Bend of the River (1952)

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Bend of the River (1952)A Technicolor Anthony Mann Western starring Jimmy Stewart. That says a lot already, and you might just remember that Mann and Stewart did 5 Westerns together (this is the 2nd, and the first in color) and they all have what you might just call integrity. Each is a bit different, and this starts by being one of a handful of Westerns that focus on Oregon.It's before the Civil War, and the innocent pioneers have Stewart, who is unnaturally good at detecting and fighting Indians, as their guide and protector. Lucky for him (early in the plot) he saves Arthur Kennedy playing another man with a mysterious past, and the two team up.There is a lot of nice filming here, not widescreen so it's tightly composed, including some rather nice day-for-night stuff that is convincing and has great restrained color. If you are squeamish about the characterization of Native Americans as ruthless killers, then the beginning to this story isn't for you. All stereotypes (true or not) are intact, but they are realistic and vigorous enough to work the plot, including some guerrilla warfare scenes, over-simplified but good drama.Later, there are more archetypes that might seem like clichés if you want to see it that way. But focus on the unique qualities, the big plot twist half way in, the use of some African-American bit actors (who are given painfully stereotypical roles), and the grinding moral certitude that makes the main character, McLyntock, one reason Jimmy Stewart is admired for the movie. And oh, yeah, a young and not totally convincing Rock Hudson shows up, too.The real conflicts here are between settlers, all pushed to their limits by food shortages and high mountains. Distrust turns to treachery turns to murder. And the love story beneath it all, which has no real grit, wins the day. The story has some jumps and a few places you have to let the improbable be possible. But things keep moving fast and it's a good ride overall.

Very good movie with good action and characters. Many of these actors enjoyed long careers. Loved the cinematography. My gripe is with the firearms used. If the movie is set in 1847, the guns used had not yet been invented in the form shown. However, that never stopped Hollywood. With what we know today about movie making, it is still hard to pick out what is on site, and what is sound stage. But the does not detract from a good story. James Stewart is excellent in his role. Rock Hudson is a surprise.And any movie with Harry Morgan gets a vote from me.April 2016.

The second western collaboration between director Anthony Mann and actor James Stewart, "Bend of the River" qualifies as a sprawling oater about a reformed Missouri border hellion who leads a pioneer wagon train west into the mountains when they plan to establish a new settlement. Director Anthony Mann depicts the trials and tribulations that come from western migration and the effects that it has on people. The peaceful settlers are led by a man who doesn't believe that men who handle guns can be trusted. The theme of the effect of violence on men is scrutinized. James Stewart delivers an outstanding performance as an easy-going trailblazer with a secret history of violence in his past, while Arthur Kennedy makes a sympathetic villain who suffers from greed. Before he changes sides, Kennedy joins up with Stewart and they make a charismatic duo. Julie Adams is on hand for romance, and Jay C. Flippen of "The Hellfighters" in the prudish settler who believes that men are like apples. There isn't a bad performance in the cast and if you look closely you will spot none other than Frances Bavier of "The Andy Griffith Show where she played Aunt Bee as one of the settlers. The bad guys that help out the heroes but turn on them later consist of several seasoned character actors, including Harry Morgan, Royal Dano, and Jack Lambert.The film unfolds with a wagon train crossing the plains. Glyn McLyntock (James Stewart of "Winchester '73") scouts ahead of the wagon train and stumbles onto a lynching party with Emerson Cole (Arthur Kennedy of "Desperate Journey") about to be hanged for horse thievery. McLyntock, who remembers his moment of truth with a noose around his neck, takes pity on Cole and rescues him. They become fast friends and help the pioneers defend themselves from the Native Americans. Later, in the woods, Cole saves Glyn from getting scalped. This western has a little bit of everything, including a Southern riverboat, complete with none other than legendary Stepin Fetchit as the first mate and Chubby Johnson as Captain Mello who constantly observes that he should never have left the Mississippi. When the settlers arrive in town, they are welcome with open arms by the most influential businessman in town, Tom Hendricks (Howard Petrie of "Rocky Mountain"), who sells them supplies and promises to deliver their food stocks later. However, extraordinary things happen, chiefly a gold rush, and Hendricks refuses to deliver the settlers the goods that they had paid for in advance. Glyn and Cole hire men to load the supplies onto the riverboat and they head up river with Hendricks and his men at their heels. Before they leave town, our heroes get some help from a well-dressed gambler, Trey Wilson (Rock Hudson) who is rather handy with a six-gun."Bend of the River" is nothing short of an epic movie. Aside from some obvious studio interiors, most of the action was lensed on location in scenic Columbia River Gorge and around Mt. Hood in Oregon. Veteran western writer and Mann collaborator Borden Chase penned his excellent screenplay from a novel by prolific author William Gulick.

Jimmy Stewart leads a wagon train to the Oregon wilderness and settles down to help build a settlement and after a gold rush, having to battle thieves and a greedy merchant to get a shipment of supplies back before the settlers are snowed in for the winter.Tense, exciting, and extremely violent for a fifties movie, this film really delivers the goods in terms of action and drama.Jimmy Stewart is especially hard boiled in (for him) a darker-than-usual role.Arthur Kennedy and Rock Hudson are excellent as a couple of shifty gunmen who are tentatively on the side of good. They try hard (Kennedy especially) to steal the movie away from Stewart!Julie Adams was one of the most beautiful women of the nineteen-fifties. Despite a long career in films, (which isn't over yet) she's almost entirely remembered as the girl that made the gill-man go Ga-Ga in The Creature From The Black Lagoon.