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IMDbPro

River of No Return

  • 19541954
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
Trailer for this classic directed by Otto Preminger
Play trailer2:55
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionAdventureDrama
The titular river unites a farmer recently released from prison, his young son, and an ambitious saloon singer. In order to survive, each must be purged of anger, and each must learn to unde... Read allThe titular river unites a farmer recently released from prison, his young son, and an ambitious saloon singer. In order to survive, each must be purged of anger, and each must learn to understand and care for the others.The titular river unites a farmer recently released from prison, his young son, and an ambitious saloon singer. In order to survive, each must be purged of anger, and each must learn to understand and care for the others.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
12K
YOUR RATING
    • Otto Preminger
    • Jean Negulesco(uncredited)
    • Frank Fenton(screenplay)
    • Louis Lantz(story)
  • Stars
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Marilyn Monroe
    • Rory Calhoun
    • Otto Preminger
    • Jean Negulesco(uncredited)
    • Frank Fenton(screenplay)
    • Louis Lantz(story)
  • Stars
    • Robert Mitchum
    • Marilyn Monroe
    • Rory Calhoun
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 91User reviews
    • 64Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    River of No Return
    Trailer 2:55
    Watch River of No Return

    Photos126

    Marilyn Monroe and Rory Calhoun in River of No Return (1954)
    Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
    Rory Calhoun in River of No Return (1954)
    Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
    Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
    Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
    Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
    Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
    Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
    Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe in River of No Return (1954)
    "River Of No Return" M. Monroe & Robert Mitchum 1954 20th
    "River Of No Return" 1954

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Mitchum
    Robert Mitchum
    • Matt Calder
    Marilyn Monroe
    Marilyn Monroe
    • Kay Weston
    Rory Calhoun
    Rory Calhoun
    • Harry Weston
    Tommy Rettig
    Tommy Rettig
    • Mark Calder
    Murvyn Vye
    Murvyn Vye
    • Dave Colby
    Douglas Spencer
    Douglas Spencer
    • Sam Benson
    Fred Aldrich
    Fred Aldrich
    • Prospector
    • (uncredited)
    Claire Andre
    • Surrey Driver
    • (uncredited)
    Hal Baylor
    Hal Baylor
    • Young Punk
    • (uncredited)
    Don Beddoe
    Don Beddoe
    • Ben
    • (uncredited)
    Phil Bloom
    Phil Bloom
    • Prospector
    • (uncredited)
    Buck Bucko
    • Council City Barfly
    • (uncredited)
    Roy Bucko
    Roy Bucko
    • Prospector
    • (uncredited)
    Larry Chance
    Larry Chance
    • Young Punk
    • (uncredited)
    John Cliff
    John Cliff
    • Leering Man
    • (uncredited)
    Edmund Cobb
    Edmund Cobb
    • Barber
    • (uncredited)
    Cecil Combs
    • Prospector
    • (uncredited)
    John Doucette
    John Doucette
    • Man in Saloon
    • (uncredited)
      • Otto Preminger
      • Jean Negulesco(uncredited)
      • Frank Fenton(screenplay)
      • Louis Lantz(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Photos

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      While most of the cast and crew went to lunch, Marilyn Monroe preferred to go underneath the set, between all the pillars and dust, to find Bandit the raccoon. She would put him in her lap, pet him, and talk to his owner Ralph Helfer about animals and horses.
    • Goofs
      After making it down the rapids, where previously we have seen Ms Monroe's clothes clinging soaking wet, the very first shot on still water she is all clean and dry and ironed. The same is true for Mitchum.
    • Quotes

      Kay Weston: This country is crawling with Indians, and you're going fishing.

      Matt Calder: There are lots of ways to die. Starving to death isn't my favorite.

    • Alternate versions
      When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'U' rating. All cuts were waived in 1987 when the film was granted a 'PG' certificate for home video.
    • Connections
      Edited into Catalogue of Ships (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      River of No Return
      (uncredited)

      Performed by Robert Mitchum

      Lyrics by Ken Darby

      Music by Lionel Newman

    User reviews91

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    White Water Rafting With Marilyn and Mitch
    Of all of Marilyn Monroe's leading men, Robert Mitchum was the only one who knew her back when. In 1941 before he made his screen debut in a Hopalong Cassidy film, Mitchum was among other things an aircraft factory worker and one of his friends was one James Daugherty. Of course Jim had a wife Norma Jean at the time and Bob and Dorothy occasionally socialized.

    He knew all about her psychological problems and when it came time to do a film with her when both became screen legends, Mitchum was not about to get himself involved. That probably helped because during the shooting Marilyn and director Otto Preminger stopped speaking and would only communicate through Mitchum.

    Marilyn's a saloon gal involved with a no good gambler/drifter in Rory Calhoun. Calhoun and Monroe nearly drown on a river when Mitchum rescues them and their raft. No good deed goes unpunished so Calhoun takes Mitchum's horse and Mitchum, Monroe, and Mitchum's son Tommy Rettig use the raft to go after him. They're kind of forced to because the Indians are on the warpath.

    She's certainly quite a distraction for a man on a mission and at one point Mitchum does give into lust ever so briefly. Which does make River of No Return one of the more realistic westerns ever done.

    Twentieth Century Fox decided to go whole hog on this one, shooting the film up in Banff. But with Marilyn and Otto feuding it was not a happy set. Otto walked off the picture and Jean Negulesco finished it out. Joe DiMaggio flew up to the set because of rumors of Mitchum and Marilyn, that were completely unfounded, but Joe was the jealous type. As for Mitchum legend has it that he and another legendary drinker, Murvyn Vye, killed many a bottle during the long evenings.

    Done in cinemascope and 3-D, River of No Return should be seen on the big screen. Not even a letterbox DVD does it justice. And 3-D was definitely the medium for Monroe. Marilyn even has some nice songs to sing in this one.

    It's not a great western, still it's entertaining enough especially in those rafting sequences. But it was a film Otto Preminger shuddered about when recalling.
    helpful•63
    18
    • bkoganbing
    • Jun 29, 2007

    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 9, 1954 (Sweden)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 31 minutes
      • Color

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