Themes: Haunted By the Past, Faltering Friendships, Switching Sides
Main Cast: James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, Rock Hudson, Lori Nelson
Release Year: 1952
Country: US
Run Time: 91 minutes
Plot
Another of the collaborations between actor James Stewart and director Anthony Mann, Bend of the River casts Stewart as a former outlaw, now working as trail guide for a group of Oregon-bound farmers. He is aided in this endeavor by Arthur Kennedy, a far-from-reformed horse thief. Upon arriving in Portland, Stewart gets in the middle of a scam operated by trader Howard Petrie, who has reneged on his promise to ship goods to the settlers. Unable to take action through legal channels, Stewart and farmer Jay C. Flippen steal the provision and scurry back to the settlement by boat. On their return, they discover that Kennedy has sold out to the crooked Petrie and intends to reclaim the supplies, taking Flippen and his daughter Julie Adams as hostages to ensure safe passage. It's up to Stewart to turn the tables on his former friend and save the day. As in the other Stewart-Mann productions, Jimmy breaks away from his usual easygoing screen persona to play a tough, self-serving rugged individual, whose true motives and loyalties remain in doubt until the very end of the film. Bend of the River was adapted by Borden Chase from Bill Gulick's novel Bend of the Snake. Watch for Stepin Fetchit, Rock Hudson, Royal Dano, and Frances Bavier in minor roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Reuniting the star, writer and director of Winchester '73 (1950), Anthony Mann's Bend of the River (1952) explores the psychological "bend" faced by a troubled hero when he must confront his past. In Borden Chase's adaptation of Bill Gullick's novel, James Stewart's McLyntock is a divided man, a former Missouri raider trying to reform himself by guiding a group of settlers through the wilds of 1840s Oregon. The presence of Cole, a former raider gone resolutely bad, forces McLyntock to battle a man akin to his own secret, past self. Shot on location in Oregon, Mann's first Technicolor landscapes become an expressive part of the conflict between McLyntock and Cole, whether on the rough terrain of snowy Mt. Hood or in the climactic fight in a rushing river. Although settling down on a farm or a ranch is the nominal goal of the trip west, the settling is barely seen. Indeed, despite the positive ending, Bend of the River suggests -- through details of dialogue and Stewart's hints at the personal uncertainty beneath his tough, upstanding exterior -- that settling down in a happy valley might be too good to be true for McLyntock. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Bernard Herzbrun - Art Director, Nathan Juran - Art Director, Rosemary Odell - Costume Designer, Anthony Mann - Director, Russell Schoengarth - Editor, Hans Salter - Composer (Music Score), Bud Westmore - Makeup, Irving Glassberg - Cinematographer, Aaron Rosenberg - Producer, Oliver Emert - Set Designer, Russell A. Gausman - Set Designer, Leslie I. Carey - Sound/Sound Designer, Joe Lapis - Sound/Sound Designer, Borden Chase - Screenwriter, Bill Gulick - Book Author
In 1847, remorseful former outlaw Glyn McLyntock (James Stewart) is scouting for a wagon train of settlers to Oregon. While he is checking the trail ahead, he rescues Emerson Cole (Arthur Kennedy) from being lynched for stealing a horse. Cole, who unabashedly admits to the crime, thinks he's heard of McLyntock, but doesn't pursue the subject. One of the pioneers in the wagon train is the eligible Laurie Baile (Julie Adams). That night, they are attacked by a small war party of Indians. McLyntock and Cole go out to deal with them; Cole saves McLyntock's life in the process. However, Laurie is seriously injured by an arrow.
When they reach Portland, Oregon, Laurie remains there to recover. Cole also leaves the party, partly because he is attracted to her and partly because of the opportunities to make money. The rest, including McLyntock, go on to establish a settlement in the wilderness, first arranging to have supplies they need for the winter to be sent on later.
With winter fast approaching, they begin to worry when the promised supplies have not shown up. McLyntock and Jeremy Baile (Jay C. Flippen), the leader of the settlers, go to investigate. They find that a gold rush has driven up prices enormously. Hendricks (Howard Petrie), their greedy supplier, has decided to sell to the highest bidder, a mining camp. Cole helps McLyntock round up some men to load the food and take it back to the settlement. Laurie joins them. When they are pursued, McLyntock sets up an ambush. Hendricks and some of his gang are killed, and the rest are driven off.
On the way to the settlement, some of the miners show up and offer an exorbitant price for the food. The hired men begin thinking. Cole cannot resist the temptation of all that money and doublecrosses his friend, but doesn't kill him. That proves to be a mistake. McLyntock tracks them down and takes the supplies back, with the assistance of Jeremy, Laurie and gambler Trey Wilson (Rock Hudson). In a climactic fistfight in the river, McLyntock kills Cole.
James Stewart and Anthony Mann
James Stewart starred in five classic western movies by director Anthony Mann. In all five, he plays a man who is haunted by the past. The films are famous for their groundbreaking use of the landscape to portray the characters' feelings.
