Many Rivers to Cross (1955)

Finders keepers was the law of the forest! Many Rivers to Cross is directed by Roy Rowland and adapted for the screen by Harry Brown & Guy Trosper from a story by Steve Frazee. It stars Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, Victor McLaglen, Jeff Richards, Russ Tamblyn, James Arness & Alan Hale Jr. Music is by Cyril J. Mockridge and photography by John Seitz. It's a CinemaScope production in Eastman Color. "The more you hug and kiss a gal, the more she wants to marry" The film opens with a written statement informing us that the film is respectfully dedicated to the frontier women of America. Those tough gals who aided their men as they settled the Kentucky wilderness. It's a nice touch, but, after the film has finished you wonder if those tough gals from years back would have been grateful for the finished product. For the film in plot basically consists of sharp-shooting frontier woman Mary Stuart Cherne (Parker) badgering bachelor trapper Bushrod Gentry (Taylor) into marriage. Even tricking him into said marriage, where, she's aided by her father and brothers at gunpoint and fisticuffs. Of course none of it is to be remotely taken seriously, in fact this is a lovely little comedy that's rough around the edges but smooth in the centre, but it's undeniably archaic to say the least. This is a film that you really have to be in the mood for because otherwise it could irk you. The direction is sloppy and there is a ream of overacting to tolerate. Yet it's fun, and the cast seem to be enjoying the relaxed nature of the plotting. There's some lovely scenery shot by Seitz, where various locations were used, including at Cloverdale, California and Rock Pile Mountain, Missouri, while Mockridge's music is jaunty and the title song eminently hummable. The advent of High Definition is also a plus point here, since the print of the film is a decent one the Eastman Color is very pleasing on the eyes, whilst suffice to say the sexy Miss Parker, with flaming red hair, also benefits greatly from the mix. Nice family film with much to recommend, but only watch if you are in a jovial mood to begin with. 7/10

Whilst not the most naturally obvious of casting here, the dynamic between the Calamity Jane-esque "Mary Stuart" (Eleanor Parker) and trapper "Bushrod" (Robert Taylor) works quite well. He is a bit of an heart-breaker who has an altercation with some Indians in the Kentucky wilderness and is luckily saved when she comes to his rescue. She takes him to her family's settlement where she lives with her father "Cadmus" (a slightly understated Victor McLaglen) and her four brothers. They take to him, he takes to them - and he stays a little longer than planned starting an amiably comedic will they/won't they relationship with "Mary Stuart". Now here is a woman who is determined to get her man! It's all very predictable, but along the way we have some fun escapades with the Indians and the brothers - including Russ Tamblyn - with plenty of fisticuffs, bows-and-arrows, tomahawks, and some engaging role-reversal, raccoon-clad, entertainment. It's a bit over-scripted and Roy Rowland struggles to keep the initially quickly paced action and dialogue sustained throughout, but it's still quite a decent watch that puts a different slant on the pioneering west.