Movie Review: ***^River of No Return (1954)

This movie leaves no doubt that Marilyn Monroe was an actress.  She also sings in this movie as the bar singer.  However, I don't think she plays the guitar.  She portrays Kay, who shows up at the farm of Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum) with her intended (or just married), Harry Weston (Rory Calhoun).  Calder is trying to eke out a living with his son (who newly has come to him since his mother's death), Mark (Tommy Rettig).  Turns out Weston is desperate to get to town to file a mining claim, and comes down the river with Kay and they are rescued by Calder and his son.  He advices them against trying the river to town.  However he is desperate to file a claim, and steals the horse and rifle of Calder, leaving him at the mercy of the Indians who inhabit the area, but Calder has kept them at bay with his rifle.  They observe the theft from the mountains, and are quick to react.  Calder is one step ahead, as he and his son and Kay take off in the raft just ahead of the Indians.  They have quite the adventure getting to town, with mountain lions and Indians trying to stop them.  However they get there, and then comes the awaited confrontation with Weston.  However Weston is desperate to eliminate his accuser for horse theft and quickly gets the drop on Calder.  The ending is unexpected.

Movie Review: ***^ O'Henry's Full House

This is a movie which present five short stories of O'Henry and is narrated by John Steinbeck.  Some of the stories were familiar to me.  The first is "The Cop and the Anthem."  This is the basis for a Red Skelton sketch.  Briefly, the story is of a "bum" who is down on his luck.  Winter is coming on, so he determines three months in jail would be nice and warm.  However he finds it difficult to get arrested.  He throws a rock through a window, and they chase someone else; he eats a fine meal with no means to pay, and gets thrown out.  Nothing seems to work.  He finds himself in a church, and his heart is pricked and he decides he should get a job and start a new life.  However he is arrested for vagrancy, and thrown in jail for three months, he gets what he wants, the second he doesn't want it.

The Clarion Call is a police story which pits a detective against his old friend he grew up with.  His friend turned out to be a criminal, who has just killed a man in a burglary.  However he holds a mark over the detective, a $1000 mark of money he loaned the detective.  He knows the detective cannot repay, and cannot turn him in as long as he is in his debt.  The detective gets out of the bind by getting the reward money offered by a paper for his arrest, and giving this to the criminal.

The third is "The Last Leaf,"  I recently reviewed the BYU version of this movie.  This version is more a period piece.  It does not have such a close relationship between the painter and the girls, but mostly one of acquaintance.  However the sacrifice of the painter is just as real as he paints his masterpiece.

The Ransom of Red Chief is well done and very funny.  It is about a kidnapping.  The con men have an old car which is humorous all to itself.  I am pretty sure there is a Don Knots movie of the same theme (No Deposit No Return.)  This movie is very funny, as the family enjoys a couple days without their terror of a son, and the kidnappers are forced ts pay him parents to take him back. 

The last movie is "The Gift of the Magi."  There is a similar movie with Marie Osmond.  This version is very well done as well.  It does not show what their pride and joys are, but shows the anguish at getting money to but Christmas.  There is no bonus this year, but she has the barber cut her hair for a wig, and she is able to but a chain for his watch.  He sells his watch so as to get combs for her hair.  They know they love each other after they have given their most priced possession for the other.

This movie is worthy of watching.  It was enoyable and is good family fair.