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The River

  • 19281928
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
618
YOUR RATING
Mary Duncan, Charles Farrell, and Ivan Linow in The River (1928)
DramaRomance
A naïve young man is working on a logging camp beside a turbulent river. When it closes for winter, he opts to stay for the experience. He meets a woman who was the girlfriend of the outfit'... Read allA naïve young man is working on a logging camp beside a turbulent river. When it closes for winter, he opts to stay for the experience. He meets a woman who was the girlfriend of the outfit's boss--who was recently locked up for murder. This worldly lady and the innocent boy find... Read allA naïve young man is working on a logging camp beside a turbulent river. When it closes for winter, he opts to stay for the experience. He meets a woman who was the girlfriend of the outfit's boss--who was recently locked up for murder. This worldly lady and the innocent boy find a powerful attraction that builds to a violent climax.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
618
YOUR RATING
    • Frank Borzage
  • Writers
    • John Hunter Booth(dialogue)
    • Dwight Cummins
    • Philip Klein
  • Stars
    • Charles Farrell
    • Mary Duncan
    • Ivan Linow
    • Frank Borzage
  • Writers
    • John Hunter Booth(dialogue)
    • Dwight Cummins
    • Philip Klein
  • Stars
    • Charles Farrell
    • Mary Duncan
    • Ivan Linow
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 10User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos44

    Mary Duncan and Charles Farrell in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan, Charles Farrell, and Alfred Sabato in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan and Charles Farrell in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan, Charles Farrell, and Ivan Linow in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan, Charles Farrell, and Ivan Linow in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan and Charles Farrell in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan and Charles Farrell in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan and Charles Farrell in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan in The River (1928)
    Mary Duncan and Charles Farrell in The River (1928)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charles Farrell
    Charles Farrell
    • Allen John Spender
    Mary Duncan
    Mary Duncan
    • Rosalee
    Ivan Linow
    Ivan Linow
    • Sam Thompson
    Margaret Mann
    Margaret Mann
    • Widow Thompson
    Alfred Sabato
    • Marsdon
    • (as Alverdo Sabato)
    Bert Woodruff
    Bert Woodruff
    • The Miller
      • Frank Borzage
    • Writers
      • John Hunter Booth(dialogue)
      • Dwight Cummins
      • Philip Klein
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Charles Farrell is one of the first male American stars to appear in a nude scene in a major motion picture, in this 1928 production.
    • Quotes

      Title Card: There is a river called life, its source a hidden fountain. The sea is its goal. Upon it sail the rafts of human destinies.

    • Connections
      Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une vague nouvelle (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      I Found Happiness (When I Found You)
      music by Erno Rapee

      lyric by Lew Pollack

    User reviews10

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Borzage's silent era Romance is unusually seductive, despite the common theories of true love.
    The River (1928) : Brief Review -

    Borzage's silent era Romance is unusually seductive, despite the common theories of true love. Aside from all of Borzage's known talkie films, the three silent films I remember or call my favourites are "7th Heaven" (1927), "Street Angel" (1928), and "Lucky Star" (1929), all of which starred the legendary Janet Gaynor. So this is the first silent film by Frank Borzage I saw that didn't have Gaynor. Well, it doesn't matter if I'm looking at a filmography from the director's perspective, but I would have loved to see Janet Gaynor portraying Rosalee in "The River". Wait, would it be too much to ask of Janet? I mean, she would have agreed to do those sexually appealing scenes? No, I guess. So it's better that Mary Duncan did it, someone whom I loved seeing in FW Murnau's "City Girl" (1930). The River is a typical romantic drama. By typical, I mean for its time, not today, but it's a very unusual film for its time. One of the major reasons is the seductive features of the lead pair. Their expressions (no dialogues, of course) make it more appealing because you feel the hype and intensity there. The River is about a young man working at a logging camp beside a turbulent river. When it closes for the winter, he opts to stay for the experience. He meets a woman who was the girlfriend of the boss of the outfit, recently locked up for murder. This worldly lady and the innocent boy find a powerful attraction, but is it that simple for them? You are free to find out the answers in this predictable drama, or you can predict them even before they appear on screen. Nevertheless, it still makes for a good watch. Charles Farrell and Mary Duncan's seductive chemistry makes that sure, while Borzage goes on telling common theories without any big blunders. Overall, there's nothing much to say, but it's a real good watch if you really care about the sex appeal of the early cinema.

    RATING - 7/10*

    By - #samthebestest.
    helpful•0
    0
    • SAMTHEBESTEST
    • May 13, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 6, 1929 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • William Fox Studios - 1401 N. Western Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Fox Film Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 24 minutes
      • Black and White
      • Silent

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