When we (yours truly) collected delinquent loan payments for a finance company, we heard many stories about why payments were late and how things would be Different from Now On.
Some folks made good on these pledges, while others pretended to improve so they could devise new ways to not pay.
At times we wondered if it was possible for some people to change for the better.
The 1952 western, Bend of the River, asks the same question, although, as entertainment, this film is a bit lopsided. The Oregon scenery is gorgeous in Technicolor, but there are racial stereotypes and cringing attempts at humour.
Even so, it’s compelling. James Stewart stars as a scout/leader for group of homesteaders looking to settle in a remote area of the Oregon Territory. They are hard-working folk who want to raise cattle, grow crops, and Mind Their Own Business.
On one of his scouting trips, Stewart encounters a group of men preparing to hang a horse thief (Arthur Kennedy). Without asking questions, Stewart immediately fires his rifle, which startles everyone – man and horse – and Kennedy manages to escape.
As the pair ride to the homesteaders’ camp, we see how the narrative will gel, along with the Uneasy Truce between Stewart and Kennedy. Turns out Kennedy knows Stewart by reputation and is genuinely surprised he’s mixing with a bunch of farmers.
Kennedy, with an oily charm, claims he didn’t steal any horses if that makes a difference, and Stewart says it doesn’t. But he also warns Kennedy that he’s pledged to protect the farmers No Matter What.
We’re immediately knocked off-kilter by this exchange. We don’t fully trust Kennedy, but can we trust Stewart? Does he really not care about Kennedy’s past?
Apparently not; Stewart is offering the chance to Start Again. The question is: What will Kennedy do with it?
James Stewart knows how to use this thing. Image: Moma
Bend of the River is sometimes called a western noir because it embraces noir elements, such as Stewart’s unspoken-about past, and the uncertainty about who is the Good Guy. Even though this film does not take place in a large urban centre, like conventional films noir, it features racketeering and organized crime.
There’s also the pervasive oppression, such as the fast-approaching winter or the greed of mutinous labourers. There’s not a moment’s peace for these beleaguered farmers.
This film is the second collaboration between Stewart and director Anthony Mann. Critics say this film reveals a darker, more violent Stewart, but this wasn’t the first time Stewart portrayed a character of desperation (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) or aggressive despair (It’s a Wonderful Life).
As for Mann, he was an influential director in the 1950s. The AMC website says, “Director Anthony Mann defined the cowboys of the ’50s, creating what critics dubbed the psychological Western. Taking a note from film noir, Mann’s heroes were…desperate to come to terms with their own torment — often by battling villains who were all too similar to themselves.”¹
Despite its flaws, AMC ranks Bend of the River #3 in their Top Ten list of Mann westerns, which is saying a lot. Many regard the Mann-Stewart collaborations as some of the best westerns ever made.
Bend of the River is based on the 1950 novel, Bend of the Snake, by American author Bill Gulick. Of his 20 published novels, three would be adapted to the screen, this one being the first.
Even though this film has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it received poor critical reviews when first released. Oddly, though, the normally-dismissive Bosley Crowther of the New York Times had mild praise it. “[I]t comes down to…Mr. Stewart versus Mr. Kennedy,” he wrote. “Both actors are first-rate performers when it comes to slinging guns and giving a general impression of cryptic personalities.”²
Themes of Starting Again flow through every scene in Bend of the River. For instance, the farmers strive for a new life in the Oregon Territory, while insurgent labourers strive for wealth. The most striking examples lie with Kennedy and Stewart, and the choices each man makes.
It’s a cynical yet hopeful film and, if you don’t expect too much, we think you’ll find it worthwhile.
Sources
¹AMC. (Retrieved January 1, 2020.) Noir on the Range, by Stacy Black.
²New York Times. (Retrieved January 1, 2020.) ‘Bend of the River,’ a Western Starring James Stewart, Opens at Paramount, by Bosley Crowther.
Bend of the River: starring James Stuart, Arthur Kennedy, Julia Adams. Directed by Anthony Mann. Written by Borden Chase. Universal International, 1952, Technicolor, 91 mins.
Silver Screenings 
I adore Jimmy Stewart. I have quite a few of his movies but don’t remember this one. I’m going to have to look through my stash! You mentioned “Mr Smith Goes to Washington”. That one is a real favorite of mine. 🙂 Nice post!
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Isn’t “Mr Smith Goes to Washington” a terrific film? I had the chance to see it on the big screen last year, and it was superb.
As for “Bend of the River”, I hope you get the chance to see it. Jimmy Stewart is his usual fab self here.
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I love the Mann/Stewart Westerns. Each and every one of them is great.
It’s more than obvious that Mann got his start making Noir because clearly he simply takes the ambiguous Noir (anti)hero and sets him down on the Frontier.
In all the Mann/Stewart Westerns a man is looking for redemption, a theme so often found in Noir. Many times the Noir hero finds redemption only in death, but Jimmy is spared that fate, just like some Noir protagonists. Arthur Kennedy is not.
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Excellent points. Thanks! Am planning a Mann/Stewart film marathon during the next snowy weekend, and I cannot wait.
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Hi Ruth. Off the top of my head, I’d say that the JS performances that I like best are in Harvey, Rear Window, and It’s A Wonderful Life. What are your favorites?
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If I had to pick one, it would be George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life because I love that film. But he’s so good in everything, it’s really hard to choose.
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Nice start to 2020!
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Thanks! I hope 2020 will be good to you & yours. 🙂
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Same to you my blogging friend…stay warm!
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With a few exceptions (like RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY and SHANE), I’m not a fan of Westerns, but BEND OF THE RIVER sounds interesting enough to give a try if I see it on TCM’s schedule sometime. Thanks for the heads-up.
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I hope you get the chance to see it. I did NOT see the ending coming, although I probably should have.
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Bend of the River is one of my “comfort” movies. When a cold is coming on and you just want to get under a big quilt and watch something, this is the top of the list. It has led my daughter to wonder how many bad guys have to bite the dust before I am comforted. ALL OF THEM!
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Haha! That’s hilarious. I know what you mean.
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BEND OF THE RIVER is in a virtual tie with THE FAR COUNTRY as my favorite Anthony Mann-James Stewart Western. Although I had seen a couple of them when I was a teen, it was BEND OF THE RIVER that started my interest in the Mann-Stewart Westerns and in Mann’s career as a whole. I now consider him one of my favorite directors. As you said in your post, it’s a brilliant movie about making the most of second chances, of starting over and taking your life in a different direction. Also, like all Mann Westerns, the importance of family and the dying of Old West are also central themes.
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Agreed – the themes of family and the end of the old west are ones Mann returns to and conveys so well. They’re evident in my two faves: Winchester ’73 and The Naked Spur.
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It’s funny how many movies get such poor reception when they’re released but then go on to become so popular years later! Happy New Year!
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It is funny, isn’t it? It’s always a bit astonishing, but maybe some films are ahead of their time in a way. Happy 2020 to you!
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I love ALL the Stewart-Mann movies! It’s too bad they had a falling out.
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It is a shame, isn’t it? One of the What-Ifs of Hollywood.
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I agree Bend of the River is flawed. It’s my least liked of the Mann/Stewart collaborations that I’ve seen. The scenery is great which you would expect from the director, but not as entertaining or gripping as The Naked Spur (1953), The Man from Laramie (1955), or Winchester ’73 (1950). The twist ending kind of saved it to some degree though.
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Yeah, I liked the twist ending, which the movie needed. I liked this film, but didn’t love it. Like you, I much prefer Winchester ’73 or The Naked Spur. Have yet to see The Man from Laramie, I must admit.
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I love Jimmy Stewart! What a handsome man and good actor!
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He definitely is, on both counts! 🙂
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