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IMDbPro

Massacre River

  • 19491949
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 18m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
235
YOUR RATING
Rory Calhoun and Guy Madison in Massacre River (1949)
Western
Two cavalry officers clash over the colonel's daughter at a remote outpost with Indian troubles.Two cavalry officers clash over the colonel's daughter at a remote outpost with Indian troubles.Two cavalry officers clash over the colonel's daughter at a remote outpost with Indian troubles.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
235
YOUR RATING
    • John Rawlins
    • Louis Stevens(original screenplay)
    • Otto Englander(additional dialogue)
    • Harold Bell Wright(novel "When a Man's a Man")
  • Stars
    • Guy Madison
    • Rory Calhoun
    • Carole Mathews
    • John Rawlins
    • Louis Stevens(original screenplay)
    • Otto Englander(additional dialogue)
    • Harold Bell Wright(novel "When a Man's a Man")
  • Stars
    • Guy Madison
    • Rory Calhoun
    • Carole Mathews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos8

    Guy Madison in Massacre River (1949)
    Rory Calhoun, Guy Madison, and Johnny Sands in Massacre River (1949)
    Rory Calhoun, Carole Mathews, and Guy Madison in Massacre River (1949)
    Rory Calhoun in Massacre River (1949)
    Massacre River (1949)
    Massacre River (1949)
    Massacre River (1949)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Guy Madison
    Guy Madison
    • Larry Knight
    Rory Calhoun
    Rory Calhoun
    • Phil Acton
    Carole Mathews
    Carole Mathews
    • Laura Jordan
    Cathy Downs
    Cathy Downs
    • Kitty Reid
    Johnny Sands
    Johnny Sands
    • Randy Reid
    Steve Brodie
    Steve Brodie
    • Burke Kimber
    Art Baker
    Art Baker
    • Col. James Reid
    Iron Eyes Cody
    Iron Eyes Cody
    • Chief Yellowstone
    Emory Parnell
    Emory Parnell
    • Sgt. Johanssen
    Queenie Smith
    Queenie Smith
    • Mrs. Johanssen
    Eddy Waller
    Eddy Waller
    • Joe
    • (as Eddie Waller)
    James Bush
    James Bush
    • Eddie
    John Holland
    John Holland
    • Roberts
    Douglas Fowley
    Douglas Fowley
    • Simms
    Harry Brown
    Harry Brown
    • Piano Player
    Kermit Maynard
    Kermit Maynard
    • Scout
    Gregg Barton
    Gregg Barton
    • Frank
    Mary Bayless
    • Dance Guest
    • (uncredited)
      • John Rawlins
      • Louis Stevens(original screenplay)
      • Otto Englander(additional dialogue) (uncredited)
      • Harold Bell Wright(novel "When a Man's a Man") (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      While riding through "Indian " country in the desert, there was a brief shot of a half dozen bison. Curious, but out of place since American bison only lived in the plains.
    • Connections
      Remake of When a Man's a Man (1924)

    User reviews9

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Unexpectedly Good
    After having watched ' Till the End of Time ' ( a masterpiece of film making in my opinion ) I was intrigued by Guy Madison's supposedly ' wooden ' acting, and his visual beauty, to take my chances with ' Massacre River ' and found that he really could act given the chance with complex emotional subject matter. He did so later in the underrated ' Hilda Crane. ' Enough has been said about the subject matter of ' Massacre River ' ( a title unworthy of the content ) except to add that this is a mixed genre film; Film Noir in the West, ambiguous love stories and traditional Western subject matter thrown in. The love stories include a bromance between Rory Calhoun and Guy Madison and Madison's immature passion for two women played by Cathy Downs as the ' good girl ' and the excellent Carole Matthews playing the dubious saloon owner. Thrown into this cauldron of desires is the innocent brother of Cathy Downs with the unfortunate name of Randy played very well by Johnny Sands ( an actor who should have been a star. ) Filmed in black and white, which enhances the Noir feeling, the scenario races along to its ending, and broken hearts are quite literally broken. Made in 1949 it paved the way for the more complex Westerns of the 1950's and should be seen more often than it is. Its low budget adds a grubby feel, appropriate to the content, and despite a certain amount of uncertainty of direction it is rewarding to watch. Plus the factor of it being perfectly cast. I can think of two others who broke the Western mould and they too approached borderline territory; ' Night of the Hunter ' and ' The Fiend Who Walked the West. ' Needless to say they were misunderstood.
    helpful•1
    0
    • jromanbaker
    • Mar 29, 2022

    Details

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    • Release date
      • June 26, 1949 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona, USA
    • Production company
      • Windsor Pictures Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 18 minutes

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    Rory Calhoun and Guy Madison in Massacre River (1949)
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