Bend of the River (1952)

When a town boss confiscates homesteader's supplies after gold is discovered nearby, a tough cowboy risks his life to try and get it to them.

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Borden Chase (screenplay), William Gulick (novel) (as Bill Gulick)

Stars:

James Stewart, Rock Hudson, Arthur Kennedy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Stewart	...	Glyn McLyntock
Arthur Kennedy	...	Emerson Cole
Julie Adams	...	Laura Baile (as Julia Adams)
Rock Hudson	...	Trey Wilson
Jay C. Flippen	...	Jeremy Baile
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

Storyline

Two men with questionable pasts, Glyn McLyntock and his friend Cole, lead a wagon-train load of homesteaders from Missouri to the Oregon territory. They establish a settlement outside of Portland and as winter nears, it is necessary for McLyntock and Cole to rescue and deliver food and supplies being held in Portland by corrupt officials. On the trip back to the settlement, up river and over a mountain, Cole engineers a mutiny to divert the supplies to a gold mining camp for a handsome profit.

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | settler | cowboy | oregon | missouri | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 1952 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Bend of the Snake

Filming Locations:

Columbia River, Oregon, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 101 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

The way Cole tries to gouge Glyn's eye changes between shots.

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Quotes

Emerson Cole: Never mix marriage with gambling. Percentage is all against it.

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Connections

Edited from Canyon Passage (1946)

User Reviews

Incredible Scenery

The plot may be weak even if the action is only decently played out. But what really makes this film, is the landscape. Breathtaking shots of Mount Hood, some taken from near Timberline lodge, others on the White River on the east flank, fed by the White River Glacier. Those of the stern-wheeler trudging up the Columbia River past what is now Rooster Rock State Park, but in those days was just a sandy spot below Crown Point, perched high on the surrounding cliffs. Occasionally where the action takes place at high altitude on Mount Hood, a panorama so vast as to take in most of Oregon in a single frame. Even if you have lived in the area your whole life, the photography will grab you every time you watch Bend in the River.

In case the title doesn't quite make sense, think of life as the places in time and space where you made a turn, just as you would when traveling down a river and once again there is the bend you just passed, or the one you are about to encounter. The old timers saw life in these terms of metaphors, and they had a saying about "going to see the elephant", alluding to seeing something the likes of which no man could even imagine.