Bend of the River (1952)

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Borden Chase (screenplay)
William Gulick (novel)

Release Date:

13 February 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

The greatness...the glory...the fury...of the Northwest Frontier!

Plot:

Two men with questionable pasts, Glyn McLyntock and his friend Cole, lead a wagon-train load of homesteaders from Missouri to the Oregon territory...

Plot Keywords:

Settlers | Wagon Train | Farm | Loading Dock | Steam Boat

Cast

James Stewart	...	Glyn McLyntock
Arthur Kennedy	...	Emerson Cole
Rock Hudson	...	Trey Wilson
Jay C. Flippen	...	Jeremy Baile
Julie Adams	...	Laura Baile (as Julia Adams)
Lori Nelson	...	Marjie Baile
Chubby Johnson	...	Cap'n Mello
Stepin Fetchit	...	Adam (as Stepin' Fetchit)
Harry Morgan	...	Shorty (as Henry Morgan)
Howard Petrie	...	Tom Hendricks
Frances Bavier	...	Mrs. Prentiss
Jack Lambert	...	Red
Royal Dano	...	Long Tom
Frank Chase	...	Wasco
Cliff Lyons	...	Willie

Also Known As:

Bend of the Snake (USA) (working title)
Where the River Bends (UK)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG | West Germany:0 (nf) | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #15601)

Filming Locations:

Mount Hood, Oregon, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

In Finland this film is called "Maa vuorten takana", meaning "The Land Behind the Mountains" in English.

Goofs:

Continuity: The heroes pass the same large, flat, rock formation twice during the trek with supplies.

Quotes:

Tom Hendricks: I got a job for you... arrow wound.
Cap'n Mello: Where about?
Glyn McLyntock: Right up here (points to shoulder). Part of the head is still in it.
Cap'n Mello: Well, if you can point to it, it ain't serious. Just leave it alone, it will fall out by itself in time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sometimes a Great Notion (1970)

Good western

James Stewart plays Glyn McLyntock whose job is to lead the settlers west.Emerson Cole, a man with a shady past, is played by Arthur Kennedy.He's there to help Glyn with the job.The settlers are gonna need some food for the winter and soon the other side of Cole steps out.Anthony Mann worked for the second time with James Stewart in Bend of the River (1952).Jimmy does good work as always.Arthur Kennedy is brilliant in his role.The beautiful and talented Julie Adams plays Laura Baile and she does it great.Lori Nelson is wonderful as Marjie Baile.Rock Hudson is a gambler named Trey Wilson and he's terrific.This movie has got the most wonderful scenery.It's great to watch all those wagons travel there towards a better future.This is a good western from 55 years back.The world has changed in that time- and so have the movies.