Canyon River ** (1956, George Montgomery, Marcia Henderson, Peter Graves) – Classic Movie Review 10,617

It’s a hard life in the West. You’d think Wyoming rancher Steve Patrick (George Montgomery) would have his hands full enough fighting off Indians and rustlers sent by his opponent Maddox (Walter Sande), while he takes his herd of Herefords to Texas, without having to romance Janet Hale (Marcia Henderson) and battle his wicked ranch chief Bob Andrews (Peter Graves) as well.

Despite such a busy plot, director Harmon Jones’s 1956 Color by Deluxe and CinemaScope film Canyon River is a routine, uninspired and flatly handled Western jam-packed with most of the genre’s clichés, and dully acted by the principals, with a miscast Peter Graves particularly struggling.

But, though it lacks any freshness and originality, it is nicely photographed in Color by Deluxe and CinemaScope by Ellsworth Fredericks, and has some decent Western performers in support. And at least, with so much going on 80 minutes, it is not boring.

Also in the cast are Richard Eyer, Robert J Wilke, Alan Hale Jr, William Fawcett, Jack Lambert and John Harmon.

Canyon River is directed by Harmon Jones, runs 80 minutes, is made by Scott R Dunlap Productions, is released by Allied Artists, is written by Daniel B Ullman (story and screenplay), is shot in Color by Deluxe and CinemaScope by Ellsworth Fredericks, is produced by Robert Heermance and is scored by Marlin Skiles.

It is a remake of the 1951 Western film The Longhorn directed by Lewis D Collins and starring Wild Bill Elliott, Myron Healey, and Phyllis Coates.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,617

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