Saw "Many Rivers to Cross" when it came out originally, then just recently -- in a boxed set of westerns from "Costco". I was 13 when I first saw it--and didn't remember much about it. Now, I know why, there's nothing memorable about it. This was an effort to equal the popularity and success of "The Quiet Man", a "comedy" with a roughly parallel tone and marriage-spoof/conflict. It even brings back Victor McGlaughlin in an almost identical role as "Man". The bad mistake with "Rivers...Cross", is that just because a Western has a comedic tone, it doesn't mean it should insult the genre right down to the spokes and horse's hooves. Some respect should be shown,if only a minimum, regards sets, script continuity, costumes and the times when the film is supposed to occur. Plus, if the budget requires a mostly studio effort, then some vigor should be made in the studios scenes to make them appear roughly genuine. If this were a weak "B" second feature from a minor studio maybe the poor quality could be excused; however, the cast was first rate, and this was allegedly an "A" movie. So, as an "A" movie, it completely failed for me. Lastly, it wasn't funny at all.
Review of Many Rivers to Cross
