Border River
| Border River | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | George Sherman |
| Screenplay by | William Sackheim Louis Stevens |
| Story by | Louis Stevens |
| Produced by | Albert J. Cohen |
| Starring | Joel McCrea Yvonne De Carlo Pedro Armendariz |
| Cinematography | Irving Glassberg |
| Edited by | Frank Gross |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal International Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1 million[1] |
Border River is a 1954 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Joel McCrea, Yvonne De Carlo and Pedro Armendariz.[2]
Plot
[edit]During the final stages of the American Civil War, Major Clete Mattson (Joel McCrea), an idealistic Confederate officer, robs a $2 million Union gold shipment. To secure weapons for the failing Confederacy, Mattson travels across the Rio Grande into "Zona Libre" (Free Zone), a lawless, sovereign enclave in Mexico. The territory is ruled by the despotic and corrupt Mexican Federal General Calleja (Pedro Armendáriz), who offers lucrative sanctuary to American outlaws and deserters in exchange for a share of their stolen loot.
Mattson opens negotiations with Calleja to purchase a large cache of munitions and rifles. However, his presence immediately attracts dangerous attention. He faces opposition from a local Union operative, Captain Fletcher (Ivan Triesault), who is determined to reclaim the gold and block the Confederate supply line. At the same time, Calleja’s deceptive business manager, Baron Von Giesen (George Dolenz), and a beautiful local woman named Carmelita Carias (Yvonne De Carlo) become deeply entangled in Mattson's mission. Carmelita forms a romantic attraction to Mattson, complicating the political stakes.
Recognizing the immense value of the bullion, Calleja repeatedly stalls the gun-running transactions while orchestrating several covert plots to steal the gold outright. Mattson is forced to navigate a series of violent double-crosses and armed skirmishes against the general's mercenaries to protect his cargo. As the political situation collapses and the Union forces close in on the border territory, Mattson must execute a tactical escape from the enclave with the help of Carmelita, fighting to transport the munitions back across the river to his beleaguered troops.
Cast
[edit]- Joel McCrea as Clete Mattson [citation needed]
- Yvonne De Carlo as Carmelita Carias [citation needed]
- Pedro Armendariz as General Calleja [citation needed]
- Alfonso Bedoya as Captain Vargas [citation needed]
- Howard Petrie as Newlund [citation needed]
- Erika Nordin as Annina Strasser [citation needed]
- George J. Lewis as Sanchez [citation needed]
- Nacho Galindo as Lopez [citation needed]
- Ivan Triesault as Baron Von Hollden [citation needed]
- George Wallace as Fletcher [citation needed]
- Lane Chandler as Anderson [citation needed]
- Martin Garralaga as Guzman [citation needed]
- Joe Bassett as Stanton [citation needed]
- Salvador Baguez as General Robles [citation needed]
- Felipe Turich as Pablo [citation needed]
Production
[edit]Joel McCrea and Yvonne De Carlo's casting was announced in April 1953.[3] George Sherman was assigned to direct.
Filming began on 3 June 1953, the same day as Universal's The Glenn Miller Story. The two films were the first movies made at Universal for four weeks.[4]
Parts of the film were shot in Colorado River, Professor Valley, and Courthouse Wash in Utah.[5]
Release
[edit]Home media
[edit]Kino Lorber released a region A Blu-ray edition of the film through their Kino Lorber Studio Classics label on March 28, 2023. [citation needed]
References
[edit]- ↑ "1954 Box Office Champs". Variety Weekly. January 5, 1955. p. 59. - figures are rentals in the US and Canada
- ↑ Haines, Richard W. (2003). Technicolor Movies: The History of Dye Transfer Printing. McFarland. p. 45. ISBN 9780786480753.
- ↑ THOMAS M PRYOR (April 16, 1953). "FOX TO MAKE FILM ON PIER ACTIVITIES". New York Times. ProQuest 112829441.
- ↑ THOMAS M PRYOR (June 1, 1953). "UNIVERSAL CLEARS DECKS FOR ACTION". New York Times. ProQuest 112809348.
- ↑ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
External links
[edit]- Border River at IMDb
- Border River at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
- Border River at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
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