“Western Union” brings three stars to Little Hollywood
20th Century Fox arrived in Kanab late in 1940 to begin shooting “Western Union,” based on the Zane Grey novel of the same name. Director Fritz Lang brought leading men Robert Young, Randolph Scott and Dean Jagger to headline the star-studded cast.
Left to right, images via IMDb:
Robert Young, Dean Jagger and Randolph Scott star in “Western Union” (1941).
The theatrical poster for Western Union (1941), director Fritz Lang’s Technicolor adaptation of the Zane Grey novel.
Opening scenes were filmed in House Rock Canyon and other areas east of Kanab, and nearly jump off the screen in vivid Technicolor. Red cliffs and blue skies dominate the background throughout the movie. Filming also moved into timber and mountain country north and west of Kanab and into Zion National Park. Aspens in fall colors provide a striking contrast to the more arid landscapes featured earlier.
The story is a fictionalized account of the construction of the first transcontinental telegraph line from Omaha, Nebraska, to Carson City, Nevada, completed in 1861. It has been several years since I read the novel, but the movie follows the book fairly closely as I recall it. After the B-movies I have recently covered, I was pleased to see a higher-budget, feature- length production for a change. Released in February 1941, it is well scripted and well-acted for the era. I viewed it uninterrupted on YouTube and was not disappointed.
Robert Young plays Richard Blake, a well-intentioned easterner who proves he is not the tenderfoot his western companions suspect. Randolph Scott plays Vance Shaw, a former outlaw trying to leave his past behind, while Dean Jagger portrays Edward Creighton, manager of the telegraph project.
Young was 33 and nine years into his movie career when Western Union was filmed in Kanab. It was his only Little Hollywood role. He later became better known for his decades on television in “Father Knows Best” and “Marcus Welby, M.D.” Young worked into the 1980s and died in 1998.
Randolph Scott appeared in more than 120 films during his career, including many starring roles. He returned to Little Hollywood two years later to film “The Desperadoes.” Scott died in 1987.
“Western Union” was the second of four Little Hollywood films for Dean Jagger, following his title role in Brigham Young, Frontiersman (Southern Utah News, July 30, 2026, A4). Jagger appeared in more than 150 roles on stage and screen before his death in 1991.
