''The River's Edge'' is a 1957

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

adventure, crime, and drama DeLuxe

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

film directed by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, was ...

and starring

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

and

Debra Paget Debra Paget (born Debralee Griffin; August 19, 1933) is an American actress and entertainer. She is perhaps best known for her performances in Cecil B. DeMille's epic ''The Ten Commandments'' (1956) and in Elvis Presley's film debut, '' Love Me ...

. The picture is based on the unpublished short story "The Higher Mountain" by

Harold Jacob Smith Harold Jacob Smith (July 2, 1912 – December 28, 1970) was an American screenwriter. His screenplay for ''The Defiant Ones ''The Defiant Ones'' is a 1958 American adventure drama film which tells the story of two escaped prisoners, one whit ...

. Location filming was done in

Amecameca Amecameca is a municipality located in the eastern panhandle of Mexico State between Mexico City and the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl volcanos of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is located on federal highway 115 which leads to Cuautla, ...

and

Iztaccihuatl Iztaccíhuatl (alternative spellings include Ixtaccíhuatl, or either variant spelled without the accent) ( or, as spelled with the x, ), is a dormant volcanic mountain in Mexico located on the border between the State of Mexico and Puebla wit ...

in Mexico. The supporting cast features

Harry Carey, Jr. Henry George Carey Jr. (May 16, 1921 – December 27, 2012) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 90 films, including several John Ford Westerns, as well as numerous television series. Early life Carey was born on a ranch near ...

and

Chubby Johnson Charles Randolph "Chubby" Johnson (August 13, 1903 – October 31, 1974) was an American film and television supporting character actor with a genial demeanor and warm, country-accented voice. Early years Johnson was the son of entertaine ...

Plot

Nardo Denning stops to fill up at a

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

Th
Overview
for this film on TCM.com lists the location of the story—incorrectly—as Texas. It is New Mexico. gas station. He asks a lot of questions about Ben Cameron, a struggling rancher who married a pretty redhead after he returned from

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. At the ranch, Meg, the redhead, wearing denim short shorts and pink mules, awkwardly empties a bucket from the porch. The bull breaks through a fence and bowls Ben over while he brands a steer. In the shabby little house, Meg takes a shower at the wrong time and is covered in mud. She has ignored Ben's warnings about this and countless other aspects of ranch life. As she packs to leave, we learn that she would be serving 9 years in a California penitentiary for parole violation if Ben had not married her. She would stay, but “there isn't any love, and you just can't live without that.” She thinks her love for the man who got her in trouble and abandoned her, has turned to hate, .but she can't be sure. Denning knocks at the door. He makes eye contact with Meg, and the soundtrack plays “ You'll never know how much I love you…” Denning wants Ben to guide him on an illegal “hunting” trip to Mexico. He refuses and asks Denning to give Meg a lift to town. “This is the way you wanted it,” she says. Ben rummages in a drawer to retrieve a photograph—it is Denning. Denning books into the same hotel as Meg. They dance to “You'll Never Know” and remember their days as con artists. Denning has a $1,000,000 job “wrapped up.” She confesses she still loves him. Ben follows them, but they drive away. Border patrol Officer Castleton stops them, and when he opens the trunk, Denning backs over him. Meg flees screaming. Denning crashes into a boulder. He takes a metal briefcase from the trunk. They walk. Ben is with the Sheriff when Officer Castleton's dying words describe Denning's car and the redhead. He finds Denning and Meg at his ranch. Ben wants her to go to the police, but Denning pulls a gun. He eventually agrees to give Ben $10,000. Ben sees in a mirror that the case is full of money. Denning and Meg ride in a

caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

while Ben drives the truck. In the rearview mirror, he sees them embrace. In the morning, they run the vehicles over a cliff and walk. They pause at a crock face next to the camp of Ben's friend Whiskers, an old prospector. He sells them a rope. While Ben hauls Denning up, the case opens, scattering bills. Denning shoots Whiskers. They walk through the night to avoid the Papago Reservation. Denning tries to soothe Meg's fears. She tells him they are close to the border. They leave $10,000 with the sleeping Ben and go. When two farmers appear, Meg runs to them, screaming for help, injuring her arm on a barbed wire fence. Ben has followed them. He uses the farmer's rifle to get Denning's pistol. Meg lied to Denning. The border is days away. She realized he is a killer. While they rest, she tells Ben she is “cured.” Later, during a thunderstorm, Meg collapses. They find a cave, but everything is wet. Ben starts a fire with his share of the money. He demands more and they fight, disturbing a rattlesnake. Meg shoots it with the rifle Ben has concealed. Ben lances the deadly infection in her arm. She asks: Would he wait for her if she went back to jail? “'Til you're a little old lady.” Ben warms Meg in his arms. In the morning, Denning takes the gun from the sleeping man, but Ben has altered the cartridges. The men fight, and Ben is pinned under boulder. He gives Denning a choice of paths: to an airport or to a village that will send them help. Denning tries to stop a truck in the dark and is knocked into the gorge, bills flying everywhere. Ben and Meg find the money and Denning's broken body. He was going for help. They bury him. “Let's go home and face the music.” Ben says.

Cast

as Nardo Denning *

as Ben Cameron *

as Meg Cameron *

as Chet *

as Whiskers *

Byron Foulger Byron Kay Foulger (August 27, 1898 – April 4, 1970) was an American character actor who over a 50-year career performed in hundreds of stage, film, and television productions. Early years Born in Ogden, Utah, Byron was the second of four ...

as Barry * Tom McKee as U.S. Border Patrol Captain * Frank Gerstle as Harry Castleton

References

External links

* * * * 1957 films American crime drama films 1950s crime films 20th Century Fox films Films directed by Allan Dwan 1957 adventure films Films based on short fiction Films shot in Mexico 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-crime-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links