THE RIVER'S EDGE: Blu-ray (2oth Century-Fox, 1958) Twilight Time

In reviewing director, Allan Dwan’s The River’s Edge (1957) I am reminded of a quote by Yul Brynner from another Cinemascope picture released through 2oth Century-Fox (Anastasia, 1956) whereupon Brynner’s Russian expat and scam-artist, Gen. Bougnine, having witnessed a flawed recital of facts from his princess-in-training, sternly remarks, “It was all quite good up until the end!” Words to live by herein, as River’s screenwriters, Harold Jacob Smith and James Leicester have ironically, and rather badly mangled the last act of Smith’s own novel, The Highest Mountain. The River’s Edge takes the old adage, something about ‘what one good woman can do’ and stands it on end. For here we have the case of Margaret Fowler (the barely recognizable Debra Paget); to quote another Hollywood legend, Mae West – for whom “goodness had nothin’ to do with it!” Fowler is an ex-prostitute and con, who, having served time – with time off for good behavior – has since jumped bail and married the first guy promising her security. This man is Ben Cameron (Anthony Quinn) – basically a ‘good’ egg, though nonetheless attracted to Maggie’s obvious ass(ets). Despite her poison, Ben is genuinely empathetic toward his wife’s plight as a fallen woman. Alas, Fowler still carries the torch for Nardo Denning (Ray Milland) – the ruthless devil who did her wrong and ran out when the plan went sour. But now, Denning is back, and even more inclined to throw a proverbial monkey wrench into Cameron’s already crumbling marriage. It does not take a lot to coax Maggie into running off with Denning, and seemingly, even less to get her to wake up a little later on and re-pledge her troth to the man whose band of gold she continues to wear – if not on her ring finger, then ironically, in that place where a real woman’s heart ought to be.

The River’s Edge starts out very strong and holds its own for most of its meager hour and forty-plus minute run time; following this triumvirate of star-crossed lovers on their harrowing trek across a desolate landscape of thistles and thorns. The Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico locations offer a powerfully parched backdrop to elevate this mostly pedestrian plot for the first two-thirds of the picture. But then, Dwan resorts to shooting almost the entire third act on studio-bound sound stage recreations, bearing virtually no likeness to these actual locales. This disconnect between the real and the manufactured really takes the audience out of the story, as do some stupid decisions made by each of the three otherwise level-headed main characters. Increasingly, their intellectual stumbling appear to be scripted set-ups, exclusively to delay the inevitable from happening. Take the moment where Ben, having subdued Denning at gunpoint, sneaks off to empty the pistol’s bullets of gun powder; deliberately feigning to be fast asleep so the wily con will waste no time and steal the gun – left in plain sight, no less – then, try to use it on Ben at a pivotal moment during their struggle later on. Or how about the instance where, having dislodged a fair-sized boulder to fall – and presumably crush – Ben’s leg, Denning takes off into the mountains, leaving Margaret to dig her husband free. Miraculously, Ben has not broken a single bone. He merely gets up after writhing in pain and continues his journey across the mountainside with no discernible physical impediment from the accident. As Hitchcock would say, “It’s only a movie.”

But even movie plots should make sense – if not of the ‘common’ ilk – then, within the clever-clever-land reconstitution of its screenwriters. We can superficially delay our gushing embarrassment for these monumentally silly oversights, because the picture – independently produced by Benedict Bogeaus – has been expertly cast with two of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters in the lead. If only this were the Ray Milland from his early Paramount days, before the ravages of time had deprived him of his congenial good looks, we might almost believe him as the ‘eye candy’ reprobate capable to lure a wayward girl’s heart this second time around. But Milland herein, although in fine form as an actor, is middle-aged and having surrendered whatever sex appeal he might have possessed a decade earlier to the paunch of an aging sage, who ought to have known better. So, to find Paget’s sexpot, shapely, pert and in her prime, still pining for Denning, with a Hollywood-sized 8”x10” of his much younger self still tucked in her underwear drawer, is really pushing the point as to what brought this pair together to commit crimes in the first place. The other notable here is ‘Tony’ Quinn – a force of nature in whatever movie he appears. Quinn introduces a note of compassion to the part of rancher, Ben Cameron. Again, borrowing from yet another Fox Cinemascope classic (Love is A Many Splendored Thing, 1955), Quinn’s Cameron is a textbook example of what Jennifer Jones coined as the strength in sentiment. Hence, the man who is kind is king.

The River’s Edge begins with Nardo Denning’s arrival at a remote outpost near the U.S./Mexican border. Stopping to refuel his convertible Thunderbird, Denning is informed by the gas pump jockey (Harry Carey Jr.) that the man he is looking to find, retired hunter/guide, Ben Cameron, is living not far, on a tiny farm with his newlywed wife - a sexy redhead. Meanwhile, at the Cameron homestead, Margaret is on the cusp of walking out on her husband. Indeed, she is discontented with the farm’s lack of amenities. At present, it does not even have adequate running water as Ben has yet found the time to flush out the lines, too devoted to branding the few head of cattle he owns. Nearly gored by a bull escaping its pen, Margret’s concern for her husband quickly turns to contempt when she narrowly blows up the house while attempting to bake Ben a birthday cake in their butane-powered oven. At this juncture, Denning arrives – making his inquiries about a hunting expedition. He plans to hire Ben as his guide. Actually, Denning is on the lam, having absconded with a million-dollar payroll. He is eager to cross the border illegally into Mexico where freedom awaits. Margaret packs her suitcase, telling Ben she is leaving him for good. Unaware, as yet the marriage is ending, Denning offers to give his ex a ride into town; accepted by Ben, who otherwise refuses to entertain the stranger’s offer of $200 to take him across the border.

After Denning and Margaret have left, Ben discovers Denning’s portrait in his wife’s underwear drawer. Odd, first, that he knew where to look for the picture; odder still, Margaret should leave it behind for him to discover, and most bizarre of all, knowing about it in the first place, Ben is unable to recognize the man in the photograph as the same one taken his wife into town.  But I digress. In town, Margaret and Denning check into separate rooms at the hotel. And despite the remoteness of this location, the hotel is rather plush and lively; populated by well-tailored guests and a quartet who just happen to know Denning and Margaret’s song – ‘You’ll Never Know’ – something of a Fox standard, written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon for another Fox picture; 1943’s Hello Frisco, Hello.  While Denning and Margaret take a spin around the dance floor, conspiring to return to the farm to tell Ben they are leaving together, Ben arrives in town himself. Offered the track of land adjacent his farm by realtor, Floyd Barry (Byron K. Foulger), Ben instead suggests Barry buy him out. He needs the cash to set Margaret up in style. What comes next, he will worry about later. As he has only just missed his wife and her lover, Ben sets out to return to his farm. Meanwhile, Denning and Margaret are pulled over for routine inspection by U.S. Border Patrolman, Harry Castleton (Frank Gerstle). Fearful the officer will discover the suitcase in the boot of his car, containing the million dollars, Denning deliberately runs over the Castleton twice as Margaret looks on in horror.

Kneeling tearfully at Castleton’s remains, Margaret soils her dress in his blood, thus incriminating herself in the crime. As Denning has broken the axle on his car, he and Margaret now return to Ben’s farm on foot. Denning orders Ben to carry them across the border in his beat-up pick-up. Reluctantly, Ben plays along, hitching up a trailer. Denning demands to ride in front. But Ben tells him that unless he and Margaret ride in the trailer, their trip is a no-go. To keep a watchful eye on Ben, Denning smashes out the trailer’s window, holding Ben at gunpoint. Eventually, Ben tires of this and barters for a renewed arrangement. Denning marginally admires Ben for his chutzpah. He is, however, rather bewildered when, at daybreak, Ben orders them both from the trailer at knife point, driving the empty truck and its haul over a steep ravine to conceal the course of their journey thus far. The rest of the trek will be on foot across miles of terrain so rugged it will surely test everyone’s endurance and emotional resolve.  Under the cover of night, the trio move closer to the U.S./Mexican border; Denning, listening to the radio for any updates regarding the police manhunt. Meanwhile, the Castleton’s body is discovered on the open road. Having survived just long enough to inform Sheriff Lee (Lee Morgan) of Margaret’s complicity, Lee reasons all three are in it together.

Advancing on a craggy cliff, Ben, Denning and Margaret come across an old prospector, Whiskers (Chubby Johnson) who also happens to be Ben’s good friend. Ben asks to borrow Whiskers’ rope to scale the cliff, going on ahead; then, ordering Denning to follow him. Alas, in his clumsy climber’s attempt, Denning’s case opens wide, spilling its contents on Whiskers and Margaret, still waiting below. Ben is amused as Denning drops to the ground to frantically collect his loot. But no one is left laughing when Denning ruthlessly shoots Whiskers to death in order to cover up his discovery of the cash. Begrudgingly, Ben orders Denning to bury the prospector before they move on. Meanwhile, Lee has hired a helicopter to search the area he believes Ben is headed. Under the cover of night, Margaret suggests to Denning they are only a few miles away from the border and can make it without Ben’s help. Electing to ditch Ben, Denning and Margaret find their way to a nearby homestead run by two Mexican villagers. Feigning fear over being pursued by a cow, Margaret tries to get help from the homestead’s occupants, bewildering Denning. Instead, Ben, having tailed them, ambushes Denning with his rifle, ordering him to pay the Mexicans for the loss of their cow.

Possessing the upper hand, Ben informs Denning that Margaret lied to him about their proximity to the border. She no longer loves him and he knows it. Now, Ben is more determined than ever to finish the trek they all started. Alas, their final length is delayed yet again when Margaret, who previously scraped her arm on a barbed wire fence, now suffers from a fever-inducing infection. Hurrying to escape an advancing storm, Ben gathers everyone into a nearby cave where he crudely treats Margaret’s wound by heating his penknife and cutting out the poison from her system. Sometime later, for reasons known only to him, Ben empties the bullets of their gun powder from the pistol he earlier took from Denning. Rather deliberately, Ben sets up Denning to take the gun away from him. In the struggle that ensues, Denning dislodges a large boulder that traps Ben’s leg. Recovering Ben’s rifle, Denning orders Margaret to come with him. She, instead, refuses and elects to remain behind with her husband. Ben suggest to Denning he has two choices now; either, to take the right fork in the road (this will lead him to a small mission where help can be sent to save him and Margaret), or to follow the left fork on to Mexico and freedom. Believing Denning will run true to form and self-preservation, Ben and Margaret struggle to free his leg.

A short while later, we see Denning on a rugged path under the cover of night. His attempt to flag down an advancing truck, driven by migrant workers, is derailed when the driver, not seeing Denning on time, inadvertently knocks him over the edge. Denning plummets to his death down this steep embankment into a canyon and rocky river bed far below, his ill-gotten gains lost with him. Having found their way to the river’s edge by a different route, Ben and Margaret awaken the next morning to the sight of crisp one-hundred-dollar bills floating downstream. Ben is drawn to salvage as much of the money as possible, but discouraged to pursue his greed by Margaret, who has had quite enough of the evil men do for the all-mighty dollar. Ben follows the trail of money upstream into the rocky grotto where Denning’s body lies beaten and bloody. As Margaret kneels at Denning’s side, Ben reasons Denning was likely headed in the direction of the mission to send for help; the irony – his one selfless act has killed him. Ben and Margaret reason it is time to return home and face the music; their journey to the river’s edge has come to its bittersweet end.

The River Edge ought to have been a better film. It has the pedigree and star power to excel, and, at least in its first and second act, is a fairly compelling drama with great action sequences and a hint of the old noir style, albeit in color by DeLuxe, to recommend it.  Van Nest Polglase’s production design keeps mostly to the stark realism of these southwestern locales, with one minor caveat; the hotel. It looks about as in-step with these surroundings as a glossy revamp of the pampas-plush retreat from Down Argentine Way (1940).  Regardless, it is the oddities in the plot that make portions of this movie insufferably silly, eventually to sacrifice the stellar performances being put forth by our trio of stars. For example: no one in town or at the hotel is particularly surprised to see Margaret carrying on with Denning, even though everyone, from the bartender to the front desk clerk, seems to know her – and Ben, for that matter - very well. Later, Sheriff Lee orders a helicopter search of the area to intercept the escapees. Yet, despite these hillsides barely concealed in short underbrush, the helicopter can find no trace of Ben, Margaret or Denning. Even more inexcusable; the helicopter is abandoned altogether – a very costly expenditure on the movie’s budget, and serves no purpose in the end. The worst transgression is the movie’s final act. It is as though producer, Benedict Bogeaus suddenly ran out of time and money to finish the picture properly, resorting to stock setups and some painfully noticeable indoor sets as shoddily slapped together substitutes for outdoor locations.  In the final analysis, The River’s Edge begins as a quality affair, but degenerates into rank and even forgettable matinee fodder long before its final fade out.

Twilight Time’s Blu-ray of The River’s Edge is spot on. I am still a little perplexed this movie begins without the benefit of the iconic 2oth Century-Fox fanfare and its Cinemascope credit, as, not only is the picture later advertised in its main titles as being shot in Cinemascope with lenses supplied by Bausch & Lomb, but, in its end credits, is equally billed as ‘A Cinemascope Picture distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox.’ Never having seen The River’s Edge released theatrically, from these surviving credits, I can almost assume it originally opened with the Fox and ‘scope’ logos preceding it. Again, not sure – and will defer to more informed voices willing to chime in on their knowledge here. Otherwise, The River’s Edge looks gorgeous in color by DeLuxe. Occasionally, flesh tones can appear slightly tinted toward a yellow or orange caste. However, as most of this movie was shot on location, I assume a lot of this can be attributed to ‘natural’ lighting conditions. The scenes photographed on the Fox back lot are all superbly lit by cinematographer, Harold Lipstein and really show off the lurid hues of vintage DeLuxe to their best advantage. Contrast is excellent throughout. Transitions, dissolves and fades exhibit the trademark failings of vintage ‘scope’ with a momentary loss in fine detail. But otherwise, detail pops as it should. The 2.0 DTS audio is adequate for this presentation, Louis Forbes’ music cues sounding resilient; more so, on TT’s remastered and isolated score track. We also get an audio commentary by noir aficionados, Alain Silver and James Ursini, plus an original theatrical trailer. Again, for those who think more of The River’s Edge than I do, this Blu-ray release is definitely the way to go. It looks and sounds wonderful. Judge and buy accordingly.

FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)

3

VIDEO/AUDIO

4.5

EXTRAS

2