River's End
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Michael Curtiz
Charles Bickford
Evelyn Knapp
J. Farrell Macdonald
Zasu Pitts
Walter Mcgrail
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Conniston goes into the Far North in search of Keith, who is wanted for murder; he gets his man, but on their return trip Conniston dies. MacDonald, Conniston's guide, takes a liking to Keith and suggests that since Keith resembles Conniston, he should pretend to be Conniston. Keith agrees, but when he arrives, he finds that the fraud is unnecessary since he has been cleared of guilt. He meets Conniston's girl, Miriam, who, taken in by the deception, loves him more than the real Conniston; but when she is informed by a jealous suitor, Martin, of Conniston's previous and still valid marriage, Keith is forced to tell Evelyn the truth. He does not reveal the true story to the Mounties and consequently is flogged. But when he leaves town, he finds Evelyn on the boat waiting for him.
Director
Michael Curtiz
Film Details
Technical Specs
Articles
River's End (1940)
In a dual role, Charles Bickford appears opposite himself in several "trick" scenes which required a double exposure process masterminded by cinematographer Robert Kurrle. On the set, relations between Bickford and Curtiz were combative because both men had strong-willed, egocentric personalities; even years later, Bickford would still recall his experiences on River's End with distaste. Previously filmed as a silent movie in 1920, the film was also remade a third time in 1940 with Dennis Morgan doubling as both Sergeant Conniston and the fugitive, John Keith.
Hungarian native Michael Curtiz was recruited by studio mogul Jack Warner and immigrated to the United States in 1926 where he immediately went to work for Warner Bros. In record time, he quickly mastered that uniquely American genre -- the Western -- and River's End is one of his earliest efforts. Already you can see signs of his emerging style -- brisk pacing, a sense of realism, and the ability to elicit strong performances from his cast -- that would later culminate in such box-office triumphs as Dodge City (1939), Virginia City (1940) and Santa Fe Trail (1940).
Director: Michael Curtiz
Screenplay: Charles Kenyon, based on the novel The River's End by James Oliver Curwood
Art Direction: Ben Carre
Cinematography: Robert Kurrle
Editing: Ralph Holt
Music: Erno Rapee
Principal Cast: Charles Bickford (John Keith/Sgt. Conniston), Evelyn Knapp (Miriam), J. Farrell MacDonald (O'Toole), David Torrence (Col. McDowell), ZaSu Pitts (Louise), Walter McGrail (Martin).
BW-74m. Closed captioning.
by Jeff Stafford