Bend of the River Review

I'll be slipping in some reviews of films directed by Anthony Mann from time.  I have about 15 favorite Anthony Mann films and his filmography includes some of the better film noirs and Westerns.   Fact is  Mann helped create a new kind Western, taking the clichés created and solidified by people like John Ford and bringing flawed heroes and noir tones to the Western.  At the end of his career, Mann directed some impressive Hollywood epics El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire in the early 1960s for example... 

He made at least 8 Westerns  5 of them with Jimmy Stewart.  Bend of the River released in 1952 is an excellent one.  It has a few similarities to the classic Red River which can be attributed to both films being written by  Charles Booth.  Mann and  Booth  worked on several films together.

Let me confess that The Western is not my favorite genre of film.  I'm also not a big fan of John Wayne.  When you think Western, a combination of John Ford's poetic monument valley imagery and the the iconic figure of  John Wayne is probably what you first think of.  And why not?  Many Ford/Wayne Westerns are superb.  Wayne was a charismatic star with a unique walk, and identifiable speech pattern.  He wound up being a bit of a parody of himself, too stiff, too mythic-but his last film saw him nearly at his best (The Shootist) Wayne, despite his ‘image' had more range than he is often given credit for, but his timing, particularly comic timing was forced and that's why I consider himself stiffer and less organic than say Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda or even Gary Cooper and Randolph Scott  (not to mention Joel McRae).   He was from a different era, portraying his characters much larger than life in many cases, but with far less emotion than many of his peers.

So for me, the Mann/Stewart Westerns are preferable.  I think most of them hold up very well for modern audiences and many will find them more entertaining than some of the Ford Westerns.  A lot of what Ford did others copied until they became tired clichés.  Since Mann brought new elements and a new perspective into the Western, they remain among the best made.  There was less hero myth worship and more flawed imperfect heroes and villains who had shades of grays.    And there were interesting subtexts that he got to explore with his scriptwriters and actors-because when he started making Westerns, after most of the clichés were already in place. 

So back to today's feature:1952s Bend of the River starring James Stewart and Arthur Kennedy. .   James Stewart plays Glyn McLyntock, a lone cowboy  who is escorting a wagon train of wholesome law abiding settlers from the Mid West to Portland, Oregon.  We know he has done something in his past, perhaps unsavory.  He winds up saving a man from being hanged.  We learn this man is Emerson Cole (Arthur Kennedy) Kennedy and he was accused of stealing a horse.  He thanks Glyn and tells him that didn't actually steal the horse if that makes a difference to Glyn.  It doesn't.  Glyn doesn't like to see anyone hanged.    Now why is that?  (Maybe we'll get an answer to that before the movie is over). 

(Some minor but no major spoilers coming up.... ) 

Anyway, Glyn has heard of Cole's reputation as a Missouri Raider  and likewise Cole has heard of Glyn's reputation.  The "Raiders' aren't completely explained but they are most likely similar to renegade groups who after the civil war were essentially vigilantes for hire - some ruthless and lawless, others had some good intentions and perhaps could reform into law abiding productive members of society.  The leader of the settlers Jeremy (Jay C. Flippen) believes that men are like apples, when a man or apple goes rotten, they can't be repaired.   Laura Baile (played by Julie Adams) is Jeremy's daughter and will wind up being a romantic interest, playing an important role.  Glyn leads Emmerson Cole back to the camp for some hot food.  Cole can't believe that Glyn is interested in settling down to a life of ranching.  He intends on leaving in the morning and heading toward California. 

Suddenly we hear bird call noises and both Glyn and Cole realize there are Indians in the woods-but they let Laura believe the sounds are birds, not Indians.  Then an arrow strikes Laura in the arm.  Cole and Glyn work together to stop the 5 Indians from inflicting any more harm on the settlers.  Cole decides to stick around and goes to Portland with the wagon train.   The people of Portland are very friendly and the intention is to take care of Laura's wounds, order some supplies for the future and go homestead a plot of land a couple days ride outside of Portland.   They get Captian Mello (Chubby Johnson) and his first mate (played by Steppin Fetchit) to take them up river by boat.

 Cole stays behind in Portland.  Laura has to heal from her wounds and can't be moved for a least a month or two, so she stays behind too.  The plan is that Laura will join the settlement in a few months, and come up with the River boat. 

Several months pass by (only a few minutes of screen-time) as the settlers plant fruit trees, build some structures to live in and await the arrival of the supplies they have ordered and paid for to come in from Oregon.  The supplies are 2 weeks late, winter is coming and without the supplies the settlers might starve to death.  So  Glyn and Jeremy decide to ride to Portland to see why their supplies have been delayed.  When they arrive in Portland, the place in jumping and things have changed a great deal. It is the Gold Rush.  And with the Gold Rush inflation is rampant and flour that used to sell for 20 dollars a container, now goes for 200 dollars and the once friendly businessman Tom Hendrick (Howard Petrie) has gone back on his promised deal and is gouging everyone he can with high prices.  The gambling hall is very popular. It turns out that Emmerson Cole has stayed in Portland and is the pit boss, Laura has recovered from her arrow wound and works for Hendrick in the cashier cage.  In fact Emmerson and Laura are an item.

Glyn and Jeremy hire some locals to load up Captain Mello's riverboat with the supplies.  Tom Hendrick doesn't like this one bit.  So with the help of Emmerson Cole, a fancy gambler named Trey Wilson (played by Rock Hudson who the studio was trying to make a big star of at the time), Laura and a few others  Glyn and Jeremy have to shoot their way out of town, get onto the Riverboat and get out of Portland.   Ah but Tom has a posse and means to shoot their way out of town.  However in hot pursuit are Tom Hendrick and a posse.  Also, the hired ruffians are not to be trusted and a wagon trail mutiny is sure to occur.   Can Cole be trusted?  Can Glyn?   A lot of money and the lives of the settlers are at stake. 

Emmerson Cole and Glyn Mclyntock  as played by  Arthur Kennedy and Jimmy Stewart are complex characters. You might say they are nearly identical in many ways, separated by a few of life circumstances, and something as simple as a ‘bend in the river' might change the course they are on. 

The typical Western themed myth is not what drives this Western.  Characters, and their motivations, put into a historical setting with very accurate details allow Mann and writer to explore themes of loyalty, ask the question is man inherently good or evil, and play with a motif that involves deception, good versus evil, temptation, romance and man versus nature.  It's all delivered on the surface as a very well paced exciting, suspenseful drama.  If you choose to think about it on a deeper level there is a lot to consider and chew on and for me that makes this film very much worth watching..  

Bend of the River, 1952.   Directed by Anthony Mann