Bend Of The River (1952)

A reformed outlaw (James Stewart) guides a group of settlers from Missouri to the Pacific Northwest in what would later become the state of Washington. But when the settlers are cheated out of the supplies they need for the coming winter, he takes it upon himself to ensure those supplies reach the settlers even when others are determined to stop him. Based on the novel BEND OF THE SNAKE by Bill Gulick and directed by Anthony Mann (THE NAKED SPUR). This was the second of the five westerns that Mann and Stewart collaborated on. The initial reviews when the movie was released were weak (though it did very well at the box office) but the film has since been acclaimed as one of the best westerns of the 1950s. As usual, Stewart does some of his best work under Mann's direction and this one is no exception. As another outlaw but one who hasn't reformed, Arthur Kennedy makes an excellent nemesis for Stewart. Handsomely shot by Irving Glassberg (TARNISHED ANGELS) who makes the most of the beautiful Oregon landscape. With Rock Hudson, Julie Adams, Lori Nelson, Jay C. Flippen, Harry Morgan, Stepin Fetchit and Frances Bavier.