lugonian
DANGER LIGHTS (RKO Radio, 1930), directed by George B. Seitz, is a railroad drama starring Louis Wolheim (1881-1931) as a tough foreman with a heart of gold. Of the few leading roles in his short-lived movie career in talkies, this, and ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (Universal, 1930), are often labeled as his finest work. A character actor with a fierce face, he can be a conniving villain in one movie and a funny character actor in another, each with fine conviction. For a career that started in the silent movie era back in the teens, he would have had a great future in talkies as other huge, homely actors as Wallace Beery and Victor McLaglen had through the 1940s. Sadly, early death for Wolheim of cancer took its toll the following year.DANGER LIGHTS opens with a landslide where a train is unable to proceed on its tracks. Dan Thorne (Louis Wolheim), the superintendant in Milwaukee division, sets out to supervise men to clear the debris. On the train are four hobos, one being Larry Doyle (Robert Armstrong), whom Dan enlists to work. Dan sees something special in Larry, especially after learning he was once a train engineer discharged for insubordination, and soon hires him on his team. Dan is engaged to Mary Ryan (Jean Arthur), a young girl who intends on marrying him out of loyalty than for love. In spite of Dan's engagement, he's already married, to his job, which comes first over everything. After meeting with Larry, Mary and he become quarrelsome at times, until Larry learns that she's engaged to Dan. Unable to attend the Old Timer's Bonfire Dance, Dan has Mary go with Larry instead. Their emotions turn to love, which finds them secretly leaving the railroad site together on a rainy night to get married. When Dan learns of their plans, he sets out to kill Larry. Instead he saves his life from getting hit by a passing train, getting seriously injured instead. Dan, near death, will need to be taken to a Chicago hospital within five hours on a seven hour trip for an emergency head operation, which at this point, seems totally impossible. Other members of the cast include Hugh Herbert (Professor, a bum); Frank Sheridan (Ed Ryan, Mary's father); Robert Edeson (Tom Johnson, train engineer); James Farley (Joe Geraghty); Alan Roscoe and William H. Burt. Only Hugh Herbert is around for comedy relief as a bum who refuses to work on the railroad.Though predictable, the performances by lead players rise above standard material. Louis Wolheim gets most of the attention as the foreman whom everyone likes and respects, and whatever he says, goes. It's also interesting seeing Jean Arthur early in her career before she would find her nitch for comedy under Frank Capra's direction, and Robert Armstrong, shortly he would go to Skull Island to meet with KING KONG (1933). Robert Edeson (1988-1931), in one of his final movie roles, should not be overlooked as an engineer who turns to drink following the death of his wife. Aside from cliché story, its highlight includes an exciting train race against time.Had DANGER LIGHTS been remade in the 1940s, William Bendix, another gruff and burly character actor of his time, might have handle the Wolheim part to great satisfaction, but that never happened. The story in itself has been reworked many times, however. Though DANGER LIGHTS did have some television showings in the 1970s, notably on Spanish channel WNJU, Channel 47, in New Jersey, where this movie and other RKO Radio features were dubbed in Spanish, it didn't surface regularly until the 1980s during the wake of home video and public television broadcasts such as the weekly movie series titled SPROCKETS. Over the years, DANGER LIGHTS has gained further recognition with cable television broadcasts on either American Movie Classics (prior to 2001) and Turner Classic Movies. Also available on DVD. In closing: While Louis Wolheim was hilarious in the silent comedy, TWO ARABIAN KNIGHTS (1927), he showed his great flare playing leads in some early talkies such as this one. His final movie release, THE SIN SHIP (RKO, 1931), was both starred and directed by him. How Wolheim might have succeeded into the 1940s and beyond will never be known. (*** rails)
jontue11
This film is billed as a love story (typical love triangle), but the human-to-human love story is left in the dust because the human-to-train love story is much more passionate. I won't tell you how the story ends, but if you love trains (especially steam trains), you will love watching this film. ALL the characters in this film are in love with trains, and you will be, too. Be sure not to miss the lightning train trip to Chicago. The one thing that could have improved this film would have been "brightening up" the night scenes. I have a copy of it in my library - go thou and do likewise (don't know if it can be rented).
mdantonio
This movie was shown on TCM last night. Even though it was made twenty seven years before I was born, it held my interest. It was well filmed and the acting was adequate. With oldies like these, you have to watch them noting the time context that they were made in and appreciate them with that in mind. I especially like the parts when close up shots were made of the locomotives with the camera. Also, the scene where the two locomotives are doing a "push-of-war" (as opposed to a tug-of-war), was exciting. It gives you a good picture of what people considered to be fun seventy years ago, what a difference from some of today's entertainment that lacks class.
movingpicturegal
Entertaining yarn about tough railroad man Dan Thorn (Louis Wolheim), really quite a decent guy in spite of his rough exterior - he seems to help all around him, including his sweet and pretty girlfriend Mary (Jean Arthur) and her father. A new guy recently down-on-his-luck, Larry Doyle, comes to work at the rail yard, thanks to Dan - but when Larry meets Mary - sparks fly. But Mary wants to remain loyal to Dan, who apparently has taken care of her and her father since she was a child - not to mention her dad is completely gung-ho for her to marry Dan.This is a very good film, with interesting plot line and exciting action scenes, plus lots of well-done, scenic shots of the running trains and railroad yards filmed on location. Louis Wolheim is an appealing actor, I have enjoyed his performance in every film I have seen of his. The romance between Mary and Larry is well played out by the two actors and comes across as realistic. A strong, engaging film, well worth seeing.
