Bend of the River

Man-with-a-past James Stewart (Broken Arrow) guides a band of pioneers from Missouri over the Oregon Trail to a new life in the Columbia River Basin in this western adventure directed by the great Anthony Mann (Man of the West). When the settlers are cheated out of their supplies and cattle, Stewart crosses rivers, climbs mountains and out-guns greedy hijackers to ensure their survival through the first winter. Along the way, he is double-crossed by ally Arthur Kennedy (Elmer Gantry) and assisted by handsome San Francisco gambler Rock Hudson (The Tarnished Angels) and beautiful farmer’s daughter Julia Adams (Wings of the Hawk). Screenplay by Borden Chase (Red River) and featuring a wonderful cast that includes Jay C. Flippen (The Lemon Drop Kid), Chubby Johnson (Cyborg 2087), Stepin’ Fetchit (The Sun Shines Bright), Harry Morgan (The Ox-Bow Incident) and Royal Dano (Moby Dick).