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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 61685
Released: May 14, 2002 |
| Our Price: $23.31 |
| Used Price: $11.80 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Set against the majestic beauty of the great Northwest, Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum) is a rugged widower with a questionable past who decides it's time to start a new life with his young son, Mark (Tommy Rettig). But their peaceful existence is sabotaged when Matt is robbed and pistol-whipped by cold-blooded gambler Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun). Unexpectedly, Weston's fiancée, Kay (Marilyn Monroe) postpones her wedding so she can nurse Matt back to heath. In his pursuit to exact revenge at any cost, Matt takes Kay and Mark on a treacherous ride down a roaring river, where they're at the mercy of wild animals and a lawless frontier.
Description of River of No Return:
The dew of new stardom was still visible on Marilyn Monroe when she ventured up to Canada to shoot this sturdily entertaining CinemaScope Western. Although director Otto Preminger later claimed little interest in the picture, he couldn't help but bring his even-handed visual style to the widescreen process. The location shooting (in Alberta) is eye filling, and that river really does look alarming. Best of all, Marilyn, fresh and vital, had a costar to match her magnetism but not humor her sometimes-scattered approach to acting: Robert Mitchum, as a homesteader with a dark past. He's weighty enough to stand next to MM's bright flame without giving any ground; they should have worked together again. Since Marilyn plays a saloon singer, she gets to sling some tunes in her inimitable style, with as much glamour as the gold rush-era trappings will allow, giving "I'm Going to File My Claim" various meanings. --Robert Horton
River of No Return Reviews:
One of my top ten all time favorite movies 
2009-07-13 - This is one of those movies that I never tire of...I can't even count the times I've seen it. The first time I saw it, I felt a rush of emotions. The first one was embarassment @ the way Marilyn over-enunciated her words in it, but I understand that was @ the prompting of her acting coach. I was much younger then & a huge Marilyn fan, nonetheless. The song she sang to Tommy Rettig "Down In The Meadow" should be covered by Alison Krauss...it is so sweet & beautiful & I loved the tender way she related to him...it made me reflect on the tragedy of her never having her own children. The scene where Robert Mitchum warms her up when she was sick was "WHOA!" Everybody can call it chemistry...it was hot. & her performance of "Who's Gonna File My Claim?" made me want to perform the song the same way...she just knew the way it should be done. Another favorite scene was when the Indians (as we so unapologetically called them in the olden un-PC days) attacked them on the raft. Throughout the music hit just the right note of fatalistic mystery...after all, this was the River of No Return & even tho I know how it ends now, I still find the music exactly right. There are other memorable scenes...in fact, nearly every scene is a revelation of some truth we should all believe. If anybody ever wants to see why Marilyn Monroe was such a big deal & Robert Mitchum a huge box office draw, this is the movie to show them. The only down side to seeing this movie is that I never quite felt the same about Rory Calhoun after seeing it.
not one of her best movies 
2009-05-18 - This was not one of Marilyn's best drama roles. Loved her in Don't Knock and Niagra but this wasn't as good.
satisfaction and exciting from beginning to end
2009-05-18 - The river is one of the major characters in this film. You cannot discount the cast of Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe, Rory Calhoun and many bit players that add daring do to the story, but when you come right down to the danger and skill of the cast and stunt people to overcome the challenges presented, the river is the star. Mitchum almost died as a result of doing his own scenes, Marilyn struggled to present a new side of her heretofore acting challenges and the raft had to be replaced more than once. It has sex, intrigue, savagery, betrayal, near death struggles between man and beast, you know, all of the hot selling bits of story telling-- plus it has romance. What more could you ask? My husband loves it and there is lots to attract the women to stay around to the finish.
RIVER OF NO RETURN
2009-05-16 - MONROE,MITCHUM,CALHOUN,RENNIE HOW COULD IT BE BAD,RENNIE WAS THE KID ON THE 50'S TV LASSIE SHOW.
great classic western
2009-01-09 - This is a great classic western, full of action, drama and good acting. It holds your attention to the very end and the final scene is one of those great memorable "movie moments" so rare in todays movies. I am not a Marilyn Monroe fan but she is great in this movie, not just a blond bubble brain like in many of her movies. This is a great movie for a rain or snow day or anytime if you are a western buff.
