Review of Bend of the River (1952) by Van R — 06 Dec 2009

The second western collaberation 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 start a new settlement.

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 influencial 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. 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 collaberator Borden Chase penned his excellent screenplay from a novel by prolific author William Gulick.