River of No Return (1954) User Reviews

White Water Rafting With Marilyn and Mitch

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 29 June 2007]

Of all of Marilyn Monroe's leading men, Robert Mitchum was the only one who knew her back when. In 1941 before he made his screen debut in a Hopalong Cassidy film, Mitchum was among other things an aircraft factory worker and one of his friends was one James Daugherty. Of course Jim had a wife Norma Jean at the time and Bob and Dorothy occasionally socialized.

He knew all about her psychological problems and when it came time to do a film with her when both became screen legends, Mitchum was not about to get himself involved. That probably helped because during the shooting Marilyn and director Otto Preminger stopped speaking and would only communicate through Mitchum.

Marilyn's a saloon gal involved with a no good gambler/drifter in Rory Calhoun. Calhoun and Monroe nearly drown on a river when Mitchum rescues them and their raft. No good deed goes unpunished so Calhoun takes Mitchum's horse and Mitchum, Monroe, and Mitchum's son Tommy Rettig use the raft to go after him. They're kind of forced to because the Indians are on the warpath.

She's certainly quite a distraction for a man on a mission and at one point Mitchum does give into lust ever so briefly. Which does make River of No Return one of the more realistic westerns ever done.

Twentieth Century Fox decided to go whole hog on this one, shooting the film up in Banff. But with Marilyn and Otto feuding it was not a happy set. Otto walked off the picture and Jean Negulesco finished it out. Joe DiMaggio flew up to the set because of rumors of Mitchum and Marilyn, that were completely unfounded, but Joe was the jealous type. As for Mitchum legend has it that he and another legendary drinker, Murvyn Vye, killed many a bottle during the long evenings.

Done in cinemascope and 3-D, River of No Return should be seen on the big screen. Not even a letterbox DVD does it justice. And 3-D was definitely the medium for Monroe. Marilyn even has some nice songs to sing in this one.

It's not a great western, still it's entertaining enough especially in those rafting sequences. But it was a film Otto Preminger shuddered about when recalling.

Love is a trav'ler on the river of no return

[krorie · 7/10 · 26 September 2006]

"River Of No Return" spotlights one of Marilyn Monroe's best early performances, once more showing the world that she was more than just another sex kitten, that there was real talent behind her beautiful figure. Most contemporary critics failed to recognize Marilyn's extraordinary gifts other than the obvious ones. Too bad she was short changed in the song department. Had Marilyn been allowed to strut her stuff with a composition comparable to Marlene Dietrich's ribald "See What The Boys In The Backroom Will Have" from "Destry Rides Again," she would have brought down the house. Instead Marilyn is stuck with three ditties that don't deserve their big movie status, "I'm Gonna File My Claim," "One Silver Dollar," and "Down In The Meadow." The exception is the bewitching title ballad hauntingly sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford over the opening credits and later with verve and longing by Marilyn.

Not only does Marilyn exhibit a marvelous acting style, but she is paired with one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood history, Robert Mitchum. Why critics have often failed to notice his abilities as a performer is amazing, with so many inventive portrayals to his credit. Rory Calhoun has his moments as a low-life scoundrel loved by Marilyn. And little Tommy Rettig is ideally cast as Mitchum's abandoned son. His role in "River Of Not Return" is perhaps the reason he was later chosen to play a similar part in TV's "Lassie."

Joseph LaShelle's cinematography is breathtaking, except for the obvious rear projection used in the treacherous raft scenes depicting Mitchum, Monroe, and Rettig fighting the rapids on the River Of No Return. The beauty of Alberta, Canada's Jasper National Park is spellbinding and definitely an asset. The footage shot along the Toutle river in Washington State supplements the Canadian grandeur.

A major weakness of the movie is the lackluster script and threadbare story. Since the plot is a simple one, director Otto Preminger must emphasize the interplay of the leading characters with as much analysis as possible. Here the writer Frank Fenton, who based his screenplay on a story by Louis Lantz, is unable to rise to the task. Though many of the lines between Mitchum and Monroe and good ones, there are not enough of them to sustain an entire film.

Matt Calder (Mitchum) seeks his son entrusted to a friend when Calder went to jail for killing a man (possibly in self-defense). His son, Mark (Mark follows Matthew in the Bible), is left to wonder around a boom town until taken in by the local dance hall queen, Kay Weston (Monroe). Once Matt finds Mark, the two journey to Matt's farm on the banks of the River Of No Return. Floating down the river come Kay and her husband, Harry Weston. Both are in danger of drowning. Matt saves them only to have Harry steal his horse and take off. Kay has a distorted image of Harry in her mind, bent out of shape by the pliers of love. Matt perceives Kay as nothing more than trash, but his son knows a different side of her, a kind and loving woman. The three take off down the River Of No Return: She to get back her man; he to kill her man; and the boy to try to work it all out in a peaceable manner, with an ironic twist to the story at the end.

The River Of No Return, as the name implies, is symbolic, but of what? The metaphor is not easy to reconcile with the story, except in places. See what you can do with it.

Nice Undercurrents

[telegonus · 8/10 · 18 July 2001]

An unexceptional story beautifully directed by Otto Premiger, whose handling of this routine material makes it work as well in its way as the best of Anthony Mann. A stolen rifle figures prominently in this western, as does an Indian attack, the budding romance between a puritanical homesteader with a past and a saloon singer in trouble, and of course the eponymous and oftentimes violent river they raft down. The northwest scenery is breathtaking. Preminger gives a nice drive to his narrative without stressing any one element for too long. For a while it's a farmer-son story, then a badman story, then there's a journey down the river, then a romance, then an Indian attack. Scenes play out dramatically rather than melodramatically despite the genre limitations of the script, and this shows Preminger's steady hand. He doesn't mind making his movie a bit of a travelogue or nature film if the mood strikes him, and therefore the picture has a nice diversity, and many lovely things to look at. Chief among its many scenic attractions is Marilyn Monroe in the female lead. I can't say that this is her best performance but it's one of her best non-musical or comedy roles that isn't too serious, which is to say it's not at all like How To Marry a Millionaire, Bus Stop, The Prince and the Showgirl or The Seven Year Itch in that there's no air of a heavyweight property with lots of money and talent behind it, which works in the movie's favor, as it is a pleasant surprise. This is perhaps Miss Monroe's only 'throwaway' role of her starring career, and she makes the best of it by playing her part naturally and with none of the ironic, self-referential self-deprecation one often finds in her major starring vehicles. Robert Mitchum is excellent in the male lead, as is Tommy Rettig as his son, who more than holds his own with these two adult heavyweights. The songs Monroe sings are all pretty good and well-delivered and add to the story in each case, which is unusual. One cares for these people, who behave credibly despite the mechanical plot devices, and the movie ends on a touching visually and musically orchestrated grace note, as if something of profound importance had just transpired.

One of Monroe's most natural and appealing performances...

[Doylenf · 13 August 2001]

Cinemascope was at the height of popularity when Fox decided to cast Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum in a story set against the scenic splendor of the Rockies. Marilyn even gets to sing a few fetching song numbers (her saloon song atop a bar is a standout and she delivers a totally professional job). Sleepy-eyed Mitchum makes a good partner for Monroe and little Tommy Rettig scores as the adoring little boy who watches wistfully as Monroe strums a song on her guitar.

Into the story, slight as it is, is an Indian attack while Mitchum and Monroe battle the rapids. It's all very routine going, for the most part, but the chance to see Monroe strut her stuff in a tight pair of jeans and Mitchum give a sturdy, likeable performance is enough to make the movie a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

Nothing great here, but a very satisfying performance by Marilyn who does a more than competent job on her less than inspired songs. And the scenery helps.

Otto Preminger's direction is not as taut as it should have been for a tale of this sort--in fact, the whole film has a lumbering pace that seems to make some parts of the story seem more like filler material than anything else. And poor Rory Calhoun has little to do.

Monroe meets Mitchum--and Otto Preminger!

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 26 January 2008]

Nine-year old boy is reunited with his estranged father in a northwest boom town in the midst of Gold Fever; they take off for a life of fishing and hunting but are soon railroaded by a crooked gambler and his gal, a saloon singer who gets a pang of conscience and stays with dad and the kid. Soon, all three are on the run from Injuns, on a raft down a treacherous river. Lackadaisical western puts action on the back-burner to focus on character interaction, which in this case isn't such a bad thing. Robert Mitchum never puts on a big show: tough and steely, but paternal towards the kid and easy with the lady, he's gruffly polite--and unapologetic about his behavior. Marilyn Monroe is such a drama queen, she can't deliver a simple monologue without twitching something (her eyes, her lips, her nostrils); she is lovely (and, in a singing scene outdoors with the boy, very natural), but one warms to her because she's Marilyn (her legend exceeds the worn material and her over-emphatic delivery). Otto Preminger directed, but this doesn't feel like a Preminger movie. There are no tart or prodding scenes, and the dangerous rapids excursions--and Indian rampages--are not staged for maximum impact. The Indians, armed with arrows, simply seem like bad shots, and the close-up sequences on the raft were obviously achieved in the studio. Still, the occasional on-location photography is breath-taking, and the three principles grow steadily on the audience as well as towards each other. Beautiful theme song is sung in versions by both Mitchum and Monroe. **1/2 from ****

River of Return

[Richie-67-485852 · 7/10 · 9 August 2017]

You won't waste your time watching Robert Mitchum in any movie as he has proved himself to be an actor to take note of. In this movie, he gives a stable performance as a rugged pioneer type adventurer and good father who is trying to make a go farming in the wilderness. If things aren't hard enough, Indians harass, strangers become unpredictable and the work does not become easier. The rafting scenes remain fake but the real life shots of the river remain beautiful. Monroe detracts from the picture as being too much when she should be just a little however that is the part they wanted her to play. Unfortunately they like selling her as a sex object first and an actor second which comes through in some scenes almost like they were afraid the picture wouldn't do well and needed some additional assurance. The fact is it did do well and in no small part to Preminger's directing while filled with criticism still delivered a watchable entertaining film. Behind the scenes there was much ego and unprofessional conduct which reminds us all that wherever we go and whatever we do the people add or detract from the experiences. This film could have used more specific emphasis on the area and when it took place as that is always interesting history. Instead, they made it more for the actors than the viewers is how it came across. Good movie to snack by with a tasty drink and just enjoy watching a piece of movie making history with times gone by...

Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum grapple in this western set during the gold rush.

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 19 April 2022]

Love is a rider on the rider on the river of no return.

This was an interesting film, a western that covers a very short period of time about a man released from prison to pick up his son and start a farm in gold mining country. Marilyn Monroe, who is gorgeous as ever in this film, is a saloon singer in the closest town. Her and her gambler boyfriend are headed to a larger city to make a claim on some land that he won gambling. On the way down the river on a raft they get themselves in trouble and our farmer along with his son save them...only to have their kindness repaid by the gambler stealing their only horse and only gun...leaving them at the mercy of the natives who seem to be on a war path of destruction. This leaves the farmer, played by Robert Mitchum, Marilyn and the farmer's son defenseless and on the run from the natives. Down the river they head...

This film was filled with action...including a mountain lion attack! There is also a moral story about leaving people, especially children defenseless.

The end is pretty fun and makes this film worth it. If you are a western fan or a fan of either Marilyn Monroe or Robert Mitchum, I recommend giving it a watch.

Beautiful scenery. Oh, and the mountains looked good, too.

[smatysia · 6/10 · 26 May 2000]

Beautiful scenery. Oh, and the mountains looked good, too. A really good part for Marilyn Monroe. It gave her a chance to be more than just a sexpot, and she pulled it off. A young Robert Mitchum was very good, with his usual quiet masculinity. He seemed a little unused to the horse, however, in an early scene. I thought the film would have been better if it had ended about 30 seconds earlier than it did. Another note: back in those days Hollywood could portray Indians as implacably hostile, without the political correctness required now. Refreshing. Overall a pretty decent flick.

Probably Marilyn Monroe's Best Film

[csmith-99615 · 9/10 · 7 November 2019]

Some viewers can't seem to get by the hokey raft scenes in this movie. I admit they were a little annoying but I also understand that in the 50s this was standard practice. How many times have we seen a character riding a horse or a stage coach with a screen behind them? The acting by the four main characters was superb. Especially Monroe's character, a salon singer with a heart of gold. No one could have played that part any better. All in all, a very good watch.

Beautiful, suspenseful, bodice-ripping, musical western.

[weezeralfalfa · 7/10 · 14 June 2018]

This may have been Marilyn Monroe's least favorite film she starred in, but it's my favorite of her films I've seen, with the exception of "Some Like it Hot", I think that's because, like Gable's "Call of the Wild", and "The Tall Men", there is a single man, who finds a beautiful woman(married or not) out in the middle of a wilderness, and spends the rest of the film trying to convince her that their chance adventure together was for a cosmic purpose..... It begins with Robert Mitchum, as Matt Caldor, returning to the area of northern Idaho where he was before he spent 6 years in a penitentiary for shooting a man who was about to shoot his friend. As it happened, he had to shoot the man in the back, something Matt's half grown son: Mark(Tommy Rettig) found repulsive. The great irony of the film is that near the end, Mark finds himself in the same situation, when Marilyn(Kay)'s former boyfriend (Rory Calhoun, as Harry Weston) is about to shoot Matt, who doesn't have a gun. Mark uses a store-displayed rifle(why would such a rifle be loaded??)......Matt was introduced to both Mark and Kate when he arrived at a mining camp near his homestead, after his 6 year absence. Kay was an entertainer for the rowdy miners, and had picked up Weston as a boyfriend. He won a gold mining claim in a gambling game, and wanted to register it at the far off town, down river. He foolishly decided to raft down the known dangerous river, rather than taking a horse trail. Kay went with him. They got into trouble, as they passed Matt's farm, and Matt had to rescue them. Kay sang a number of songs, some as she strummed on her guitar on the trail. The best song is the title song, sung several times, at the beginning, and near the end, when Kay sang her version in a saloon.. These can be heard at YouTube. All the songs were composed by the team of Lionel Newman and Ken Darby. In addition, the traditional "Red River Valley" was heard in the mining camp.......There are some legitimate gripes by others.. Yes, there were too many closeups of the struggles on the raft in the rapids that were obviously studio shots in front of a back projection screen. Instead of a romantic hug and hard kiss, we only get Matt's dramatic forced kiss and rape attempt. This didn't seem to shake up Kay too bad, and at the end, she submitted to Matt's carrying her out of the saloon, and onto his buckboard, with the implication that she would live with him on his farm, even with dangerous Indians around......Matt's original motivation for taking the dangerous river route was 2 fold.:1)To flee from the Indians ,who burned his house, and 2) To get even with Weston for stealing his rifle and horse and leaving him knocked senseless.. In part, he was accomplishing that by stealing his woman. Kay's original motivation for staying with Matt, rather than going with Weston, was that she figured the injured Matt would need some help for a while, and Weston promised to return after he filed his claim. When the 3 reached the claims town, they found Weston busy at his favorite occupation: gambling, suggesting he wasn't planning on returning. I've already told the rest....The outdoor shoots were done mostly in and around Canada's national parks in the Rockies. Apparently, there were also some shots on Idaho's Salmon River, which is sometimes described as 'The river of no return'. Despite it's shortcomings, I didn't lose my interest at any point. Marilyn is often seen in revealing tops, and Mitchum is hunky enough to keep the women interested. The story is relatively simple, with only a few significant characters.

The 3 Big M's - Mitchum, Monroe & The Mountains

[strong-122-478885 · 5/10 · 20 February 2015]

If you seriously think that teaming up 2 of Hollywood's biggest, most bankable and hottest stars of the 1950s together in the same picture would totally ignite sparks of pure ecstasy flying this way, and that, then think again.

Unfortunately for us all - In "River Of No Return", any on-screen chemistry that was generated between Mitchum & Monroe amounted to being nothing more than a complete fizzle, and that was about all.

I'd say that a lot of this picture's glaring faults rested squarely on the shoulders of its demanding director, Otto Preminger, who obviously understood nothing about the advantage and benefit of filming its dynamically attractive stars in close-ups. In my opinion, close-ups are a vitally important part of producing a real quality picture.

Another serious problem that plagued this film's story was that way-way too many of its scenes set in the beautiful outdoors were actually shot in front of back-projection screens. This, to me, was a sure-fire way of thoroughly sabotaging an adventure film that featured such grand and majestic scenery as this one did.

Set in the year 1875 - River Of No Return was something of a "Father & Son" tale where Mitchum feigns toughness, Monroe lip-syncs her songs, and Tommy Rettig (as Mitchum's on-screen boy) actually steals the show in this film's climatic finale.

*Note Of Interest* - All of the exterior scenes for River Of No Return were shot in the Canadian Rockies, which included Banff National Park, as well.

Anyways - Considering all of the high-potential that clearly prevailed in River Of No Return, if you ask me, this picture certainly could have (and should have) been a helluva lot better than it was.

Great movie, Classic Western, Classic, and best, Monroe

[socw20 · 8/10 · 15 January 2006]

I just love this movie, except for that one scene (everybody knows which one). It's a very good venue for Mitchum and perhaps the best Monroe ever had. Really great actors make you forget that they are either actors or stars. These two do that quite well in spite of a loosely written script and a bit too much sweetness in the person of the boy. I think I love this movie as much for the fact that someone finally let Monroe act as I do for the fun of watching it. She did a good job of bringing her character, rather than Marilyn, to the screen. I enjoyed the scenes between her and the boy. She was very believable as a nurturing, protective figure. She would have done well as an actress. This movie is just a small sample.. Lonestar

What are you chasing Calder?

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 6 July 2009]

After a stint in jail, Matt Calder is reunited with his son Mark and sets both of them up at a riverside lodge. One day he helps aid a couple who are struggling with their raft down the river. It turns out to be a dubious gambler named Harry Weston and his saloon singer girlfriend, Kay, whom both Matt and Mark have already been acquainted with. Turns out that Harry is in a rush to register his mining claim that he has just won, and sensing his journey will be considerably quicker and safer on horseback, steals, after a fight, Matt's rifle and horse. Agreeing to let Kay stay behind with the Calder's, Weston sets off. Once roused and ready to travel, Matt, aware that an Indian attack on their remote home is imminent, sets off in pursuit of Weston with the other two in tow, down the treacherous river.

River Of No Return, starring Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe and directed by Otto Preminger, this is the film neither of them gave a second thought to once the picture had wrapped. It was a much troubled production that saw Preminger and Monroe reach positive levels of hatred for each other, with Mitchum acting as go between for much of the time. Preminger was tackling his first film in the Western genre and clearly wanted to make it a mark of realism. A hard task master at the best of times, Preminger further distanced himself from his stars by demanding they do their own stunts, something that even the normally professional Mitchum found over the top. There's much more back story to the film, all of it creating a bad atmosphere on the shoot (Preminger even walking off the film before completion, leaving Jean Negulesco to wrap it up), be it jealous husbands, nuisance coaches or peril from injury, it's all here! All tid-bids available from various biographies or clickable internet resources. So the film, hated by the critics and makers alike, has to be a stinker then, surely?

Well some what surprisingly, no it isn't half bad. For sure the plot is simple in the extreme, and it's far from being a truly memorable Western offering. But it's IMDb rating of 6.5 is probably just about right. There is still much to like here. It's a gorgeous looking film for a start, yep there is some shonky studio work blending in with the location shoot, but Preminger and his cinematographer Joseph LaShelle really bring the wilderness rush on to the screen. Shot at both Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, Canada, it's at once as beautiful as it is imposing, with Mitchum's ruggedness and Monroe's sensuality expertly framed within the landscapes. Some of the scenes alongside the Athabasca and Bow rivers are worth the viewing time alone, with the impact enriched by great work from the sound department (Bernard Freericks & Roger Heman). This a film that shows the need for the right location choices to utilise the Technicolor and CinemaScope enhancements available at the time.

The cast work well considering what little quality is in the script, though Rory Calhoun as Harry Weston is underused because it's obvious that 20th Century Fox were trying to get maximum mileage from its two leading stars. Mitchum, if truth be told, cake walks through the movie. Not asked to do a great deal, it none the less works because Matt Calder is more about a beefcake presence than any thespian leanings. Something that Mitchum, in his laid back laconic way, was perfect for. It's a shame that Monroe, post release of the film, was so vehemently against it (calling it a Z grade Western at one point) because it's a sweet and affecting turn from her. In what could have been a stereotypical and typecast role as Kay, Monroe puts a bit of humanist thought into her, even coping well in the surrogate mother/ big sister strand involving Tommy Rettig's (The Raid & The Last Wagon) young Mark. Monroe also gets to do four songs in the piece, "I'm Gonna File My Claim", "One Silver Dollar", "Down in the Meadow" and the delightful finale of "The River of No Return" (Marilyn radiant here).

Not remotely close to being the best work by all involved, but as much as they all seemingly hated it, it has too much going for it to ever be considered bad. Yeah, 6.5/10 sounds about right to me.

What a let-down

[HotToastyRag · 4/10 · 19 August 2018]

When Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward, the powerful stars who should have been cast in A Streetcar Named Desire, were finally paired together in a movie, audiences were enormously let down. Just as with that couple, Hollywood ruined the screen pairing between Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. How is that possible? Audiences wanted to see them together! Audiences wanted to like these movies! River of No Return, if made with B-actors, would have been panned out of town. The only reason anyone remembers it all is because of the two lead actors, and the lack of romance in the story and the lack of tension is an incredible letdown.

First of all, there's a child in the story, which is always distracting from the grown-ups, which, in this particular movie, are the only people audiences want to look at. Tommy Rettig is Robert Mitchum's son, and while Bob has been in jail, Marilyn Monroe has been taking care of him. There's no huge reunion scene where Bob shows his appreciation for Marilyn holding down the fort, and there are no sparks flying between them. He's just been released from prison and Marilyn Monroe is right in front of him, and there's no tension? It doesn't make any sense, but neither does the rest of the movie. It's an outdoorsy adventure flick where the three of them try to survive in the forest near the titular river, but it's not believable for a second that Marilyn knows how to rough it in the woods. Her ridiculous wig doesn't help.

I absolutely love Otto Preminger's films; he's one of my favorite directors. I've seen all of Marilyn's movies and have read probably a dozen biographies. Bob is one of my favorite celebrity boyfriends. So, since I didn't like this movie, it must not be very good. I'm not trying to be unkind, but with those three involved, the movie could have been so much better.

Sometimes it's peaceful,sometimes wild

[dbdumonteil · 19 January 2003]

Life is like this river,sometimes peaceful,sometimes wild.A "river" movie,before the "road movie" genre was invented,Otto Preminger's work remains extremely beautiful:an unusually inventive cinemascope which enhances the scenery :the raft tossed by the tides of misfortune,seems like a grain of sand in these deep valleys,these ancestral forests.

A story as linear as the river,which focuses on one of Preminger's favorite subjects:redemption (see "where the sidewalk ends","forever Amber").If someone does something wrong,Kay says ,it's because he's often compelled to do so.Mark,the young boy ,will understand ,and little did he know it would not be long !

The songs (the title track and "one silver dollar" ) are sumptuous,and add magic to this odyssey of redemption.And when Kay throws her high-heeled shoes in the dust,what a nice way to pick up the pieces!

Monroe's First Western

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 1 October 2007]

For some reason this film gets mediocre reviews whenever it is mentioned in some newspaper television sections like The New York Times. I really can't understand why. For while it is not an iconic western, like SHANE or RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, it has some appealing elements.

Marilyn Monroe gets to sing several tunes, including the theme song, accompanying her singing on a guitar. She had a serviceable voice for singing, but her song sung to Tommy Retig is unique - she rarely showed so much of a possible maternal side to her character. Monroe's "Kay Weston" is a dance hall girl who is married (although it turns out it's a common-law marriage at best) to Rory Calhoun ("Harry Weston"), a small time gambler. They are in a mining town, where Robert Mitchum ("Matt Calder") has arrived to pick up his only son Tommy Retig ("Mark Calder"). Even here Monroe has shown a maternal interest in the boy, keeping an eye on him when his father has not shown up (the man who was bringing the boy took off to start prospecting once they reached the town). Mitchum takes his son back to his homestead and starts trying to rebuild the relationship between them. Retig is very willing to get used to this. In the meantime, Calhoun has somehow managed to get the jackpot he always dreamed of - he has won a gold mine claim in a card game with a prospector (Murvyn Vye as "Dave Colby"). For reasons we are left to guess at, he is determined to get his claim filed as soon as possible in the nearest large town, but he can't buy a horse. However he buys (with Monroe's money) a raft, and they proceed to go down the so-called River of No Return.

They are almost drowned, but Mitchum rescues them with a lasso. However, although a reasonable type, he refuses to sell his horse (needed for transportation or planting on the farm) to Calhoun to use to get to the town. Calhoun takes the animal by force, nearly killing Mitchum in the process, and tells Monroe he'll be back to pick her up when the claim is filed. In the course of this incident, Calhoun mentions that he recognizes Mitchum as a man who was sent to prison for murdering another man by shooting him in the back. Retig's growing close relationship with Mitchum is strained by this knowledge, although Mitchum explains he shot the man that way because the man was about to kill a friend of Mitchum's.

The local Indians are not fond of Mitchum's homesteading and seeing he's been disarmed they attack the farm. Mitchum, Retig, and Monroe are forced to go by the raft towards the town that Calhoun is headed for, but by the river (which Mitchum is aware has many dangerous rapids in it). They film proceeds to show how the trip gradually affects the three working together. Will it make Mitchum get over his mistrust of Monroe, who was Calhoun's girlfriend? Will it make Monroe show more of her interest in the welfare of Retig, and reconsider the value of her lover? Will Retig slowly realize how much his father is better than the prison record suggests?

The film works - given the director (Otto Preminger) usually dealt with urban problems (rape/murder trials in ANATOMY OF A MURDER; crime among the social elite in LAURA; high political wheeling and dealing in ADVISE AND CONSENT; drug addiction in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM) it is nice to see how well he handles a simple western story, and how he does make full use of the locale's attractions and dangers. There is only one example of his tendency of pushing the sexual envelope here: at one point Monroe has fallen into some mud, and when helped up by Mitchum the mud is visible on her pant's posterior, suggestive (briefly) of mud wrestling - but it is done very quickly.

The four leads do very well, including Calhoun as a selfish man with a charming facade. Whether he really intended to go off with Monroe at the end is really never settled (she finds him finally), nor whether he beat Vye out of the claim in an honest poker game (Vye certainly does not think it was honest). Calhoun's television career was more successful than his movie career, but here he does maintain our interest to the end. This was probably his best performance in a movie.

No, it is not a western like HIGH NOON for the ages, but it is a respectable piece of work.

Purse those lips Marilyn!

[emhughley · 7/10 · 23 January 2007]

This is one of my favorite titles in the Monroe catalog of films. I watch it every time its on TV, no matter where I come in on it. There certainly is something fascinating about it. Sure the script at times is somewhat laughable, but there are other diversions... Monroe in particular. The woman was in her prime. Her figure in 1954 was out of this world, but her acting in this film some of the time was not. Monroe herself stated this film was "Grade Z cowboy stuff"

The film is about 2 different attitudes about life - one hard and unflinching (Mitchum) the other impulsive and lost (Monroe) there is also a young boy caught in the middle that they both love. Toss in murder, double crossings, and angry Indians. What proceeds is actually a thoughtful film with the river being symbolic of both lead characters.

Truth be told Monroe is extremely watchable in "River of No Return" With sultry half closed eyes, She holds her head high,looks down her nose, purses her lips and over enunciates every syllable her character utters. It is a sight to behold. Hence the phrase by Fox CEO Daryl Zanuk,(who called her "old straw head")"Marilyn Monroe has Flesh Impact." Flesh Impact indeed. Her German drama coach Natasha Lytess taught Monroe this odd style of over acting. Marilyn would eventually fire her in 1955. After that she would loose or tone down the stilted overly dramatic poses.

Robert Mitchum does a fine, rugged job as her love interest/co-star. The blanket rubdown he gives her in a cave... is particularly memorable. Her scenes with child actor Tommy Retig tender and caring. The music is good, especially the last number which is the title of this film. Monroe delivers it in a heartfelt regretful way.

Director Otto Preminger does a fine job keeping things moving along and inserting dangerous plot lines at just the right time. Some of the stunts in the film are obviously fake such as the log raft going over a waterfall with everyone on board. One can see that a stiff mannequin with dangling arms was used as Marilyn for this scene. Other than that the film is exciting,highly recommended and enjoyable.

Mitchum and Monroe shine in this enjoyable movie shot in Canadian location

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 25 January 2008]

Ex-farmer Robert Mitchum recently released from jail, rescues Rory Calhoun and Marilyn Monroe from dangerous , wild raft. But Calhoun gives back the favour by stealing his horse . Mitchum , his little boy son and Monroe are abandoned and pursued by the hostile Indians. Forcing them have to face a raging river, in order to survive and suffering a lot of risks and dangers.

This marvellous Western packs thrills, agreeable performances , a love story, family drama and gorgeous outdoors shot on location in Canadian landscapes . This one deals with a reckless , roaring and perilous adventure of the Great Northwest Gold Rush days . Spectacular scenes proceeded during desperate rapid rafting on a wild river journey , however with excessive transparency when the protagonists appear through foreground and close-up frames .

Furthermore, it contains some violent scenes such as an attempt of rape by Mitchum over Monroe, very strong by that time. Casting is frankly outstanding. Robert Mitchum, Western actor usual (Bandido , 5 card stud , The wrath of God, El Dorado) at his best , he's excellent with his usual facade of indifference and lazy acting , though here he provides depth role as an ex-convict with bitter past . Awesome Marilyn Monroe , at her golden peak, as a Saloon girl playing splendidly beautiful songs and musical numbers , reflecting her sexual iconography . Marilyn is sultry, exciting and flaming as never before. Classic melody , including sensitive musical leitmotif by Cryl J. Mockridge and Leigh Harlan . Colorful , evocative cinematography in brilliant Technicolor by Joseph LaShelle , though best advantage in big screen and Cinemascope. The motion picture was well directed by Otto Preminger , his only Western , but he was a Noir cinema expert (Fallen Angel , Laura , Angel face , Whirlpool). The film will appeal to Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe fans. Rating : 6.5/10. Better than average.

Exceptionally adequate

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 18 March 2007]

This is a decent time-passer and not a lot more. In some ways, it's a pretty good film but in so many others it is only adequate at best. First let's discuss the good. Pairing Robert Mitchum with Marilyn Monroe actually worked pretty well. Mitchum's laid-back style and Monroe as a sexy but more human sort of character than she normally played made the casting decision pretty good. Monroe was quite beautiful but her makeup was definitely more under-stated. She also sang pretty well, though she did seem to sing an awful lot. Also the main story idea was very good and culminated in a wonderful showdown--with a terrific ending. The problem, though, is that the film sunk to the level of mediocrity due to it being pretty sloppy--with some ridiculous dialog sounding, at times--more like it belonged in a Film Noir flick, grainy rear-projection during the rafting scenes, a silly knife fight where both Mitchum's son and Monroe just stand there doing NOTHING as he's almost killed and many, many contrived situations to see Ms. Monroe take off her clothes. Most men in the audience didn't mind this, but after a while it made me laugh because it looked as if the writers deliberately inserted many such scenes! First, she is a barroom singer and she must naturally sing in her underwear, then when she's on the raft she gets so cold and wet that Mitchum tells her to take off her clothes when they take a break (though he and his young son were fine and kept theirs on) and when they were attacked by Indians, one grabbed Monroe's blouse and naturally it just tore away!!! I actually thought this was pretty funny.

Finally I'd like to point out that the print on videotape is really, really bad. At times, it's very, very yellowed. Oddly, it often went from very yellow to normal or even (briefly) black and white! The film really needed restoration and I hope the DVD version has been cleaned up quite a bit.

Mitchim offers a portrayal of total integrity with all the conviction of a Joel McCrea or Randolph Scott...

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 24 July 1999]

Otto Preminger's "River of No Return" is set in Northwest Canada, in savage Indian territory, in the gold rush days... The plot is weak but the scenery is spectacular and the action of the river dramatically powerful... Otto Preminger knew how to create tension and threat in the grandeur and menace of the Canadian Rockies…

The film opens in the 1875 with widower Matt Calder (Mitchum), coming to town, where his ten-year-old son Mark (Tommy Rettig) is waiting for him... He has served a term in prison for shooting a man in the back, even though he shot the man only to keep him from murdering a friend... Mark has now been sent to join his father, who has bought a farm for them...

Mark has made the acquaintance of Kay (Marilyn Monroe), a saloon singer, while waiting for his father.... Calder thanks Kay for her kindness to his boy, and father and son depart for their farm...

One day, Calder sees Kay and gambler Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun) in trouble on a raft in the river near his home... He helps them ashore and learns that Watson is in a hurry to get to town to register a gold claim... So eager is he that he steals his rescuer's only horse, and leaving his girl behind as well, rides away...

The predicament of those left is deepened by the fact that Indians are on a rampage and are due to attack the farm at any moment... The only way left to get to town is by a wild river...

Photographed in Technicolor and CinemaScope, the film is designed to exploit the splendors of the mountains, trees and rapid rivers plus the magnetic pleasant figure of Marilyn who is the only charming woman surrounded by two handsome men and a charming kid...

Marilyn sings 4 numbers in the film: "One Silver Dollar," "I'm Gonna File My Claim," "Down in the Meadow," and "The River of No Return." The little boy, Tommy Rettig, played another big-scale Western, Delmer Daves' "The Last Wagon," with Richard Widmark, Felicia Farr, and Susan Kohner...

"Just how many kinds of fool are you?"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 1 June 2006]

Stunning Canadian Rockies scenery add a dramatic backdrop to "River of No Return", a fairly predictable tale involving a recently released convict (Robert Mitchum), and an out of place Marilyn Monroe who's physical presence and colorful saloon outfits are the stuff of repeated double takes. Oddly, Monroe winds up being well cast here, even to the point of singing a few tunes that hold up surprisingly well.

Mitchum's character is Matt Calder, newly reunited with a nine year old son last seen before serving a prison sentence for shooting a man in the back. As the story unfolds, we learn extenuating circumstances were behind the killing, causing a certain amount of angst to come between the boy and his father as a result of the disclosure. 'Mark follows Matthew' in the Bible, thus serving as the basis for young Mark Calder's name, portrayed by Tommy Rettig.

If you were a baby boomer kid growing up in the 1950's like me, Tommy Rettig might have been one of your first small screen heroes, or at least his pal Lassie was. My weekly fix of "Lassie" came on Sunday evenings on CBS, a tough call going up against "The Wonderful World of Disney" on the NBC network. When Timmy outgrew Lassie, it seemed like the magic was gone.

Rory Calhoun is the film's obligatory bad guy and fiancée to Monroe's character. He's a bit tough to recognize if you're used to his role as "The Texan" in the 1958 Western series; perhaps it was the mustache.

I'd be curious to learn more about the scene involving Matt Calder's forced advance on Monroe's Kay during the trip along the river. Though discreetly interrupted by the interference of a mountain lion, it seems the lead character of the story came pretty close to attempted rape. I wonder how audiences of the time reacted to that particular scene.

Always on the lookout for historical perspective in films, I got a kick out of two saloon signs - 'Whiskey, 25 cents per swallow', followed by 'Good Whiskey, 4 Bits'. Oh, for the good old days!

It occurred to me that the movie's title might have been more than just a passing reference to the hazards met and overcome along the way by the intrepid adventurers, and something other than the subject of one of Marilyn Monroe's saloon songs. It struck me as somewhat allegorical that the act of saving his father's life in the same manner that sent Matt Caulder to jail, would now serve as the flash point in his life that young Mark could never retreat from, a certain departure from innocence to which he could never return.

Watchable, but somewhat of a disappointment too

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 6 February 2011]

I like Otto Preminger's films, and I came across this channel surfing. River of No Return was watchable but somewhat of a disappointment of a disappointment at the same.

The scenery is glorious and the cinematography is lovely. The music is also a nice touch, and I liked the songs Monroe sang. Preminger directs decently, while Robert Mitchum has a good presence and Marilyn Monroe is beautiful and acts convincingly at least. However, the script creaks really badly, while the story is clumsily handled. I also thought the pace was rather sluggish, and some of the characters are uninteresting and lack credibility.

In conclusion, I guess it is a watchable movie but for fans of Preminger or Mitchum or Monroe while they all do adequate jobs they deserved better. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Marilyn

[januszlvii · 10/10 · 5 February 2019]

River Of No Return is the first of Marilyn's three westerns ( Bus Stop and The Misfits were the others ( although they were modern day westerns)), and for Marilyn and ( or) western fans (and I am both), it should be essential. I do not understand why so many people dislike this movie, it has spectacular scenery ( the Canadian Rockies), a great Western Star in Robert Mitchum ( there is a reason why he is in the Western Performers Hall of Fame), suspense with Kay ( Marilyn), Matt Calder ( Mitchum) and his son Mark (Tommy Reittig) going down the river to escape indians, a very nasty performance by Rory Calhoun as a gambler, and a twist ending that was unexpected ( and I will not spoil). Finally, the one thing you see in this movie that you will.never see in another Marilyn movie is the relationship between Kay and Mark. She takes to him and because the love she has for him, she gets a happy ending.. I give it.10\10 stars

Very comfy western.

[jj805282 · 7/10 · 9 August 2022]

Marilyn Monroe plays a saloon singer and Robert Mitchum a dad who tries to scrach a living off the land. They end up going on a rafting adventure to avoid being killed by indians. The scenery is great and Marilyn Monroe's songs are nice. There is a scene where Mitchum forcebly kisses Monroe, which would not have been added in today's culture. This is the scene where they become friends instead of enemies, which is sort of what the movie is about.

Average Western

[tecnopaul · 5/10 · 23 April 2005]

Average Western. Not bad for a Sunday afternoon flick. Not great though. Not even really good the rest of the week. Scenes are apparently live, but they still look like a sound stage. If you watch the water in the rafting scenes, you'll see lots of turbulence in the back ground, but nothing in the foreground. Makes it look like they were in a tub of water. Same with forest scenes, where you see people come in from the left and exit to the right. No one goes back toward the forest, though. Even though the actors are saying thats where they need to head. Also, it was kind of funny that Marilyn Monroe was married to the guy killed at the end, and lived with him. But she doesn't shed a tear for him, just jumps in the wagon with Robert Mitchum.