Bend of the River

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

1952 1h 31m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

🔥

100%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 224🍅100%Rotten Tomatoes★7.2IMDB · 10,639

WesternAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two men with questionable pasts, Glyn McLyntock and his friend Cole, lead a wagon-train load of homesteaders from Missouri to the Oregon territory...

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

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Cast

James Stewart
Glyn McLyntock
Arthur Kennedy
Emerson Cole
Julie Adams
Laura Baile
Rock Hudson
Trey Wilson
Jay C. Flippen
Jeremy Baile
Lori Nelson
Marjie Baile
Chubby Johnson
Cap'n Mello
Stepin Fetchit
Adam

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Anthony Mann
Writers: Borden Chase
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Anthony Mann, shot by Irving Glassberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hans J. Salter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Russell F. Schoengarth shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

James Stewart and Arthur Kennedy and Julie Adams carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The greatness... the glory... the fury... of the Northwest Frontier!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0044413 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Anthony Mann directs. Irving Glassberg behind the camera. Hans J. Salter scores. Russell F. Schoengarth cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

174 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Anthony Mann, shot by Irving Glassberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Hans J. Salter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Russell F. Schoengarth shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5James Stewart and Arthur Kennedy and Julie Adams carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The greatness... the glory... the fury... of the Northwest Frontier!".
7IMDB entry: tt0044413 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 14 themes, including "gambling", "paddleboat", "portland, oregon", "missouri".

The technical file

Cinematography: Irving Glassberg
Original score: Hans J. Salter
Editing: Russell F. Schoengarth
Costume design: Rosemary Odell
Makeup / hair: Bud Westmore
Runtime: 91 min · 1h 31m
Status: Released
Box office: $3,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Bend of the River (1952)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 10,639 votes
MPAA: Approved

Awards

3 wins & 3 nominations total

Also by

Anthony Mann

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-07-21
★ 7/10
Biscuits, apples and the troubled past. The second of five genre defining Westerns that director Anthony Mann made with James Stewart, Bend Of The River was the first one to be made in colour. The slick screenplay is written by Borden Chase, adapted from William Gulick's novel "Bend Of The Snake," with support for Stewart coming from Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, Rock Hudson & Jay C. Flippen. Stewart plays guide Glyn McLyntock who in 1847 is leading a wagon - train of homesteaders from troubled Missouri to the Oregon Territory. What the group are hoping for is a new start, a paradise, with McLyntock himself hoping for a new identity to escape his own troubled past. Unfortunately, after rescuing Emerson Cole (Kennedy) from a lynching, it's an act that once McLyntock and the group get to Portland turns out to have far reaching consequences. In typical Anthony Mann style, McLyntock is a man tested to the maximum as he seeks to throw off his shackles and find a new redemption within a peaceful community. Cloaked in what would be become Mann's trademark stunning vistas (cinematography courtesy of Irving Glassberg), Bend Of The River is often thought of as the lighter tale from the Stewart/Mann partnership. This is most likely because it has more action and no little amount of comedy in the mix, yet although it's a simple story in essence, it is however given a hard boiled and psychological edge by the makers. An edge that asks searching questions of the "hero" in waiting. Can "McLyntock" indeed escape his past? And as a "hero" is it OK to use violence when he is wronged? This is potent stuff that is acted with tremendous gravitas by Stewart. One of the main plus points on offer is that of having a strong cast operating within. It's thrilling for a Western fan to see Stewart and Kenendy side by side, particularly as the screenplay provides them much opportunities for machismo play. There's also a surprise in store, further allowing two fine actors of their era to solidify the film's credentials. Flippen is a reassuring presence, overseeing things like a genre uncle, Hudson rocks up for some dandy dude duties who joins in the gun play, and Adams (here billed as Julia Adams) is beautifully vivid under Glassberg's colour lenses. Bend of the River is very much a recommended picture, as in fact are the other four films on the Mann/Stewart CV. 7.5/10
CinemaSerf2022-09-09
★ 7/10
Jimmy Stewart ("McLyntock") is great in this grand-scale western as a gent, with his pal "Cole" (Arthur Kennedy) who leads a group of settlers through the wilds of Oregon. As the hard winter approaches, the pair set off to obtain their winter supplies but fall foul of some crooked officials in Portland. They end up having to shoot their way out of town, with a bit of help from Rock Hudson ("Wilson") but that's the just the start of his troubles. The scenery is spectacular and, together with a rousing score from Hans Salter creates a good framework for a story that demonstrates the true pioneering spirit of these homesteaders, as well as plenty of more human failings - a fair smattering of greed, envy, and betrayal. It packs loads of story into 90 minutes, with some strong characterisations and even the romance is kept to a functional minimum! Plenty to like here...