While many are fond of Raoul Walsh's 1949 Colorado Territory, where he recast his own High Sierra (1941) in western garb, his previous year's Silver River performs similar magic in bringing themes of power and corruption to the frontier. Flynn, Sheridan and Thomas Mitchell relish their roles and aspire to translate Sliver River into a wild west version of Warren's All the King's Men meets Citizen Kane (1941). Although it lives up to neither of those works, its still entertaining fare if you're looking for an interesting twist on the genre.
Last edited by Mr. Arkadin on June 15th, 2010, 5:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Not considering translation from any other movies, Silver River plays just fine all by itself. Not a great fan of Errol Flynn, he does do justice to the arrogant, egotistical, self styled Lord of the Region here. He truly makes you want to smack him, or shoot him down several times during the film, and a couple of times you're happy when someone else does. That's a weird kind of hero for any movie, western or otherwise. Annie, my gal, is a joy to watch from beginning to end. Her smart aleck mouth and keen wit are at top shelf usage here. Also, she looks beautiful in her gowns, and fills out a pair of levis just fine. Ann Sheridan is my minds' female Robert Mitchum. No matter what she is doing, it's okay with me. The lady can go from tough trail boss to President's hostess with barely blinking an eye. If we had someone like her today, she would be so far at the top, nobody could touch her. I just wonder how often Thomas Mitchell complained about again playing a drunk. He must have really tired of the roles. In this, at least, he still has the capacity to think and act sensibly.
A big thank you to Mr. A for the red flag about this movie. I probably would have watched it anyway if I had seen it in the channel chart. I get plenty of cowboys on Encore Western, but today they were repeating a movie from last month.
This is definitely worth watching next time it's on if you're a western movie fan. Again, thanks Mr. A.
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Anne
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Silver River is one of my most sought after westerns. I have never seen it but I'm dying to. I'm not as fond of Colorado Territory as most. I think it's because of Virginia Mayo, an actress I like but who just seems terribly miscast--I mean jarringly inappropriate. I usually don't care so much about that, if I like the performer (and again, I do like Miss M) but I can't seem to get past her ludicrously false "color" (did she roll in the mud?) of her skin and contrasting bleached hair. I feel like Dana Andrews' good-time wife from The Best Years of Our Lives was plopped into a vat of Max Factor Orange #7 and into Walsh's territory ("You could use some more make-up, honey.").
Joel is wonderful, though, and so is the direction and scenery.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education." -- Will Rogers
It's a while since I've seen Silver River, except from You Tube. I think Anne Sheridan looks great, both as a tomboy gun wearing gal and as someone more lady-like. It's also good to see Flynn as a flawed restrained hero, plus the usual great performance from Thomas Mitchell. The film seems to be a western remake of the Old Testament story of David and Basheba, where he sent a man to die in battle, allowing him to persue his wife. This ploy was also used in the Gabriel Byrne version of The Iron Mask
Actually I think you really answered your own question with: "skin and contrasting bleached hair." Often the combination of hair and skin causes a weird final product. Many brunettes who go blond usually find it is not for them because their dark eyes, eyebrows, and lashes just don't mix with blond hair, plus most brunettes have ruddy skin and the blond makes them look like they fell asleep under the sunlamp, or like they were bruised and the bruises are healing. She started out as a redhead, but she could actually be a brunette, and red was far enough for her, but she continued with the lightening and that messed up the idea she was looking for.
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Anne
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I think Mayo was gorgeous as a Blonde, it's just that horrible face and body make-up they put on her to make her look like a "half breed" didn't go well with the platinum locks.
They should have either darkened her hair or, even better, got another actress.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education." -- Will Rogers
I finally got to see Silver River today. I really like Raoul Walsh and so this one caught my attention and thanks to your original post, I tivo'd it.
I enjoyed it a great deal and love your description "aspire to translate Sliver River into a wild west version of Warren's All the King's Men meets Citizen Kane (1941"
I kept waiting for Sheridan to get all upset about Errol basically sending her husband to his death so I was surprised when that never happened.
I loved Thomas Mitchell most of all. His character could have been such a one-note role but he invested so much more into it.
A couple of times I thought that Sheridan might have been in the early stages of a pregnancy due to some of the odd angles on her and the way some of her outfits were photographed.
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Hi Lynn,
I'll be the first to admit the film is imperfect, but I think you have to weigh that aspect against how it uses a western backdrop as a dissertation on themes of power and corruption. Silver River avoids the obligatory gun battle as an indicator that control and manipulation are mental, not physical skills, which is very unusual for a western movie. Everybody does a good job with their roles and while the ending is flawed, it's an enjoyable ride. Where many genre films are content to copy a formula, SR is an interesting detour that suggests there are many unmined veins in the western that have yet to be tapped.
stuart.uk wrote: The film seems to be a western remake of the Old Testament story of David and Basheba, where he sent a man to die in battle, allowing him to persue his wife.
An interesting interpretation, and one I had not seen.
Count me in as a fan of Silver River. It shows how Flynn flourished under the direction of Walsh. Dear Old Raoul directed two of my favourites westerns: Pursued and Colorado Territory. Silver River is not as good, but it contains -like Mr A. said- some very interesting characters.
My only problem with SILVER RIVER is the finish. It's very pat and a weak wind-up to a complicated story that had audiences invest nearly two hours of their time. But overall it's quite a good picture. And, of course, it's got a dynamite Steiner score.
