River of No Return
Otto Preminger didn’t direct many westerns. He liked the script for River of No Return and the cast including Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. He signed on to do the film. He found out about MM’s acting coach later.
Mitchum’s lead character, Matt Calder is a widower fresh out of prison for killing a man in defense of another. At the time of his trouble with the law, he entrusted his son Mark to a man who left the boy, now nine in the care of dance hall girl, Kay (Monroe). Father reintroduces himself to his son, promising him a life of hunting and fishing on his farm, family again.
Meanwhile Kay’s fiancé, gambler Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun) jumps the claim on a gold mine and must go down river to file the claim. The fastest way to Council City is by raft. It’s fast alright thanks to rapids. Harry and Kay wind up wet near Calder’s farm where Matt and Mark fish them out of the river. A grateful Harry offers to buy Matt’s horse and rifle to reach Council City overland. When Matt refuses to be left defenseless with hostile Indians in the area, Harry obliges by stealing both.
When Indians attack the farm the only way to escape is to pile on Harry’s raft and follow him down stream. As Kay and Matt get acquainted, Mark overhears the truth about his father’s past. The boy is disillusioned. The voyage down river is spiced by encounters with a mountain lion, two angry prospectors after Harry for jumping their claim, and a second Indian war party. Surviving more rapids, they reach Council City and catch up with Harry. When Harry shoots at Matt, Mark shoots Harry. The boy understands the truth of his father’s past. Kay gives up her dance hall life for life with Matt and Mark.
Marilyn Monroe came to the filming with her acting coach. Imagine MM in need of an acting coach. Well, I never . . . And neither did Preminger. Natasha, the coach, coached Marilyn on the set. Her direction did not always agree with Preminger’s. Imagine that. The two hit it off without coming to blows. When Preminger tried to have the woman banned from the set, MM declared that if Natasha went, so would she. The kerfuffle landed in the office of 20th Century Fox, Executive Producer Daryl F. Zanuk. Zanuk gave Otto a sympathetic ear, but given Monroe’s box office draw, the offending coach was allowed to remain in the game.
Next Week: Fort Dobbs
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Ride easy,
Paul
Mitchum’s lead character, Matt Calder is a widower fresh out of prison for killing a man in defense of another. At the time of his trouble with the law, he entrusted his son Mark to a man who left the boy, now nine in the care of dance hall girl, Kay (Monroe). Father reintroduces himself to his son, promising him a life of hunting and fishing on his farm, family again.
Meanwhile Kay’s fiancé, gambler Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun) jumps the claim on a gold mine and must go down river to file the claim. The fastest way to Council City is by raft. It’s fast alright thanks to rapids. Harry and Kay wind up wet near Calder’s farm where Matt and Mark fish them out of the river. A grateful Harry offers to buy Matt’s horse and rifle to reach Council City overland. When Matt refuses to be left defenseless with hostile Indians in the area, Harry obliges by stealing both.
When Indians attack the farm the only way to escape is to pile on Harry’s raft and follow him down stream. As Kay and Matt get acquainted, Mark overhears the truth about his father’s past. The boy is disillusioned. The voyage down river is spiced by encounters with a mountain lion, two angry prospectors after Harry for jumping their claim, and a second Indian war party. Surviving more rapids, they reach Council City and catch up with Harry. When Harry shoots at Matt, Mark shoots Harry. The boy understands the truth of his father’s past. Kay gives up her dance hall life for life with Matt and Mark.
Marilyn Monroe came to the filming with her acting coach. Imagine MM in need of an acting coach. Well, I never . . . And neither did Preminger. Natasha, the coach, coached Marilyn on the set. Her direction did not always agree with Preminger’s. Imagine that. The two hit it off without coming to blows. When Preminger tried to have the woman banned from the set, MM declared that if Natasha went, so would she. The kerfuffle landed in the office of 20th Century Fox, Executive Producer Daryl F. Zanuk. Zanuk gave Otto a sympathetic ear, but given Monroe’s box office draw, the offending coach was allowed to remain in the game.
Next Week: Fort Dobbs
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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