Wuchak RELEASED IN 1952 and directed by Anthony Mann, "Bend of the River" stars James Stewart as wagon master, Glyn McLyntock, who leads pioneers to a remote settlement near Mount Hood, Oregon. When a profit-minded Portland boss confiscates the settlers' winter supplies due to a gold rush, McLyntock teams-up with a good-natured-but-dubious gunman (Arthur Kennedy) and a gentleman gambler (Rock Hudson) to get the supplies to them. Harry Morgan & Royal Dano are on hand as ne'er-do-wells while Julie Adams, Lori Nelson and Frances Bavier appear in feminine roles.This was the second of five Westerns Mann did with Stewart. These were uncompromisingly harsh, psychological Westerns featuring themes of revenge, obsession, rage and redemption. They were spectacularly shot on location, rather than in the studio, providing a backdrop of authentic rugged beauty. In this film you'll often see Mount Hood looming in the distance.A lot of action & events are crammed into an hour and a half, which is great for action fans or those with ADHD. Take, for instance, the opening campout sequence where the Natives waste little time in attacking; or the saloon scene where someone gets fatally shot within minutes. I'm not complaining because I enjoy muscular action, but the downside is that the movie lacks the mundaneness of real life in the Old West. That said, it's highly realistic in that it shows you how tough it was for settlers. Take, for instance, the rough, bumpy trails the wagons had to traverse.In any case, this is a dynamic, tough, psychological early 50's Western with James Stewart. It's atypical and original (although people say it has similarities to 1946' "Canyon Passage, which I've never seen). You just have to acclimate to some old-fashioned hokey elements.THE MOVIE RUNS 91 minutes and was shot in the Columbia River/Mount Hood region of northern Oregon. WRITERS: Borden Chase from William Gulick's novel.GRADE: B

staven600 I have a thing for westerns. I think it appeals to my inner child more than any other genre except maybe sci-fi because it's set on the "frontier," or what was the frontier of the American west, which means unexplored terrain, wide open spaces, sun and adventure. Of course it's not a realistic depiction of the wild west by any means, but there's a cosy innocence to that ideal that is appealing, and a youthfulness and sense of adventure.This is my favourite of the Anthony Mann westerns so far for a number of reasons. Like Red River it is about a journey to a new place, in this case a place for a bunch of settlers to call home. The film opens with the hero, played by James Stewart, and his roguish friend played by Arthur Kennedy defending the settlers from a group of Indians. They find themselves at Portland, a small harbour town, and then head up river to find a new land beyond the mountains. So far so corny, but beyond the beautiful cinematography, what I liked about this film is the conflict between the two leads, one of mercenary nature who likes the town life, and James Stewart's character, who's no longer cares for monetary gain and wants to live a quiet life in the new settlement. This divide is not only between the main characters but between the settlers and the greedy bandits of the local gold mine. Fate has them discover gold at just the right time so that the two are separated by their motivations, one turns to the evil of materialism and quick gains and the other follows his heart. In the end of course it's obvious how it turns out, but I liked the idea and the look of the film as much as anything, and it's one of the most entertaining.

Matthew_Capitano Another example of writer Borden Chase ripping off himself by regurgitating his dialogue from past movies.Jimmy Stewart is totally unlikable as a wagon train guide who conveniently disappears for a couple of hours when it's time to unload the wagons and make camp. Then while all the settlers are toiling in the hot sun, Jimbo is over by the water trough taking a cool sip as he arrogantly throws what he didn't drink into the dirt. My personal favorite of the Jimster's lazy antics is when he makes sure he's at the grub table before anyone else so he can get the first piece of bacon.Boring Anthony Mann-directed western, but at least it's not as bad as 'The Naked Spur'.

zardoz-13 The second western collaboration between director Anthony Mann and actor James Stewart, "Bend of the River" qualifies as a sprawling oater about a reformed Missouri border hellion who leads a pioneer wagon train west into the mountains when they plan to establish a new settlement. Director Anthony Mann depicts the trials and tribulations that come from western migration and the effects that it has on people. The peaceful settlers are led by a man who doesn't believe that men who handle guns can be trusted. The theme of the effect of violence on men is scrutinized. James Stewart delivers an outstanding performance as an easy-going trailblazer with a secret history of violence in his past, while Arthur Kennedy makes a sympathetic villain who suffers from greed. Before he changes sides, Kennedy joins up with Stewart and they make a charismatic duo. Julie Adams is on hand for romance, and Jay C. Flippen of "The Hellfighters" in the prudish settler who believes that men are like apples. There isn't a bad performance in the cast and if you look closely you will spot none other than Frances Bavier of "The Andy Griffith Show where she played Aunt Bee as one of the settlers. The bad guys that help out the heroes but turn on them later consist of several seasoned character actors, including Harry Morgan, Royal Dano, and Jack Lambert.The film unfolds with a wagon train crossing the plains. Glyn McLyntock (James Stewart of "Winchester '73") scouts ahead of the wagon train and stumbles onto a lynching party with Emerson Cole (Arthur Kennedy of "Desperate Journey") about to be hanged for horse thievery. McLyntock, who remembers his moment of truth with a noose around his neck, takes pity on Cole and rescues him. They become fast friends and help the pioneers defend themselves from the Native Americans. Later, in the woods, Cole saves Glyn from getting scalped. This western has a little bit of everything, including a Southern riverboat, complete with none other than legendary Stepin Fetchit as the first mate and Chubby Johnson as Captain Mello who constantly observes that he should never have left the Mississippi. When the settlers arrive in town, they are welcome with open arms by the most influential businessman in town, Tom Hendricks (Howard Petrie of "Rocky Mountain"), who sells them supplies and promises to deliver their food stocks later. However, extraordinary things happen, chiefly a gold rush, and Hendricks refuses to deliver the settlers the goods that they had paid for in advance. Glyn and Cole hire men to load the supplies onto the riverboat and they head up river with Hendricks and his men at their heels. Before they leave town, our heroes get some help from a well-dressed gambler, Trey Wilson (Rock Hudson) who is rather handy with a six-gun."Bend of the River" is nothing short of an epic movie. Aside from some obvious studio interiors, most of the action was lensed on location in scenic Columbia River Gorge and around Mt. Hood in Oregon. Veteran western writer and Mann collaborator Borden Chase penned his excellent screenplay from a novel by prolific author William Gulick.