period. Cowboy from Brooklyn and Riding High had modern western settings.

Only Station West was done during Powell's time as a noir star and he brings the genre west with him. Done in the obligatory black and white photography, Station West is a moody atmospheric thriller.

It's not a mystery because you pretty much know who the bad guys are early on. But it does show Powell's dogged determination to find out who committed a gold robbery in which two soldiers were killed while guarding the shipment.

Powell gets good support from Jane Greer as town saloon owner, Agnes Moorehead as a mine owner, and Raymond Burr as a shyster attorney. Burr is a revelation. Usually the villains he did before doing Perry Mason are pretty strong characters. He's quite the weakling here.

Powell never made another western feature film, but his Four Star Productions produced Zane Grey Theatre in the Fifties on television and Powell himself appeared in many of the half hour stories.

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7/10

Noirish Western Well Acted and Expertly Filmed.

Haecker16 February 2006

Dick Powell, a favorite actor of the Noir genre, stars as military intelligence officer Haven, a smart aleck undercover investigator looking into the deaths of two soldiers. Everything appears, on the surface, to be fairly cut and dried, but a good script and excellent acting creates the moody atmosphere necessary to turn this unassuming western town into a darker place where things are not always as they seem. The plot is tight and the viewer should be prepared to pay attention lest she or he miss important plot points. Greer's performance is flawless, and even the actors who have few lines or quick cameos (Burr's performance comes to mind here), fully invest in their characters.

The filming is rather innovative for the time, with realistic hand-held shots peeking through tree branches, at saddle level, or in the case of the aforementioned fight scene, employing angles that join Powell and Williams as they brawl on the dusty bar-lit road. Lanfield invites the viewer into the scene, creating a first person viewpoint that is entirely intimate.

There are a few flaws in the writing, but on the whole, viewing Stations West is an excellent way to spend 80 minutes. Very entertaining!

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6/10

Philip Marlowe goes cowboy

westerner3573 June 2003

Dick Powell plays his usual sarcastic self in this nice little RKO western about an Army undercover officer investigating a series of gold shipment robberies along with the murder of two soldiers.

He gets embroiled with film noir queen Jane Greer as the manipulative seductress who is up to no good. She trades a lot of quick, snappy one-liners with Powell and of course they fall in love. Good dialog.

Agnes Moorehead appears as the gold mine owner who is romantically involved with the Army Captain of the investigation, Tom Powers.

We also get Raymond Burr as the corrupt but wimpy town lawyer who's involved on the periphery of the robberies that's taking place. Burr was a good heavy for about 10 years before he became PERRY MASON. Too bad he doesn't get to play that kind of character, here. But even as a wimp, he's still sleazy.

Nice fistfight scene between Powell and Gunn Williams, who plays one of Geer's henchmen thugs here. He doesn't get to say much other than look mean, but then the role doesn't call for much of that, either.

Also notable for the appearance of Burl Ives as the singing hotel clerk who at first, gets on Powell's nerves but later becomes an important ally in his investigation.

And at 80 minutes, the film moves along quite smoothly with no awkward moments or wasted screen time. The whole thing ends before ya know it.

Gets a 6½ out of 10 for good story and decent action.

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7/10

An A-budgeted B-western.

planktonrules20 November 2019

In most ways, "Station West" plays like a B-western...which happens to have an A, or perhaps A- cast. It also reminds me of another Dick Powell film, "Murder My Sweet" (1944)...though instead of Powell playing a cynical and mouthy detective he plays a cynical and mouthy detective...in the old west.

When the film begins, undercover agent 'Haven' arrives in town and his cover is that of a hard-bitten jerk. Soon he picks a fight with the biggest and meanest guy in town...and after besting him, he's given entree into the local gang. And what sort of mischief is the gang up to? They're behind gold robberies...robbing not only the stage but the US Cavalry, when they killed two soldiers.

This movie has most things you'd see in a B, though I really liked seeing Powell in the lead instead of the usual B heros such as Roy Rogers or Hopaling Cassidy. On hand to support him are the likes of Jane Greer, Agnes Morehead and Burl Ives. Nothing really that special here, but a very good western with a very exciting leading man.

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7/10

Marlowe in spurs

cherold6 January 2006

In the movie they Might Be Giants, a delusional jurist explains that he loves westerns because they show the clear delineation between right and wrong, which is when I realized why I vastly prefer mysteries to westerns; I like a more complex world view in which the good and evil dichotomy is not so apparent.

Station West is a rather unusual movie in that it looks like a western and has a western-themed score but in terms of story and acting is more akin to 40s tough-guy detective flicks, with more moral ambiguity than you'd see in a John Ford movie. It's not dark enough to be called film noir, but it has some of those elements, and the relationship of Haven and Charlie is very Hammett-Chandleresque.

The movie is enjoyable and briskly paced, with good performances and decent dialog. At the same time, Powell is a bit too unsympathetic for me, with a fairly callous disregard for the results of his actions. And the plotting is a little lazy, with that convoluted, poorly explained style you get in most of the Philip Marlowe films. But if you like 40s detective movies this is a good bet.

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7/10

A Good Western with Snappy Dialog

romanorum125 July 2014

In the first fifty years of cinema, the year of 1948 had to be the best for the western genre up to that time. For, in 1948, movie producers generated a number of very good features like "Fort Apache," "Yellow Sky," "Blood on the Moon," "Four Faces West," and "Red River." "Station West" was also one of the better westerns made that same year.

"Station West" features Dick Powell as John Haven, an undercover government agent assigned to investigate a gold robbery and the deaths of two guards, both US cavalrymen. Some have compared Powell's temperament to that of twentieth century detective Phillip Marlowe. He surely has both the sarcasm and self-assurance of the fictional private eye even though Powell is out of his normal character by appearing in a western. Anyway Haven takes the night stage to Rock Pass, a booming but also a corrupt town. The guitar-playing hotel manager (Burl Ives) immediately recognizes Haven as a stranger and lets him know that "Charlie" (Jane Greer) and her minions have their hands in nearly everything of importance. As Haven checks in, he discovers that he will have to make his own bed and that fresh towels will not be provided. "Thanks for the keys," he quips to the singing hotel manager.

Things happen fast in the town gambling house/saloon, where suspicious characters come and go. Haven is attracted to the attractive femme fatale Charlie (actually Charlene) as folks like gambling manager Prince (Gordon Oliver) and house bouncer Mick Marion (Guinn Williams) watch with scowling faces. Even the bartender (John Doucette) eyes the stranger with unfriendliness and suspicion. There is also the jellyfish attorney Mark Bristow (Raymond Burr). Before long, Haven secretly meets with Captain Iles (Tom Powers), Lt. Stellman (Steve Brodie), and Mrs. Caslon (Agnes Moorehead) to work on a plan of action for the investigation. It is obvious that Haven, who has a personality conflict with Iles, has his own methods for smoking out the bad folks. Back in the barroom, Haven – with difficulty – in an all-out brawl defeats Mick. But Charlie, impressed with Haven's victory and toughness, hires him as her transportation boss. In fact, Charlie seems to place much trust in Haven. And Haven obviously likes the attractive woman. So are these two – protagonist and antagonist – really falling in love with each other? Anyway, Charlie has set his plan in motion to get the evil ones, not quite realizing Charlie's role.

Along the way there are several odd scenes. For one, Haven is looking for the gold cache that he ditched when suddenly Mrs. Caslon sneaks up behind him holding two loaded pistols. She thinks he stole the gold. But since Caslon is wearing a nineteenth dress not conducive to riding one wonders how she happens to pop up unnoticed by Haven away from town in the wild. Another odd part involves James Goddard (Regis Toomey). We know immediately after his shooting that he was a Wells Fargo agent. But why did he want to ride the (unprotected) night stage along with Haven in the first place? Also, Haven as a junior officer should be able to recognize a button from a military coat right away. He had to be told the information by the hotel manager. Perhaps some minutes of the movie were inadvertently cut; the feature seen was about 80 minutes long, chopped down by 12 minutes from the original release. Nevertheless the three described situations do not detract too much from the storyline.

The acting is great all-around, while the script is at a high level. Burl Ives homespun folksy singing is excellent. And how about Harry Wild's filming of this feature in beautiful Sedona, Arizona, a personal favorite? So, despite its minor flaws and the fact that action is limited, this western is worth seeing.

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9/10

Criminally Overlooked

abooboo-210 December 1999

This excellent Western is really a tough film noir cleverly set in the Old West. The dialogue is sublime, so razor sharp that the actors probably had to bandage their hands after reading the script. And there are interesting little details as well; for instance, the way Dick Powell condescendingly pats attractive women on the arm (the way you might a pet) to let them know who's really in control. (Or so he'd like to think.) Toss in a first rate supporting cast that includes Raymond Burr, Burl Ives, and Agnes Moorehead - all generously given their scenes to shine - and you've got one heck of a movie.

On the surface, Dick Powell, as the undercover military officer trying to solve a series of gold robberies, is an unlikely leading man. He's more commanding here than many square-jawed actors, and when the film is over it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

This is one of those extremely satisfying movies where nothing seems forced or labored. It has that effortless fluidity and clearness of purpose that makes it just as entertaining today as I'm sure it was 50 years ago.

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7/10

Philip Marlow Goes West

dogwater-128 July 2013

Sidney Lanfield was one of those very competent, but unsung directors who knew what they were about and could make a good western. The plot gets a bit tangled here and there; its an oater with a Raymond Chandler style wisecracking detective, but with boots on. And who better than Dick Powell to out-sass the bad guys. The young Jane Greer somehow pulls off a world-weary saloon owner named "Charlie". She was always astonishing and for 1947 runs circles around all the male characters including Powell. There's a good, well-staged fist fight between Powell and Guinn Williams, some Arizona landscapes worthy of John Ford and the uncredited Burl Ives as a sort of chorus to the action and philosophical hotel keeper. Olin Howland shows up as a cook with attitude. Raymond Burr as a craven lawyer and Regis Toomey makes his required appearance. Also, Agnes Moorhead as a nice lady for a change. A western with a twist. You almost expect the dudes in the saloon to be drinking martini's.

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Sam Spade Goes West

dougdoepke30 June 2011

Good scenic Western that applies the 40's private eye premise to a frontier setting. Powell does his 40's hard case number effectively, while Greer does her slinky spider woman bit. In fact, you have to look twice to make sure this isn't a Spade or a Marlowe. Powell's an undercover investigator on the trail of whoever knocked over an army shipment and killed the guards. In town are a lot of suspicious characters, including Greer and Burr, but suspicion isn't enough.

Some good touches, especially the Sedona, AZ, locations, scenically filmed in b&w and lending an atmospheric note. And catch the middle-age romance between Powers and Moorehead, not exactly a staple of standard Westerns, especially for perennial spinster Moorehead. Also, there's nervous lawyer Burr, about as far away from lawyer Perry Mason as it gets. But what I really like is the way the movie works Burl Ives and his catchy tune into the narrative. It's very smoothly and pleasantly done.

I don't know that there's anything special here, although the story ends on an unconventionally downbeat note. In passing-- I gather from TCM that director Lanfield gave Greer a bad time because she wasn't the preferred Marlene Dietrich. Too bad because Greer manages in one package to be both conniving and poignant, no mean acting trick.

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5/10

Powell is engaging as wild west "Marlowe" but narrative suspense is negligible

Turfseer5 April 2022

Warning: Spoilers

I speculate that the producers of Station West decided to apply the old axiom, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," by casting Dick Powell as Army Intelligence Officer Haven using the style of dialogue taken straight out of the Raymond Chandler playbook. Powell sounds almost exactly like Philip Marlowe, Chandler's gumshoe who he played four years earlier in "Murder My Sweet" except here the story is set in the old wild west.

Despite all the smart dialogue the Station West plot lacks suspense and hardly goes anywhere. The setup has Haven assigned to investigate the murder of two soldiers who were ambushed guarding a stagecoach while transporting a shipment of gold.

The gold belongs to the owner of a gold mine Mrs. Carlson (Agnes Moorehead) whose boyfriend is Captain George Isles (Tom Powers), Haven's commanding officer while he heads the investigation. The gold is kept for safe keeping on the army base until the perpetrators responsible for the murders are caught.

In a bit of a twist, the sultry saloon singer Charlie (Jane Greer) turns out to be a femme fatale running illicit activities in town aided by her shady lieutenant Prince (Gordon Oliver). Haven proves his mettle by winning a fistfight with the saloon bouncer and is then hired by Charlie to ride shotgun on a stagecoach transporting what turns out to be stolen gold.

The action ramps up a bit when the stagecoach is ambushed, and a Wells Fargo detective is murdered by a gang of masked bandits. Inexplicably Haven is only knocked out and it appears he's being protected (all hands point to Charlie as his benefactor).

There is a subplot involving Charlie's lawyer Bristow (Raymond Burr) who owes a good deal of money to Charlie due to gambling debts. I'm not sure exactly why but he's bumped off on Charlie's orders as he attempts to skedaddle out of town.

At this point there's little suspense left as we pretty much have already figured out that Charlie is in on all the criminality involving the stagecoach thefts and murders. It's just a question as to how much she's personally involved, and that question is answered at the climax.

After Haven learns that a gang is basically working for Charlie and plan to disguise themselves as soldiers and steal all the gold at the fort, he burns down their hideout and is off to the final confrontation with Charlie. Prince's bullet meant for Haven ends up striking Charlie who is mortally wounded. Right before that Haven dispatches Prince so the bad guys get their just desserts.

Despite all the witty and clever banter between Powell and Greer (in which it's made clear that their characters had fallen in love before the fatal shootout), we never find out what makes Charlie tick. Is it just simple greed that causes her to get involved with all those unsavory gang members along with the extremely distasteful Prince?

Charlie needed to be a more likeable character along with a more fleshed out backstory. Here there is little reason for us to be interested in her at all.

Powell's Marlowe imitation set in the wild west proves to be engaging. But Station West is a very slow-moving potboiler dependent on clever dialogue but a narrative that cannot hold its own in relation to better tales set in this time period.

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9/10

A man can't grow old, where there's women and gold

Red-12519 February 2011

Station West (1948) directed by Sidney Lanfield, is definitely a cut above your standard Grade-B western. The plot is complex, the camera angles are skillful, and the acting is outstanding.

However, this is not a film you see because you like guns, fists, and horses. It's the acting that makes this movie so interesting. RKO put real effort into casting the film. Besides Dick Powell and Jane Greer, the cast includes Agnes Moorehead and Raymond Burr.

Powell is typecast as the tough-as-nails stranger in a very tough town. Jane Greer is "Charlie," who owns the gambling saloon, the gold mine, and the sheriff. She wears gowns that no 19th-Century saloon owner ever wore, and, being Jane Greer, she looks great in them. (Greer was, of course, very beautiful, but her beauty came from her intelligence as well as from her features. She was known as "The Woman with the Mona Lisa smile.")

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams plays the bouncer Mick Marion. About Marion the hotel clerk says, "Me, I'd rather fight a forest fire." Powell answers, "So would I."

Burl Ives is perfect as the hotel clerk who acts like a Greek chorus as he composes and sings a ballad about the plot as it unfolds. (The chorus ends, "And a man can't grow old, where there's women and gold.")

I was able to find a used VCR copy of this film. I don't think it's available in DVD, and you'd be lucky to find it being screened in a theater. It would probably work better on a large screen, but the chemistry between Greer and Powell will work in any format. It's a movie that's definitely worth finding and seeing.

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6/10

"You're too little to make that big a mistake."

utgard1423 July 2014

Underrated western with Dick Powell playing an undercover government agent investigating the murders of two soldiers. Beautiful saloon singer Jane Greer catches his eye but it turns out there's more to her than at first appears. Plays out more like a detective movie than a western. Powell and Greer are great. The supporting cast includes Raymond Burr, Agnes Moorehead, Tom Powers, Regis Toomey, and Burl Ives as a singing bartender. Pretty good lineup. The script is nice with some punchy dialogue that helps an otherwise routine western plot. There's a pretty good fight scene between Powell and Guinn Williams. All in all, it's a briskly paced western with a lot going for it. Worth seeking out.

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5/10

Predictable

AAdaSC7 May 2018

Stanger Dick Powell (Haven) rides into a Western town and isn't particularly pleasant. He doesn't endear himself to anyone and this sets him up for a confrontation with the local thug Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (Mick). There is plenty of gold being stored near the town and people are getting robbed and killed transporting it. Powell gets himself a job that is close to the action and his mission is to fight for the good guys. There is, of course, a woman on the scene in the form of Jane Greer (Charlie).

Powell is a man who acts alone and he has a lot to take on. It's a big plate. The cast all do fine but the story gets a little complicated and I lost the thread for a while about two-thirds of the way through. I watched to see what happens but the film doesn't give you anything new. It's a Western so it pans out with shooting and people riding horses. It's ok and pretty predictable stuff to watch. I would have liked to see Powell do some singing but instead that task is given to Burl Ives. It's a corny touch as we hear him singing about what is happening in the film. A device that cheapens the film.

Still, it's a tough guy film experience with a man who acts alone and you never feel that he is going to fail in what he needs to do. The stranger rides into town and rides out again.

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6/10

good premise

SnoopyStyle22 February 2021

Two US cavalrymen transporting gold are killed. Army Intelligence investigator John Haven (Dick Powell) goes undercover to find the murderers. Local saloon singer Charlie (Jane Greer) catches his eye and secretly has her hands in nefarious activities. Her lawyer Mark Bristow (Raymond Burr) is heavily in debt. Mrs. Caslon (Agnes Moorehead) owns the gold mine.

I don't think robber Joe would let Haven live. Those robbers have already killed plenty and non of them would let a man live to tell the tale. In order for that section to work, Haven should not be on the gold transport. He could be following from a distance and then catch up to Joe heavily laden with gold. While I like the general premise, some of the plot is deficient. It may even work better if Haven is only revealed to be the good guy in the third act. That would be a nice twist. This is a solid western with a somewhat ambitious story. As for Dick Powell, I'm not sure if he fits the role. Haven should be more a heavy. He should fit comfortably as a henchman and yet be charismatic enough to be the lead.

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7/10

Slick and likeable

ArtVandelayImporterExporter12 November 2021

First I have to confess I couldn't follow what was going on, nor could I tell good guys from bad, or anybody's motivations.

But who cares. Station West is so professionally made, with beautiful location photography, and appealing actors, that it's a fun Saturday afternoon just the same.

Dick Powell is the hard-boiled private detective. In the Old West. Jane Greer is the nightclub singer. In an Old West saloon. Etc. They are in what may or may not be a noir. In Sedona. There's gold. Some murdering. Some double-crossing. Good enough.

Excellent support from a whole bunch of people including Burl Ives and Raymond Burr.

And one more thought: is it just me or is Agnes Moorehead super-hot in this movie?

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7/10

Western Mystery showcases rough taking Dock Powell and Burl Ives' lyrical stylings.

cgvsluis4 April 2022

This is a Dick Powell and Jane Greer western...he's a smart mouthed undercover military man who has come to town to fibrous why soldiers are being killed on hold runs.

Both Dick Powell and Jane Greer, as Charlie, are wonderful in this film...but the real attraction of this western is actually the hotel clerk played by Burl Ives. Burl Ives who I have had the fortune to meet in person in my lifetime has the most wonderful smile and dining voice...and his performance in this b-reel western is no exception. Good natured and a joy to listen too, Burl Ives is the shining light in this film.

Decent for a western...interesting little mystery for Duck Powell to solve Western style. Recommend for Burl Ives alone. : )

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7/10

Station west

coltras3523 March 2023

Out in the Western territories, someone is raiding the gold shipments heading back east. In the last hold up, two soldiers were killed and the army needs answers - fast. Everything seems to point to the beautiful local heiress Charlie (Jane Greer) and her right hand man, Prince (Gordon Oliver). Charlie owns the local gambling joint. She owns the town stores, the local sawmill and she owns the law too. Then a mysterious stranger Haven (Dick Powell) rides into town. Suddenly, he is asking too many questions, picking too many fights and attracting all kinds of trouble...

An unusual mix of western, detective and noir genres. Very to rare see a mystery element in a western, and unfortunately this angle hasn't been utilised a lot. Dick Powell is in "Philip Marlowe" mode, giving a wonderfully droll performance. He has plenty of dry one liners. Jane Greer is great as a manipulative songstress. It's pacy, though it tends to get a bit complicated, especially towards the end. There's a good fistfight, quite grittily done, and some exciting chases over the rugged terrain. Powell's character is quite smart.

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8/10

Very Good Western

gordonl5620 December 2015

Warning: Spoilers

STATION WEST 1948

The only way to describe this film, is, film noir meets the wild-west. Dick Powell exchanges his fedora for a Stetson as he plays a Government under-cover agent investigating a series of gold shipment robberies. The Army is also not amused that several of their soldiers had been killed while on escort duty for the gold shipments.

The cast includes Jane Greer, Raymond Burr, Burl Ives, Agnes Moorehead, Tom Powers, Gordon Oliver and Guinn (Big Boy) Williams.

It takes Powell a bit of time to shift through the possible suspects. He starts the hard way with a knock down drag out fist fight with Big Boy Williams. This soon gets him hired by the main baddie, Jane Greer, who goes by the name of "Charlie".

Greer runs the local saloon, stage line and logging camp. All three are tied into the missing gold shipments. One of the local mine owners, Agnes Moorehead, is in with Powell and the local Army commander, Tom Powers. Unable to move the gold out of the area, the gold is being stockpiled at the local fort. Powell is sure this is what the crooks want. He figures the baddies will raid the undermanned fort and scoop the lot.

Powell plays his part as if he just stepped out of a hard-boiled noir role. He is always exchanging barbs with Greer and the town's crooked lawyer, Raymond Burr. Powell's rooting around soon stirs up a hornet's nest and bodies begin to pile up. Of course there is mandatory gun battle, with the "right" people collecting all the required lead needed to end their evil plans.

All in all a neatly done western with a noir twist. The film has an excellent look with director Sidney Lanfield handling the action. Lanfield was better known for helming several Bob Hope comedies such as, SORROWFUL JONES, THE LEMON DROP KID and MY FAVORITE BLONDE. The cinematography was handled by noir veteran, Harry J Wild. His work included, MURDER MY SWEET, CORNERED, JOHNNY ANGEL, NOCTURNE, THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME, PITFALL, THE BIG STEAL, THE THREAT, MACAO and HIS KIND OF WOMAN.

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9/10

A Stranger in Rock Pass.

hitchcockthelegend3 November 2013

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 unhelpful 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 beginning to sombre end this is a cracker and it deserves to be better known and loved. 9/10

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8/10

An unusual western

searchanddestroy-14 November 2018

That's the only western Sidney Landfield made for the big screen; He was after all a comedy, musical specialist. Even if he brought us a terrific Sherlock Holmes film with HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES; the best adaptation so far, better than the Terry Fisher's one. The other reviewers are right, that's a detective story made in a western set. And no one seems to have noticed that the music score looks like the awesome Dimitri Tiomkin's one: remember HIGH AND THE MIGHTY. Not entirely of course, but I am sure that Tiomkin was inspired by this score.

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10/10

POWELL MAKES THE WEST FUN...!

masonfisk2 June 2021

Another entertaining Dick Powell adventure, this time a Western from 1948. Powell is on the trail of some missing gold so he infiltrates the local gang, run by the beautiful but ruthless Jane Greer, whose hands are in just about everything. Powell offers to run the local transport concern & a shipment of gold, mined from Agnes Moorehead's property, is the first trial which sure enough is hit w/the co-driver being killed in the process. Powell tracks down the thieves & confirming Greer's outfit is behind the crimes. W/the criminals on his heels (even Moorehead suspects he's turned sides & stolen the goods for himself), Powell has to move & shake to bring the criminals to justice. Featuring signature rat-a-tat dialogue & a welcome smug demeanor, Powell is in full command of the action w/Raymond Burr (as a sleazy lawyer) & Burl Ives (who croons a couple of ditties) rounding out the cast.

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8/10

Smart Western

glengolf13 May 2020

First time I have watched a Dick Powell film. He has excellent delivery skills. The beautiful Jane Greer a perfect foil for his smart and concise character. Must honour the presence of the singing hotel clerk, the irrepressible Burl Ives. What a delightful character he is and smooth as silk. A 33rd degree mason in real life only adds to his charm and mystery.

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9/10

A wonderful western

jazerbini19 June 2014

"Station West" is a nostalgic and wonderful western with Dick Powell and Jane Greer, filmed in 1948, so for over 65 years, a lifetime. A photo in black and white is high quality, the screenplay with an investigation into the Old West over gold theft involving actions of the army is well prepared. The dialogs are tastefully decorated, with great intelligence. The film conveys a clear idea of continuation and sequences of actions with a very well built and perfect scenes of the Old West ambiance.And rarely met a group of actors so identified, all of great powers: the charismatic Dick Powell, the beautiful Jane Greer, an amazing and peaceful Burl Ives (singing), one Agnes Moorehead in his best physical shape, very beautiful and charm, Raymond Burr, still young, and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams provides us with Dick Powell one of the best fights of the film, finally a cast of first class. All this with a very appropriate song to this western competent. I got a DVD copy of "Station West" and keep forever.

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8/10

"A man can't grow old where there's women and gold"

boscofl24 February 2021

Warning: Spoilers

A flawless blend of film noir and western, Station West serves up an entertaining tale. The plot itself is fairly mundane but the style in which it is told, employing crackling dialogue and a catchy title tune that runs throughout, allows it to stand out from the standard programmer fare. The film's best attribute is the terrific cast that is chock full of familiar noir faces. While credited with a 97 minute run time on IMDB Station West runs closer to 79 minutes as it was recut for rerelease in the late fifties; unfortunately this is the only version that exists today. As it stands the film is lean and tight with a few editing blips and some abbreviated performances likely the result of the snipping.

A stranger going by the mysterious name Haven (Dick Powell) arrives in a post-Civil War mining town and immediately begins antagonizing everyone except sexy saloon dame Charlie (Jane Greer) whom he begins to romance. Soon it is revealed Haven is actually an undercover army intelligence officer tasked with finding out who murdered two Union soldiers. In the course of his sleuthing he discovers Charlie runs the town and her goons are up to some nefarious activities including plotting to steal a cache of gold from the nearby army post and, ultimately, the killing of the soldiers. While unraveling the yarn Haven has a quip for every occasion and is determined to investigate his own way which puts him at odds with everyone.

Dick Powell is fantastic as Haven, flawlessly delivering noir dialogue and looking like an expert on a horse. For my money he is the best film noir hero that ever existed: dogged, determined, laconic, and equally adept at both slugging bad guys and romancing ladies. He is matched by Jane Greer, fresh off her triumph in the noir classic Out of the Past. While clearly up to no good as the queen bee of the town Charlie is basically decent; she needs to project a hard exterior to survive in a man's world.

The supporting cast is a veritable who's who of 1940's noir cinema. Agnes Moorehead unfortunately isn't given much to do (probably lost some of her footage in the rerelease cut) and is one-dimensionally good (another disappointment) as the mine owner from which the gold comes from. Steve Brodie appears to be another victim of the tighter editing; his role as Haven's contact man amounts to a bit. A third genre regular who is underutilized is the great Regis Toomey as an undercover agent posing as a shotgun rider; his scenes with Powell are among the best and lead one to believe they could've costarred in a superior detective yarn. Two guys cast against type are Raymond Burr and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams. Burr is a sniveling, milquetoast lawyer batted back and forth between Haven and Charlie like an unloved beach ball; he's a coward looking for a way out but fatally ensnared in the noir web. Big Boy is the malevolent enforcer for Charlie; forever squinting and saying precious little while intimidating everyone through silence. His brawl with Powell is a highlight although it strains credulity that Big Boy couldn't easily dispatch him. The one actor who initially seems out of place is the unbilled Burl Ives as the laconic hotel keeper warbling endless variations of the theme tune; Ives is one of the best parts of the story and neatly binds the film together with his ditty.

Station West stands out by doing a superb job marrying the film noir and western genres together. There is some beautiful western scenery and plenty of dusty, sun-soaked action along with the noir trope of dirty dealings at night. The dialogue is slick and could exist in 1948 LA or 1870 Tombstone. Most importantly star Dick Powell looks like he was born in the saddle while able to deliver terse noir dialogue like a champ. This film should appeal to fans of both genres in classic Hollywood cinema.

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