Wild River (1960)

A young field administrator for the TVA comes to rural Tennessee to oversee the building of a dam on the Tennessee River. He encounters opposition from the local people, in particular a ... See full summary »

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Paul Osborn (screenplay), William Bradford Huie (based on the novels by),

Stars:

Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, Jo Van Fleet

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Montgomery Clift	...	Chuck Glover
Lee Remick	...	Carol Garth Baldwin
Jo Van Fleet	...	Ella Garth
Albert Salmi	...	Hank Bailey
Jay C. Flippen	...	Hamilton Garth (as J.C. Flippen)
James Westerfield	...	Cal Garth
Barbara Loden	...	Betty Jackson
Frank Overton	...	Walter Clark
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Sy Moore

Storyline

A young field administrator for the TVA comes to rural Tennessee to oversee the building of a dam on the Tennessee River. He encounters opposition from the local people, in particular a farmer who objects to his employment (with pay) of local black laborers. Much of the plot revolves around the eviction of an elderly woman from her home on an island in the River, and the young man's love affair with that woman's widowed granddaughter.

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Plot Keywords:

tennessee | river | eviction | dam | island | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Río salvaje

Filming Locations:

Cleveland, Tennessee, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the role of Chuck, Elia Kazan's first choice was Marlon Brando.

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Goofs

When Chuck drives the black workers to their new TVA-built homes, a white car can be seen parked in the distance which appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Ford, but which in any case is plainly not a vehicle that would have existed in 1933, when the film is set.

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Quotes

Chuck Glover: [Referring to his drunkenness] I apologize for the other night.
Ella Garth: First and only time I ever liked you!
[Slams the door in his face]

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Connections

Referenced in Montgomery Clift (1983)

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Soundtracks

"In the Garden"
(uncredited)
Written by C. Austin Miles
Sung by Lee Remick

User Reviews

An almost forgotten masterpiece

WILD RIVER is one of Elia Kazan's best films, with brilliant affecting performances, beautiful cinematography, atmospheric settings, and a multilayered plot with important thematic points to make about the rights of the individual vs. the needs of the larger society as a whole. Jo Van Fleet gives one of the all time great performances of the screen in this film as far as I'm concerned. The music is also beautiful and evokes the time and place of the setting, 1930s Tennessee.Why isn't this film on video? Wonderful, one of my favorite movies.