Critical Reception
The picture launched its New York debut at the Winter Garden Theater, on January 14, 1932. The New York Times movie critic, Mordaunt Hall, characterized Union Depot as an “ingenious, rather than artistic” melodrama recalling the (then) play Grand Hotel. He noted that some of the dialogue was at times, unnecessarily “raw” and that Mr. Fairbanks appeared to have “taken a leaf from James Cagney’s book, judging by his talk and the way he slaps a girl’s face”. He also questioned the realism of a hobo speaking with Mr. Fairbanks’ excellent elocution.
In addition to noting performances by Blondell and Fairbanks, Variety magazine also praised the "capital technique" employed in the series of brief scenes utilized at the beginning of the movie to establish the film's tongue-in-cheek attitude toward human (mis)behavior.
Much attention has also been given to the construction of the lavish train depot station set in which most of the movie takes place. This set was subsequently used in future Warner Brothers movies.
Read more about this topic: Union Depot (film)
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