Bend of the River is a 1952 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, and Rock Hudson. Based on the 1952 novel Bend of the Snake by Bill Gulick, the film is about a tough cowboy who risks his life to deliver confiscated supplies to homesteaders after gold is discovered in the region. Bend of the River was filmed on location in Sandy River, Mount Hood and Timberline, Oregon. This is the second Western film collaboration between Anthony Mann and James Stewart.
Plot[]
In 1866, remorseful former border raider Glyn McLyntock is guiding a wagon train of settlers to Oregon. While he is checking the trail ahead, he rescues Emerson Cole from being lynched for stealing a horse. Cole, who says the horse is "not exactly stolen", recognizes McLyntock's name, and McLyntock has also heard of Cole. One of the pioneers in the wagon train is the eligible Laura Baile, who fancies McLyntock. That night, they are attacked by five Shoshone Indians, and Laura is wounded by an arrow. McLyntock and Cole go out to deal with the Shoshones and Cole saves McLyntock's life in the process. McLyntock welcomes Cole, but Jeremy Baile, the leader of the settlers, does not trust him and does not believe that a man can change from bad to good. McLyntock, trying to leave his old life behind, thinks Baile is wrong.
When they reach Portland, Oregon, Laura remains there to recover. Cole also leaves the party saying that he wants to go to California to find gold. The rest, including McLyntock, go on to establish a settlement in the wilderness after making arrangements with a man named Tom Hendricks for the supplies they need for the winter to be sent on later ("the first week in September"). That night, they have a big party and meet a professional gambler named Trey Wilson.
With winter fast approaching and the supplies at least six weeks late, they begin to worry when the food runs low. McLyntock and Jeremy go back to Portland to investigate. They find that a gold rush has inflated prices enormously. Laura and Cole are working for Hendricks and have no intention of going to the settlement. Jeremy is not happy about his daughter being Cole's girl. Meanwhile, Hendricks has decided to sell their supplies for a much higher price to a mining camp. McLyntock secretly hires some men to load the supplies to take back to the settlement, but Hendricks finds out, instigating a shootout. Cole and Trey both side with McLyntock. When they are pursued, McLyntock sets up an ambush. Hendricks and some of his gang are killed, and the rest are driven off.
On the way to the settlement, some of the miners show up and offer an exorbitant sum for the supplies. The hired men begin thinking about commandeering the wagon train. Cole cannot resist the temptation of all that money and double-crosses his friend, but does not kill him. McLyntock tracks them down and retakes the supplies with the assistance of Jeremy, Laura, and Trey. Cole brings some miners, but they are beaten off in a gunfight at a river. McLyntock fights and kills Cole, and the current takes his body away. In the end, they reach the settlement with the supplies and it is apparent that Laura and McLyntock are now a couple.
Image[]
Stepin Fetchit and Chubby Johnson
Cast[]
James Stewart as Glyn McLyntock Arthur Kennedy as Emerson Cole Julie Adams as Laura Baile Rock Hudson as Trey Wilson, a professional gambler Lori Nelson as Marjie Baile Jay C. Flippen as Jeremy Baile Howard Petrie as Tom Hendricks Chubby Johnson as Captain Mello Stepin Fetchit as Adam, Mello's assistant Harry Morgan as Shorty, one of the treacherous hired men Jack Lambert as Red, another hired hand Royal Dano as Long Tom, a third untrustworthy hire-on Frances Bavier as Mrs. Prentiss Frank Ferguson as Tom Grundy