Bend of the River (1952)
Bend of the River is one of the reasons 1950s westerns were generalized as boring. I fast-forwarded half and hour of it and didn’t miss a thing. For those of you who love James Stewart in the western phase of his career, this is not a good one. His role doesn’t have any meat to his character, and he doesn’t do anything to make the audience appeal to him. He’s lazy, insincere, and inconsistent. He manages to be mysterious without drawing any interest into what he’s hiding, and he rescues an accused thief from a lynching while professing to know the man’s inner character even though he knows nothing about him. If this was the first James Stewart movie I ever saw, the next time I had the opportunity to watch one of his films, I’d wrinkle up my nose.
Jimmy isn’t the only one in the movie, and Arthur Kennedy easily steals the attention away from him. With a twinkle in his eye, and easy grin, and enough spunk to make up for everyone else’s lackluster performances, it doesn’t seem fair that he’s immediately pegged as the villain. Why can’t he take the second chance Jimmy gave him and make a profitable life for himself? Why can’t he fall in love with Julia Adams since she, too, got a second chance after surviving an arrow in the neck? Many times in Hollywood, the fast-talking, easy-grinning fellow who enjoys a good time either has to learn his lesson or get punished. Bend of the River is no exception. Included in the supporting cast is Rock Hudson, Stepin Fetchit, Harry Morgan, Jay C. Flippen, and Lori Nelson.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Juhi Thaker" for posting!
More Rock Hudson movies here!
More James Stewart movies here!
Jimmy isn’t the only one in the movie, and Arthur Kennedy easily steals the attention away from him. With a twinkle in his eye, and easy grin, and enough spunk to make up for everyone else’s lackluster performances, it doesn’t seem fair that he’s immediately pegged as the villain. Why can’t he take the second chance Jimmy gave him and make a profitable life for himself? Why can’t he fall in love with Julia Adams since she, too, got a second chance after surviving an arrow in the neck? Many times in Hollywood, the fast-talking, easy-grinning fellow who enjoys a good time either has to learn his lesson or get punished. Bend of the River is no exception. Included in the supporting cast is Rock Hudson, Stepin Fetchit, Harry Morgan, Jay C. Flippen, and Lori Nelson.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Juhi Thaker" for posting!
More Rock Hudson movies here!
More James Stewart movies here!