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Bend of the River
(1952)
The greatness...
the glory... the fury... of the Northwest Frontier!
Director: Anthony Mann, Rated Approved
  Starring:
James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julia Adams, Rock Hudson, Lori
Nelson, Jay C. Flippen, Howard Petrie, Chubby Johnson, Stepin
Fetchit, Harry Morgan, Royal Dano
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
- good
"Let's hope we can
keep it this way. Missouri and Kansas was like this when I first
saw 'em... good, clean. It was the men who came in to steal and
kill that changed things. We mustn't let it happen here." –
Jeremy Baile
Why watch this?
There's just something about how James Stewart sits on a horse.
Plot Summary: Based
on the novel by Bill Gulick, a reformed former outlaw with a
troubled past guides a wagon train of homesteaders safely from
Missouri to Oregon to start a new life. Along the treacherous
trail, he rescues a charming rogue from a hanging, forging a
complex friendship that is tested when the group's essential
winter supplies are hijacked by greedy gold miners. As survival
hangs in the balance, he must tap back into his ruthless
survival skills to reclaim the cargo and protect the settlers
from betrayal.
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Dad's Preview:
James Stewart teamed up with director Anthony Mann to
toughen up his on-screen image. This film, of five
oaters they made together, proves that was a success.
Stewart is Glyn McLyntock, an honorable man leading a
wagon trail of settlers to Oregon. The plot is
complicated by Glyn's hidden past and a stranger joining
the group with secret ambitions. The scenery is
breath-taking and shows the beauty of our American
wilderness (hint: we need to make sure we protect it,
especially now). I loved the time spent filming the
paddle steamboat used as a shortcut to the settler's
destination. The bad guys are devious as gold fever
reveals their true character, but we've got Jimmy on our
side, and that's got to be enough. |
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Aaron
Rosenberg, Frank Cleaver; Universal Pics
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