Search - River of No Return on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1954 DVD Release: 05/14/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Restored/Remastered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 35 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Members Wishing: 12 Genres: Western, Romantic Adventure, Costume Adventure

Director Otto Preminger's only western, River of No Return is set in Canada during the 19th century Gold Rush. Farmer Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum) is released from prison after serving a sentence for shooting a man in the back to protect a friend. He arrives in a small town to retrieve his young son, Mark (Tommy Rettig), who has befriended a sultry saloon singer, Kay (Marilyn Monroe). Matt is also friendly with Kay, and thanks her profusely for looking after Mark, but distrusts her paramour, Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun)- a gambler with the morals of an alley cat. Matt and Mark return to their rural homestead, but soon glimpse Kay and Harry on a sinking raft, apparently en route to make good on a gold claim; Matt rescues the two of them, but doesn't count on Harry doing an about face, beating him up, and stealing his horse and gun; Kay stays behind to look after Matt. Meanwhile, the Indians go on the warpath, and the defenseless trio decides to seek refuge by fleeing the farm and sailing down the river on a raft. En route, the son - thanks to Kay's doing - is unexpectedly disillusioned about the father's original crime. Moreover, as Matt approaches town, he begins to plot a decisive revenge against Harry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Robert Mitchum - Matt Calder
Marilyn Monroe - Kay Weston
Rory Calhoun - Harry Weston
Tommy Rettig - Mark Calder
Murvyn Vye - Dave Colby

Not a western as has often been claimed, River of No Return is a "northern", set in Canada during the 19th century Gold Rush. En route to his home, farmer Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum) is beaten and robbed of his horse by gambler Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun). Two people witness this bushwacking: Matt's son Mark (Tommy Rettig) and Weston's wife Kay (Marilyn Monroe), a dance hall girl. Disgusted by Weston, who has deserted her, Kay elects to remain with Matt as the latter tries to stay alive without provisions in hostile Indian territory. Seeking revenge, Matt builds a raft and braves the rapids, with Mark and Kay in tow, in search of the renegade Weston. When Matt catches up with his prey, it appears for a few minutes that Kay will change her mind and help Weston escape; a quick glance at the billing order of the film will cue the audience as to who will remain alive at fadeout time. Marred only by some unconvincing back-projection scenes, River of No Return is full-blooded entertainment, with both Mitchum and Monroe at their considerable primes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide