Vilan Trub There are westerns and then there is River of No Return. We have seen black listed characters, reformed cons and courtesans, and those from the outer fringes of a western frontier on screen before. It isn't until River of No Return,however, that we see characters that we can truly believe have been to prison, shaved with cold water, or any for that matter, and have made money selling nothing but themselves. Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe bring a reality to the underworld of a time gone past that John Wayne could never hope to imagine. This is not to say that Stagecoach isn't a masterpiece, it's just a declarative statement that with Otto Preminger's 1954 throwaway we truly have a diamond in the rough.The movie opens with Robert Mitchum's character, Matt Calder, roaming through a Dodge City'esq village trying to locate his son. He is an ex-con and makes it very clear that his only goal is to peacefully raise his kin. With these first shots, Otto Preminger creates an environment we immediately believe to be riddled with scum and trash. Calder appears as a master navigator of this ocean, one with genuine and admirable intent, and the audience is invited to put down their popcorn and enjoy the ride. The movie offers everything one would want out of the western genre (actually filmed in Canada). It's intense and gritty and we get to take a peek into a side of life we only dare take with a life preserver around our waist. We then hear a voice and get to lay our eyes on Kay Weston, played by Marilyn Monroe. It appears as though she's been waiting at that saloon for years before a camera crew happened to stop by and film a Hollywood production. It is Kay's boyfriend who robs Matt Calder forcing the group to travel down the river in search of the stolen property. The first act carries through naturally and beautifully and before you know it you're watching what has already become one of your favorite movies. Then some stuff happens.The movie has sequences, especially those taking place on the river, that are beyond dated. The effects are difficult to watch without laughing and the fights appear to be choreographed by Jack Horner (the director from Boogie Nights). The reason why these sections of the picture are so difficult to watch is because they are always sandwiched by some of the most beautiful and poetic filmmaking the screen has ever seen. Where John Wayne's character in Stagecoach is from the beginning an advocate of the prostitute he is traveling with, Matt Calder looks down upon his travel-mate. The developing sentiment between them is troubled but invited, it is interesting and feels like something we're more familiar with from a 1970's anti-western. The duo, along with Calder's son, arrive at the town of the final showdown. What happens is unexpected and reminds the audience that they are not just watching another movie.In all the movie is uneven but beautiful. What could have been a masterpiece was instead left to rot, evident from the apathy the director must have had for his material. What the viewer must remember is to enjoy what is right about the movie and to accept the faults for what they are. In the end River of No Return will be a rewarding adventure and introduce a new generation to just how cool Robert Mitchum really was. A coolness that could still be used in cinema today. As for Marilyn Monroe, she does what she's unfairly forced to do with every picture she participated in, proves she can act.

AaronCapenBanner Otto Preminger directed this western that stars Robert Mitchum as Northwest wilderness rancher Matt Calder, who helps a man named Harry Weston(played by Rory Calhoun) who was in trouble, but after refusing to loan or sell his horse and rifle, beats Matt and simply steals them, fleeing to a nearby town to file a mining claim he won in a poker game. Enraged, and frightened by the prospect of being defenseless against encroaching Indians, he takes his son Mark(played by Tommy Rettig) and Harry's beautiful fiancée(played by Marilyn Monroe, whom Harry left behind!) down river on a raft to get even with Weston, and retrieve what belongs to him. Good cast and lush production make it watchable, even if the story is unremarkable and its outcome entirely predictable.

SimonJack The plot and acting in "River of No Return" are just so-so. This may be one of the few movies in which Marilyn Monroe shows some talent for acting. But, just some. The relatively high mark I give this film is mostly for two settings and one craft. The craft is the cinematography. The filming of the raft riding the rapids on the river is outstanding. And the panoramic scenes of the country are excellent. The Cinemascope cameras caught the magnificent beauty of Banff and Jasper national parks in Alberta, Canada. It's too bad some of the studio scenes weren't shot on location in the wild as well. I saw a distinct change when, after riding the waves and coming out of the river, the threesome – Matt, Kay and Mark – plunk down in a studio setting around a campfire. It struck this viewer as phony, or unreal. Maybe we didn't notice that so much way back when, but it sure is more evident to me today. In later years, the studios weaned more and more away from the studio lots for shooting most outdoor scenes on locations with the real elements. It's difficult for modern producers to find large natural settings for films today – those that don't show the signs of modernity (utility poles and lines, highways, buildings, clear cuts, etc.). So, we can appreciate and cherish films such as this that give us pictures of what the wilds looked like in the "ideal" past.

SnoopyStyle Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum) returns from prison taking his son Mark back to their farm on a river. Harry Weston and his wife Kay (Marilyn Monroe) get into trouble on their raft and the Calders come to their help. Harry is a professional gambler and she's a saloon girl. He's registering a mining claim and steals the Calders' only gun and horse. Fearing an Indian attack, the Calders and Kay set off down the wild river on the raft.Otto Preminger... Robert Mitchum... Marilyn Monroe, just the names alone I had no choice but to check this out. Of course I didn't know that Otto and Marilyn were forced into making this movie. Marilyn Monroe didn't sing her songs. Matt tries to rape Kay. The only good thing is Marilyn has a nice pair of tight jeans and she got really wet. It has some river stunt work but the story isn't anything to be proud of. Apparently, it was a tough shoot. Check it out if you're a fan of any of the three names.