Bend of the River [Where the River Bends] **** (1952, James Stewart, Rock Hudson, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams) – Classic Movie Review 2019

Director Anthony Mann teams up with James Stewart again for the 1952 classic Western Bend of the River [Where the River Bends], with a slew of convincing performances, an impressive Technicolor production and plenty of robust action.

Stewart plays tough cowboy trail scout Glyn McLyntock, who leads a wagon train of settlers through Indian country from Missouri to the Oregon territory. Arthur Kennedy co-stars as Emerson Cole, his former outlaw buddy, now helping him lead the wagon train. McLyntock, Cole and the settlers establish a settlement outside Portland.

However, in Portland, corrupt officials are holding their winter food and supplies, so the duo have to set off to try to get them. But, on the way back, Cole stages a mutiny to confiscate the homesteaders’ supplies and divert them to a nearby mining camp where gold has been discovered.

Stewart and Kennedy make splendid sparring partners in director Mann’s superior, exciting Western set against a backdrop of the battle between gold miners and settler farmers. Jay C Flippen makes a strong impression as the settlers’ leader, while Rock Hudson and Julie [then Julia] Adams provide the tasty beefcake and cheesecake.

Bend of the River [Where the River Bends] is one of the highlights of the fruitful Stewart-Mann partnership in the Fifties. Borden Chase provides a first-class screenplay based on the novel Bend of the Snake by Bill Gulick. Irving Glassberg’s cinematography is eye-catching in its Technicolor glory.

Chubby Johnson (1902–1974).

The character actor cast includes Lori Nelson, Harry Morgan, Royal Dano, Stepin Fetchit, Chubby Johnson as Cap’n Mello, Howard Petrie, Frances Bavier, Jack Lambert, Frank Chase, Cliff Lyons and Frank Ferguson.

Bend of the River [Where the River Bends in GB] is directed by Anthony Mann, runs 91 minutes, is made by Universal International Pictures, is released by Universal, is written by Borden Chase, is shot in Technicolor by Irving Glassberg, is produced by Aaron Rosenberg, is scored by Hans J Salter and is designed by Bernard Herzbrun and Nathan Juran.

Mann’s five films with James Stewart are Winchester ’73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952), The Naked Spur (1953), The Far Country (1955) and The Man from Laramie (1955).

The beautiful and talented Julie Adams died on 3 February 2019, aged 92. She recalled her work on Bend of the River as ‘a great learning experience’ and one of her ‘fondest Hollywood memories’, leading to a lifelong friendship with James Stewart.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 2019

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