When Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward, the powerful stars who should have been cast in A Streetcar Named Desire, were finally paired together in a movie, audiences were enormously let down. Just as with that couple, Hollywood ruined the screen pairing between Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. How is that possible? Audiences wanted to see them together! Audiences wanted to like these movies! River of No Return, if made with B-actors, would have been panned out of town. The only reason anyone remembers it all is because of the two lead actors, and the lack of romance in the story and the lack of tension is an incredible letdown.
First of all, there's a child in the story, which is always distracting from the grown-ups, which, in this particular movie, are the only people audiences want to look at. Tommy Rettig is Robert Mitchum's son, and while Bob has been in jail, Marilyn Monroe has been taking care of him. There's no huge reunion scene where Bob shows his appreciation for Marilyn holding down the fort, and there are no sparks flying between them. He's just been released from prison and Marilyn Monroe is right in front of him, and there's no tension? It doesn't make any sense, but neither does the rest of the movie. It's an outdoorsy adventure flick where the three of them try to survive in the forest near the titular river, but it's not believable for a second that Marilyn knows how to rough it in the woods. Her ridiculous wig doesn't help.
I absolutely love Otto Preminger's films; he's one of my favorite directors. I've seen all of Marilyn's movies and have read probably a dozen biographies. Bob is one of my favorite celebrity boyfriends. So, since I didn't like this movie, it must not be very good. I'm not trying to be unkind, but with those three involved, the movie could have been so much better.
First of all, there's a child in the story, which is always distracting from the grown-ups, which, in this particular movie, are the only people audiences want to look at. Tommy Rettig is Robert Mitchum's son, and while Bob has been in jail, Marilyn Monroe has been taking care of him. There's no huge reunion scene where Bob shows his appreciation for Marilyn holding down the fort, and there are no sparks flying between them. He's just been released from prison and Marilyn Monroe is right in front of him, and there's no tension? It doesn't make any sense, but neither does the rest of the movie. It's an outdoorsy adventure flick where the three of them try to survive in the forest near the titular river, but it's not believable for a second that Marilyn knows how to rough it in the woods. Her ridiculous wig doesn't help.
I absolutely love Otto Preminger's films; he's one of my favorite directors. I've seen all of Marilyn's movies and have read probably a dozen biographies. Bob is one of my favorite celebrity boyfriends. So, since I didn't like this movie, it must not be very good. I'm not trying to be unkind, but with those three involved, the movie could have been so much better.