Canyon River - Original Kinofassung [DVD] [1956]

This is a typically exciting George Montgomery western which I thoroughly enjoyed. Good story, lovely scenery and some excellent plot twists. A must for any collector.

This movie was first released in 1956(1984)2009, in super widescreen 2.4.1, deluxe colour and runs 80 minutes. The sound and picture quality is very good, but there are no extras. The movie starts with cattlemen wanting to sell up, but Steve Patrick(GEORGE MONTGOMERY) tells them to hold on until next spring. He gets another mortgage on his ranch and meets his foreman Bob Andrews(PETER GRAVES), telling him that they are going to Oragon. Bob goes to town and meets Maddox(WALTER SANDE), telling him Steve's plans.Steve was going to bring in a herd of 'white face' to Wyoming from Oragon to crossbreed, so that the cattle could be tough enough to take frosty northern winters. Bob figured to grab Steve's herd and go into partnership with Maddox, who has money to buy all of cattlemen's lands. He wanted 6 men to camp at Canyon River, as he would get back in 6 weeks. Bob wanted a ranch of his own. Maddox has Joe Drako(ALAN HALE) to get a few ruslers together. When Steve and Bob were on there way to Oragon, they get attacked by Indians trying to steal their horses. Bob gets shot in left upper chest and Steve has to walk to find some help. Then he meets Janet Hale(MARCIA HENDERSON), who gets a doctor for Bob. The doctor says that Steve had saved Bob's life. Janet is living with her son Chuck(RICHARD EYER). Steve buys 1000 head of cattle and has to accept help from ex-convicts and ex-outlaws, to help him with his cattle, the wrong way on Oragon Trail. In the mean time, Bob is better and wants to love Janet, but she is not keen on him. Janet wants Steve to take her and her son on the Trail, and agrees to cook for his men. The men like Janet's cooking and Steve and Janet start loving each other. Bob at night, goes and meets Maddox and Joe and explains to them his plans of stampeding the herd and killing of Steve and his men. He also warns them, not to harm Janet and the boy.How will it end? Will the herd reach Wyoming safely? Can Maddox and his men stop Steve and his herd? What will Bob do? Will Steve's men stick together?This story of DAVID ULLMAN is well photographed by ELLSWORTH FREDRICKS and directed by HERMAN JONES.George Montgomery(GEORGE MONTGOMERY LETZ) was born on 29.8.1916 to Ukararian Immigrant parents in Brady, Montana, the youngest of 15 children. He was raised on a large ranch, where he learned to ride horses and work cattle. After 1 year in University of Montana, he left for Hollywood. In 1935, he got roles for stunt work and small acting (aged 18). He did westerns. He worked for Republic Pictures and then 20th Century Fox, which named him 'George Montgomery'. On 15.12.1943, he married singer DINAH SHORE and had 1 daughter - MELISSA ANN (1948). They also adopted in 1954, 'Jody' - JOHN DAVID MONTGOMERY. Their marriage lasted until 1963. George had interest in painting, sculptor and furniture craftsman. He also did TV shows in 1970's. In 1972, after doing 80 films, he retired. On 12.12.2000, aged 84, he died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California.Some of his films are:-(1) Cimarron City series, 1950(2003)(2) Davy Crokett, Indian Scout, 1950(2011)(3) Hostile Guns, 1967(1995)(4) King of Wild Stallions, 1959(2009)(5) The Big Lift, 1950(2002)(6) Roxie Hart, 1942(2004)(7) Orchestra Wives, 1942(2005)(8) Battle of the Bulge, 1965(2005)(9) Outlaw of Red River, 1966(1998)(10)Man From God's Country, 1958(2009)watch and ENJOY.

Another in the seemingly endless wonderful restored Allied Artists westerns released thru Warner. Great Scope, colour and sound, and the fact that, again, it's not been officially around for Yonks, make this a thoroughly recomended and enjoyable DVD. Not quite up there with 5 stars (I am very sparing with my stars), but a good hnest typical professional AA western (Bob Wilke is really good, as of course is dear George). Go for it. (Oh....and read the great Dr Nagi for a better review and plot).

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Canyon River (AKA: Cattle King) is directed by Harmon Jones and written by Daniel B. Ullman. It stars George Montgomery, Marcia Henderson, Peter Graves, Richard Eyer, Walter Sande, Robert J. Wilke and Alan Hale Jr. A CinemaScope/De Luxe Color production, music is by Marlin Skiles and cinematography by Ellsworth Fredricks.Montgomery plays rancher Steve Patrick, who along with his mischievous foreman Bob Andrews (Graves), embarks on a lucrative cattle drive from East to West along the Oregon Trail. What Steve doesn't know is that there are plans afoot to relieve him of everything.Standard Oater this one but never boring and as a production it looks very nice indeed. The problem mainly is that it gets caught between two aims, it clearly wants to portray the harshness of a cattle drive and build suspense by way of back stabbing ideals and group dynamic pressures, but it never utilises the plot possibilities.The set-up is fine, Steve Patrick is a top man, a guy you want on your side, but the only cattle hands he can raise for the job are outlaws and ruffians. Led by George Lynch (Hale Jr.) they are one of the most nonthreatening bunch of crims to grace a 50s Western! There's some expected problems on the trail, but when the biggest gripe from the tough guys is that they have no meat to eat, you know that peril is in short supply.With Janet Hale (Henderson) and her young son Chuck (Eyer) joining the trail as cook and aspiring cowboy respectively, there's the inevitable romantic strand slotted into proceedings, complete with absent father yearnings. Again this is pretty much wasted as a chance to put some bite into the tale, this in spite of the rumbling love triangle arc. Action is in short supply, with a little gun play, a fist-fight and some stampede control briefly raising the pulse, while the villains are only peripheral characters (a shame to see Wilke underused).Yet for all its missed opportunities, the story is a good one. The basis of driving cattle the wrong way as opposed to the norm, and in Winter time as well, is interesting. As is the fact that Steve is cross-breeding the cattle to withstand the Winter months, with the commodity of beef being crucial to the cowboy's livelihood. There's clearly some thought gone into the screenplay, even if the makers forgot to add suspense to the tantalising threads that they dangle throughout. 6/10