Many Rivers to Cross (film)

Many Rivers to Cross is a 1955 American colonial western in CinemaScope starring Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker.

Many Rivers to Cross
Theatrical Film Poster
Directed by	Roy Rowland
Produced by	Jack Cummings
Screenplay by	Harry Brown and Guy Trosper
Story by	based on a story by Steve Frazee
Starring	Robert Taylor Eleanor Parker
Music by	Cyril J. Mockridge
Cinematography	John Seitz, A.S.C.
Edited by	Ben Lewis
Production company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	February 4, 1955
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,683,000[1]
Box office	$3,832,000[1][2]

Plot

Kentucky, the late 1700s: A traveling preacher's coming to town, but Miles Henderson is upset because Cissie Crawford seems reluctant to marry him. She seems more interested in a handsome trapper who's just arrived in the territory, Bushrod Gentry.

Cissie's life is saved by Bushrod after she's attacked by Shawnee tribesmen, but he's a confirmed bachelor who lets her down gently. While traveling on his own, Bushrod is wounded by the Indians and in danger until another woman, Mary Stuart Cherne, saves his life.

Feeling love at first sight, Mary takes him home to her Scottish-born father, Cadmus, and their Indian servant, Sandak, to heal. Her longtime suitor Luke Radford is unhappy about this interloper.

Bushrod again declines a chance to settle down, whereupon an angry Mary ends up keeping him there against his will. With her four brothers keeping a gun on him, Bushrod is forced to marry Mary.

He punches a justice of the peace and gets 30 days in jail. Another trapper, Esau Hamilton, has a sick child whose life Bushrod ends up saving. He slips away and intends to be on his own again, but Bushrod comes across Indians who are trying to scalp Mary. He saves her life this time, then accepts his fate as a man in love.

Cast

Robert Taylor as Bushrod Gentry Eleanor Parker as Mary Stuart Cherne with Victor McLaglen as Cadmus Cherne Jeff Richards as Fremont Russ Tamblyn as Shields James Arness as Esau Hamilton Alan Hale, Jr. as Luke Radford John Hudson as Hugh Rhys Williams as Lige Blake Josephine Hutchinson as Mrs. Cherne Sig Ruman as Spectacle man Rosemary DeCamp as Lucy Hamilton Russell Johnson as Banks Ralph Moody as Sandak Abel Fernandez as Slangoh

Uncredited (in order of appearance) Tom Fadden Rafe Richard Garrick Preacher Ellis Darryl Hickman Miles Henderson Dorothy Adams Mrs. Crawford Louis Jean Heydt Noah Crawford Betty Lynn Cissie Crawford Morris Ankrum Mr. Emmett Marjorie Wood Mrs. Emmett William Haade Constable Russell Simpson Man with constable Robert Bice Member of punishment group Ethan Laidlaw Member of punishment group Hank Patterson Bartender George Robotham IndianGeorge Robotham Indian

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Opening dedication

"We respectfully dedicate our story
to the frontier women of America
who helped their men settle the
Kentucky wilderness. They were
gallant and courageous, and without
their aggressive cooperation – few of
us would be around to see this picture."

Production

MGM bought the rights to a story by Steve Frazee published in Argosy magazine. Jack Cummings was assigned to produce. Janet Leigh was originally intended to be the female lead.[3]

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $2,084,000 in the US and Canada and $1,748,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $533,000.[1]

See also

• List of American films of 1955

References

1. The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
2. Domestic take – see 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1955', Variety Weekly, January 25, 1956.
3. THOMAS M PRYOR (Mar 30, 1953). "METRO'S TOP STARS TO APPEAR IN FILM". New York Times. ProQuest 112841820 – via ProQuest.

External links

• Many Rivers to Cross at IMDb