The River’s Edge **** (1957, Ray Milland, Anthony Quinn, Debra Paget) – Classic Movie Review 8827

‘It was kill … or be killed … all the way down to The River’s Edge.’ Director Allan Dwan’s 1957 colour CinemaScope widescreen movie The River’s Edge is a rock-solid crime action adventure thriller, sparked by Ray Milland’s evil-eyed performance, the authentic Mexican locales and Dwan’s ever-expert handling.

Ray Milland stars as Nardo Denning, a vicious con on the run, who joins up with old flame and ex-partner Margaret Fowler (Debra Paget) and her rancher husband Ben Cameron (Anthony Quinn) to escape over the mountains to Mexico with a trunk full of cash.

Also in the cast are Byron Foulger, Harry Carey Jr, Chubby Johnson, Tom McKee, Lee Morgan and Frank Gerstle.

Harold Jacob Smith and James Leicester’s screenplay is based on Harold Jacob Smith’s story The Highest Mountain.

It is filmed at Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.

The River’s Edge is directed by Allan Dwan, runs 87 minutes, is made by Benedict Bogeaus Production, is released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Harold Jacob Smith and James Leicester, based on the novel by Harold Jacob Smith, is shot in De Luxe colour and CinemaScope by Harold Lipstein, is produced by Benedict Bogeaus and scored by Louis Forbes, with production design by Van Nest Polglase and costume design by Gwen Wakeling.

Dwan previously made Slightly Scarlet (1956) for producer Benedict Bogeaus, and went on to make Enchanted Island (1958) and Most Dangerous Man Alive (1961).

Paget’s dress in the Hotel San Blas seems to be the one worn by Leslie Caron two years earlier in the ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ number in Daddy Long Legs.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8827

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