Classic Film Friday: River of No Return

In this western classic Marilyn Monroe plays a singer Kay Weston, in a saloon who is watching a young boy, Mark Calder (Tommy Rettig) who's father will pick him up... Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum). So the boy and the father go off to live the farm life and leave Kay to her own devices. Or so we think, but when her gambler boyfriend Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun), tells about how he won a gold claim and they have to go to Coucil City to file it right away.

Well you see they take a flimsy raft, that happens to go right past the Calder's place. They have some trouble, the Calder's help them out, so Harry asks them for a gun and his only horse. That seems reasonable but if Matt gives them to him, then we won't have anything to defend himself with from Indian attacks. Harry steals the gun and the horse but leaves Kay behind.

Not five minutes after he leaves, the Indians attack and they have no choice but to take the flimsy raft in an effort to escape. And so Kay and Matt get along pretty good, dodging arrows from Indians, or rapids, or even a cougar attack (this movie has it all). Matt has sworn to kill Harry, all the while Kay proffesses Harry's inocence. She even told of how she knew that the reason he was gone from his kid was because he shot a man in the back, thus he has been serving time in prison. How she knew that was anyone's guess, but his son overheard the conversation and that wasn't an honorable thing to do.

So anyhow, do they make it to Council City? Does Matt make Harry pay for what he did? Will Mark forgive his dad for shooting a man in the back? Is anyone headed back to jail? You'll have to watch and see for yourself...