It was his first film in CinemaScope, a format he mastered immediately, exploiting its ability to stage scenes in a fluid, gradually unfolding manner. Sometimes it's peaceful and sometimes wild and free! Cast: Robert Mitchum (Matt), Marilyn Monroe (Kay), Tommy Rettig (Mark), Rory Calhoun (Weston), Murvyn Vye (Colby), Douglas Spencer (Benson). According to Preminger, Lytess urged Monroe to drop her characteristic "soft, slurred voice" and "enunciate every syllable distinctly. However, it is no easy feat to cross the white rapids that grace the Salmon. River Of No Return (1954) -- (Movie Clip) On It Or Under It, Ben Mankiewicz Intro -- River Of No Return (1954), River Of No Return (1954) -- (Movie Clip) She's A Strong Girl, River Of No Return (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Looking For My Dad, May Cinematography: Joseph LaShelle Monroe insisted on bringing along her acting coach, Natasha Lytess, and deferred to her for guidance on her performance. Flight Center. I pleaded with her to relax and speak naturally but she paid no attention." This stretch once nearly 200 miles in length with canyon depths upwards of 5,000 feet was and in some regards still is, a one way street. This is the theme song of a 1954 film starring Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum. On August 23, 1805, Lewis and Clarks dream of finding a water route across North America ended in failure when a scouting party led by the Shoshone guide Swooping Eagle and William Clark turned back after observing a tumultuous scene with the river roiling, foaming, and beating against the innumerable rocks which crowded its channel.. Released in United States 1998 (Shown at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) as part of program "Twentieth Century Fox and the Golden Age of CinemaScope" July 3 - August 15, 1998. Calder apologizes for his earlier behavior, but again refuses to listen when Kay defends Weston. Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness. While Kay and Calder then unload the raft, she tries to tell Calder that they could have been friends under different circumstances, and Calder, misunderstanding her intent, forcibly pins her down and kisses her. "What counts isn't the frame, it's what you put in it," he said. Mark insists on bidding farewell to Kay, the saloon singer who has been caring for him while he was waiting, and Kay upbraids Calder for neglecting his son. Because once you go down, it is almost impossible to come back up. Mark is delighted to see Kay, who tells him that she and Weston are now married. Weston steals the rifle and horse anyway, and assures Calder that he will return them soon, then knocks him out when Calder attempts to stop him. Still, even under these harsh conditions, the inhabitants of The Frank dont shy away from tackling everyday challenges. (11 reels), 8,064ft Shown at Film Forum in New York City June 10 & 11, 1989. Once and for all, we want to lay it on the line so there can be no doubt or confusion as to what our people mean and how they feel." Also fea. The first season of the show was moderately-received. As in De Sica's film, the stakes are raised by the hero's responsibility for the care of his young son. Released in United States Spring April 1954. The discovery added to a growing body of evidence that the first people to reach North America may have arrived by boat rather than over a land bridge connecting to Siberia. Kay bravely helps to steer through one bad patch, but the exertion and cold make her faint. "Some of it had to be done in short takes because she couldn't remember her lines," the director later recalled. That night, the threesome camps by the river, and Kay tries to explain that Weston, who has had a hard life, is trying to improve himself, even though he went about it the wrong way. Copyright 2023 Salmon River Outfitters Association. He uses the wide screen to emphasize the distance between people in the composition as a meaningful element and to stress the horizontality of the river (which plays a co-starring role in the film) and the solitude of the human protagonists in space. That evening, Kay is surprised by how tenderly Calder cares for her and Mark, and the next morning, he succeeds in killing an elk. They encounter trouble in a patch of rapids, but fortunately are near Calder's farm, and he and Mark pull them to safety. As in De Sica's film, the stakes are raised by the hero's responsibility for the care of his young son. As they prepare for a satellite that will measure the height and areal extent of rivers in unprecedented detail, hydrologists have released a better map of North American river widths. When they step off the raft after going through the major rapids, they had no blankets but then they are seen camping in the woods with 3 or 4 blankets which are dry and clean. The homesteaders occupying this land have to follow a certain set of strict rules and regulations. A couple of minutes later 2 warriors swim out from the bank to the right of the rat. Assigned to produce the film for 20th Century-Fox, Stanley Rubin developed . Now, the question arises: will there be a River of No Return season 2? The Nez Perc considered the Salmon River country sacred as it provided in abundance the sustenance needed to survive thanks to its abundant salmon and steelhead fishery. Love is a traveler on the river of no return. Though many critics would come to regard Preminger as one of the great CinemaScope stylists, he claimed to be indifferent to the shape of the screen. As forces of nature deposited a variety of sediments across the state which later metamorphosed into the gneiss, schist and quartzite visible inside its gorge, the river began its ravenous gravity fed journey towards the sea. According to a November 1952 Daily Variety news item, Lantz was set to write the film's screenplay, but only Frank Fenton is credited onscreen. It earns its name "The River of No Return" for its wilderness shrouded, roadless section which spans a massive piece of country between the outposts of Salmon and Riggins Idaho. Calder refuses, citing his need to protect the farm against the ever-present threat of Indian attack. Afterward Mitchum got out of the car, threw the bottle across the ground near there, and commented "Best breakfast I ever had!". It is sung by the deep-voiced Tex Williams.All the river photos are my own. The River of No Return. Realizing that the crew's sympathies were all with the actress, Preminger welcomed her back to the set "with a great display of European manners" (in the words of Shelley Winters, who visited the set). Though considering the success of shows like Alaska Bush People Discovery would definitely be tempted to bring back the show for another installment. Moreover, one should respect ones neighbor and leave no trace. Over the decades roads did find their way to the rivers banks but an 85 mile section of wilderness remains, fittingly named the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness after the conservation minded Idaho senator and native son who served 24 years in congress as a noted progressive, environmental legislator. Water, Image of the Day Despite this remark, Preminger indulged his penchant for long takes throughout River of No Return. When Calder regains consciousness, he sees that nearby Indians have witnessed the incident and are preparing to attack, so he quickly loads Mark and Kay onto the raft and sets off down the river. Life. The Salmon River, also known as the River of No Return, is located in Idaho. Their only motto is to be able to lead life on their own terms. After making it down the rapids, where previously we have seen Ms Monroe's clothes clinging soaking wet, the very first shot on still water she is all clean and dry and ironed. We will delve into that question, but first lets quickly look into the details of the series. Floods. When gold miners and lumberjacks flocked to the area in the 1860s, they had so much trouble getting boats up the river that it simply became known as the river of no returna name that stuck. Floods and new infrastructure have long since separated the distinctive bend in the river that was portrayed by landscape painter Thomas Cole in 1836. (11 reels), River of No Return (1954) began as an idea of writer Louis Lantz, who proposed an Old West variation on Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief (1948), with the hero now a farmer who loses his horse (and also his gun). On August 23, 1805, Lewis and Clark's dream of finding a water route across North America ended in failure when a scouting party led by the Shoshone guide Swooping Eagle and William Clark turned back after observing a tumultuous scene with the river "roiling, foaming, and beating against the innumerable rocks which . At the saloon, Kay's fianc, gambler Harry Weston, rushes in to tell her that he has won an important gold claim in a poker game and must go to Council City to file the deed. Calder bests his opponent and, taking one of the rifles, boards the raft again with Mark and Kay, who admits that she is not married to Weston. According to Hollywood Reporter news items, filming was suspended twice because of injuries suffered by Marilyn Monroe, and several modern sources have commented on the physical hardships endured by Monroe, Robert Mitchum and Tommy Rettig during production. Calder tries to explain to his son that he had been in prison after killing a man for attacking his best friend, but despite his gentle tone, Mark cannot understand why he shot the man in the back. "Our picture is inarticulate," he complained. Rivers of Power: How a Natural Force Raised Kingdoms, Destroyed Civilizations, and Shapes Our World. Acquired April 2, 2011, and February 27, 2011, these natural-color images show rising waters on the Kuiseb River, which flowed all the way to the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in decades. Land. Kay is horrified when Weston shoots at Calder, and Mark is forced to shoot Weston in the back with a store rifle in order to protect his father. Infuriated by his actions, Kay decides to stay behind and watches as Weston rides off. The URL has been copied to your clipboard, Blinken , VOA App Android - Google. Additionally, they need to return back to their routines the next spring in order to get ready for the upcoming, unforgiving and freezing colder months yet again. As far as the next season goes, we don't have an official announcement yet. Image of the Day It earns its name The River of No Return for its wilderness shrouded, roadless section which spans a massive piece of country between the outposts of Salmon and Riggins Idaho. Land The same is true for Mitchum. On May 15, 1952, Los Angeles Times reported that Louis Lantz' original story had been purchased as a vehicle to star Dale Robertson, and that Julian Blaustein would serve as the picture's executive producer. "I didn't want to spend my entire life in Canada." Discovery Channels fascinating nature documentary, River of No Return narrates the livelihood of the sparsely populated watersheds that grace its rugged banks. In 2019, archaeologists from the University of Oregon announced they had discovered bones, charcoal, and spears that radiocarbon dating indicated to be more than 16,000 years oldone of the oldest archaeological sites in the U.S. Along the way, they develop the deepest bonds with those who share the same lifestyle and hence, can relate to one another. They have honed their survival skills and with the help of friends and neighbors, prepare to endure the harsh, long winters. It flows for a length of 425 miles and transforms into a 7,000 feet rapid between its headwaters. Gold fever brought about an era of mining and prospecting that ultimately only managed to produce fewer pinches of gold dust than epic stories of survival and perseverance. This stretch once nearly 200 miles in length with canyon depths upwards of 5,000 feet was and in some regards still is, a one way street. Hollywood Reporter news items do note, however, that retakes for the picture were directed in mid-November and mid-December 1953 by Jean Negulesco, who was filling in for the out-of-town Otto Preminger. Director: Otto Preminger C-91m. The stranger, Matt Calder, introduces himself to the boy, Mark, as his father, and explains that he has returned after an extended absence so that they can be a family, even though Mark's mother died years earlier. It focuses on a bunch of carefree, daredevil homesteaders, aged from 20 and beyond, who are here to test limits and are determined to continue living here, on their own terms. A couple of minutes later 2 warriors swim out from the bank to the right of the rat. The chords Kay plays on the guitar do not match the chords necessary for that particular song. The only deeper gorge in North America is nearby Hells Canyon. NASA Goddard Space Preminger made no attempt to conceal his displeasure at having his authority undermined. Opening scene of Robert Mitchum cutting down tree with an axe, you can plainly see where the tree had been cut on both sides with a chainsaw, and the axe finished off the last few wood strands of center to complete the fall of the tree. We will update this section as soon as we hear more. Every time anybody steps out of the water, shortly after their clothes are immediately dry and pressed and clean. While the meat is cooking, Mark reproaches his father for disliking Kay, but Calder grimly states that she is nothing to him, and all he cares about is bringing Weston to justice. The vulgar Colby offers to take Kay with them, but repulsed by him, she refuses, and when Calder orders the men to leave, Colby attacks him with a knife. Viewing the director's rough cut, Zanuck demanded additional footage. Every time anybody steps out of the water, shortly after their clothes are immediately dry and pressed and clean. One day, a taciturn stranger rides into a tent city, where he looks for a nine-year-old boy, whom he had sent there from Illinois. The film ran over schedule and budget due to mishaps caused when director Otto Preminger insisted that actors perform their own stunts for the scenes of the raft struggling down the rapids. Preminger did not finish River of No Return. Bringing in a unique amalgamation of traditional ways of living and contemporary reality, River of No Return is an amazing watch. Although a December 31, 1953 entry in Hollywood Reporter's "Rambling Reporter" column indicated that four separate endings for the film had been shot and that the studio was undecided about which one to use, this information has not been verified by another source. The raft then enters the worst of the rapids, and after a torturous ride, the group finally reaches Council City. The Nez Perc considered the Salmon River country sacred as it provided in abundance the sustenance needed to survive thanks to its abundant salmon and steelhead fishery. The chords Kay plays on the guitar do not match the chords necessary for that particular song. Ancient artifacts found along the Salmon River at Coopers Ferry add yet another dimension to this remarkable river valley. Every time anybody steps out of the water, shortly after their clothes are immediately dry and pressed and clean. River of No Return (2008) Goofs on IMDb: Mistakes, Errors in geography, Spoilers and more. These families live in a tight-knit community and follow their own rules. These remote lands are home to a few fearless homesteaders whose only mode of access is through bush planes or jet boats. Lewis and Clark came across the Salmon River and went on to describe it as foaming and roaring through rocks in every direction, so as to render the passage of anything impossible. This was in 1805 and it would be nearly fifty years later before gold was discovered that the drainage would be thoroughly explored and catalogued. River of No Return season 1 premiered on October 6, 2019on Discovery Channeland ran for six episodes. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat and topographic data from the U.S. Geological Survey Story by Adam Voiland. The code has been copied to your clipboard. Instead, the water slowly carved a geologic wonderland of wooded granite ridges, eroded bluffs, and scattered stone towers and crags. In River of No Return, CinemaScope enables Preminger to keep characters and settings in a dynamic but coherent relationship over extended duration. At the end of the film, a written acknowledgment reads: "The Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation thanks the Canadian Government for its cooperation in the production of this motion picture." The Salmon River of Idaho cuts a swath of country wild and rugged, inhabited over the eons by wandering nomads and wayward hermits. The geology within its canyon walls dates back at least 1.4 billion years to the Precambrian and Paleozoic epochs. Calder allows Kay to speak with Weston alone while he and Mark wait in the general store, and although she is disturbed that Weston had not returned for her, she pleads with him to be honest with Calder. "100 Miles from Nowhere" River of No Return (TV Episode 2015) Goofs on IMDb: Mistakes, Errors in geography, Spoilers and more. Sunrise | 347 views, 16 likes, 0 loves, 8 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Ask Muvi TV: SUNRISE NEWS 18-04-2023 The journey by boat includes a tough ride through Class 5 whitewater rapids described as foaming and roaring through rocks in every direction, so as to render the passage of anything impossible.. "River of No Return" was a 1954 Western Directed by Otto Preminger, starring Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe, Rory Calhoun and Tommy Rettig who I remember best as Jeff in the CBS's Lassie television series, from 1954 to 1957.I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. Based on a story that Preminger did not select or develop, made from a script that had been largely written by the time he was assigned to the film, starring an actress he disliked, and, finally, partly reshot by another director, River of No Return clearly can't be considered a Preminger work in the same right as his independent productions or even most of his previous films for Fox. River of No Return started shooting on location in Alberta in July 1953. Image of the Day Later, Kay is singing in the saloon when Calder storms in and tosses her over his shoulder. For the rest of the production, Preminger and Monroe were on more cordial terms, though her continual problems with dialogue irritated him. River of No Return (1954) began as an idea of writer Louis Lantz, who proposed an Old West variation on Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief (1948), with the hero now a farmer who loses his horse (and also his gun). Screenplay: Frank Fenton, based on a story by Louis Lantz If renewed, 'River of No Return' season 2 can release sometime in October 2020. When the Indians attack the raft they are riding along the bank on the left side of the raft. Even the harrowing flight journey through steep canyons on a bush plane is equally dangerous. The daring homesteaders love their independence and have chosen to adopt a lifestyle, packed with adventure and survival skills. Over Rubin's objections, Zanuck assigned Otto Preminger to direct the film. After making it down the rapids, where previously we have seen Ms Monroe's clothes clinging soaking wet, the very first shot on still water she is all clean and dry and ironed. Inhabited by a variety of peoples dating back to at least 8,000-11,000 years ago, descendants of the ancient Cordilleran culture which wandered south through the Rocky Mountains eventually began to scratch out a living amid its unique climate. Antony Blinken . Monroe appealed to Zanuck, who overruled the director and permitted Lytess to return. Image of the Day Preminger then had an expensive contract that obliged the studio to pay him whether he was working on a film or not, so it was in Zanuck's interest to keep him occupied. When the mountain lion attacks Matt it sounds like an African lion. Music: Cyril J. Mockridge River of No Return (1954) Goofs on IMDb: Mistakes, Errors in geography, Spoilers and more. Calder's actions are stopped by a cry from Mark, who is being stalked by a mountain lion. A modern source adds the following crew members to the production: Mitchum's stand-in Tim Wallace; Mitchum's stunt double Roy Jenson; Monroe's stunt double Helen Thurston; Rettig's stunt double Harry Monty; and Stunt coordinator Fred Zindar. Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Inhabited by a variety of peoples dating back to at least 8,000-11,000 years ago, descendants of the ancient Cordilleran culture which wandered south through the Rocky Mountains eventually began to scratch out a living amid its unique climate. When she realizes that Calder intends to pursue Weston to Council City rather than wait for him to return, she tries to cut the raft free, but Calder stops her and calls her a tramp for her devotion to a man who would leave a child to die. By using this site, you agree to our updated, Young Mark (Tommy Rettig) is doing odd jobs at a Northwestern gold camp circa 1875 when his father Matt (Robert Mitchum) at last finds him, then gets introduced to showgirl Kay (Marilyn Monroe), early in Otto Preminger's, Recently re-united on their frontier farm (shot on location in Alberta), Calder (Robert Mitchum) and son Mark (Tommy Rettig) are checking out the natives when acquaintances Harry (Rory Calhoun) and Kay (Marilyn Monroe) ride up on a raft, in Otto Preminger's, Unhappy traveling partners Kay (Marilyn Monroe) and Calder (Robert Mitchum), along with his son Mark (Tommy Rettig), forced to run the generally not-navigable river, trouble and bonding ensuing, in Otto Preminger's, A frontier farmer takes off with his son and a saloon singer after the man who stole his rifle and his horse in. When Calder tells Weston that he is crazy to brave the fierce river rapids, Weston offers to buy his rifle and horse so that he can travel overland. In 1875, the Northwest is filled with gold prospectors, and tent cities are overflowing with the saloon keepers, gamblers and entertainers who hope to profit from them. When the mountain lion attacks Matt it sounds like an African lion. 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. It earns its name The River of No Return for its wilderness shrouded, roadless section which spans a massive piece of country between the outposts of Salmon and Riggins Idaho. On July 24, 2019, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired this natural-color image of a rugged section of a canyon near the confluence of the South Fork and the Salmon River. Film Editing: Louis Loeffler The river begins on the north slope of Norton Peak as a trickle, but soon swells into a roaring torrent as it absorbs runoff from multiple ranges. by Chris Fujiwara. Before the modern era of hydro dams and pollution the Salmon provided 45% of the stealhead trout and summer and fall Chinook of the entire Columbia watershed. You can check out the official promo trailer for River of No Return season 1 below: 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 1954, World premiere in Denver, CO: 29 Apr 1954; New York opening: 30 Apr 1954; Los Angeles opening: 5 May 1954, Alberta, Canada; Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada; Banff National Parks, Alberta, Canada; Bow River, Alberta, Canada; Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada; Maligne River, Alberta, Canada; Snake Indian River, Alberta, Canada, 8,064ft The stars of River of No Return are the inhabitants of Frank Church Wilderness. During the shoot in Jasper, local resident Wilbur Stanley and a friend were watching some of the scenes. For instance, no motor vehicles are allowed outside the property. Human Presence. Art Direction: Addison Hehr, Lyle Wheeler Hence the name River of No Return. Kay protests as Calder puts her in a wagon with Mark, but when he tells her that she is going home with them, she happily tosses her red shoes, the last link to her past, into the street. Yet the visual grace and the warm, slightly melancholy tone of River of No Return prove that Preminger's ability to control a film through direction depends neither on his prior control over the script, nor on his also functioning as producer. However, these brave homesteaders continue to navigate the ordinary domestic challenges, that include issues related to home, family, and livelihood. The geology within its canyon walls dates back at least 1.4 billion years to the Precambrian and Paleozoic epochs. According to studio publicity, the picture was filmed in the province of Alberta, Canada, in the Jasper and Banff National Parks, and on the Maligne, Bow and Snake Indian Rivers. And River of No Return gives us a never-seen-before glimpse into the challenges of back-country life in the Frank Church Wilderness. Hollywood Reporter news items include the following actors in the cast, although their appearance in the completed picture has not been confirmed: Dorothy Skelton, George M. Patay, Mort Mills, Russ Conklin, John Fritz, Patricia Wright, Connie Castle and LaRue Farlow. (Wail-a-ree) I can hear the river call (no return . 20th Century-Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck saw in the story an opportunity to exploit two of the studio's newest and biggest assets: CinemaScope and Marilyn Monroe. Although Calder has a low opinion of dance hall girls, he thanks Kay and leaves, and on the ride to their homestead, tells Mark that they are going to have a good life of hunting, fishing and farming. The Salmon River of Idaho cuts a swath of country wild and rugged, inhabited over the eons by wandering nomads and wayward hermits. On August 19, Monroe suffered a leg injury during the shooting of a raft scene. Robert Mitchum accepted their invitation during a break and they returned to their car, where they each had a beer and talked. Marilyn didn't question Natasha's judgment. Massive sweep boats served as the early supply line into the canyon, but once they reached their destination, currents proved to powerful to return them back to their point of origin thus forcing the hearty men and women to disassemble them and use them for lumber. Preminger was by then conveniently out of town, so Jean Negulesco, with whom Monroe had had a happy working relationship on How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), was assigned to shoot the new scenes. To view this content, please use one of the following compatible browsers: A frontier farmer takes off with his son and a saloon singer after the man who stole his rifle and his horse. We will update this section as . Though considering the success of shows like Alaska Bush People Discovery would definitely be tempted to bring back the show for another installment. River of No Return chronicles the day-to-day activities of a close-knit community of homesteaders who depend only on themselves while battling the challenging conditions of their homes in the spectacular landscape of Frank Church Wilderness.