Across the Wide Missouri (1951)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Talbot Jennings (screenplay)
Talbot Jennings (story) ...

Release Date:

23 October 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Western

Plot:

In the 1830's beaver trapper Flint Mitchell and other white men hunt and trap in the then unnamed territories of Montana and Idaho...

Plot Keywords:

Beaver | Trapper | 1830s | Native American | Arrow In Back

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Flint Mitchell
Ricardo Montalban	...	Ironshirt (Blackfoot war chief)
John Hodiak	...	Brecan
Adolphe Menjou	...	Pierre (French trapper)
J. Carrol Naish	...	Looking Glass (Nez Perce chief)
Jack Holt	...	Bear Ghost (Blackfoot medicine man)
Alan Napier	...	Capt. Humberstone Lyon
George Chandler	...	Gowie (Capt. Lyon's assistant)
Richard Anderson	...	Dick
María Elena Marqués	...	Kamiah (Blackfoot princess [Mitchell's wife])

Runtime:

78 min | Argentina:82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #14912)

Filming Locations:

Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, Durango, Colorado, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Final film of Jack Holt.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the horse with Gable’s son runs away. the child is originally on the right side of the horse. The succeeding shot shows him on the left side of the horse. Later shots show him back on the right side.

Quotes:

Capt. Humberstone Lyon: Mr. Chennault, this gathering is unique in my experience. Where do they all come from?
Lucien Chennault: Captain Lynn, they come from beyond maps.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story (1951)

Soundtrack:

Across The Wide Missouri

Lovely and unjustly underrated

This is one of Clark Gable's better films of the 1950s, though it never really got that much attention and many have unjustly written it off as " just another Western". However, if you watch it you'll find that the film has two major points that make it unique and a very beautiful film. First, the film is about the period BEFORE that shown in most Westerns. The typical Hollywood Western occurs between 1866-1880, though there are a few exceptions before and after. However, very few deal with life in the West circa 1829 when the only White men were fur trappers. Since I am a history teacher, I admire this about ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI. Second, the film humanizes the Native Americans much more than most films and there are no "black and white" groups in the film. Many of the Indians are quite decent but they also are not uniformly good either--and the same goes for the trappers. I particularly loved the relationship that developed between Clark Gable and his Indian bride. It did a lot to build sympathy for the characters and once again truly humanized both characters. The only real negative about this is that three of the key Indian roles are played by non-Indians (J. Carrol Naish, María Elena Marqués and Ricardo Montalban)--a standard practice in the time it was made.

While these two points make this a memorable film, it sure doesn't hurt that this film has some of the most vivid and beautiful scenery of any film of the 1950s. It's obvious that this wasn't filmed on some sound stage or filmed in the outskirts of Los Angeles! So overall, what's not to like about this film?! Excellent acting, a great script and a uniqueness make this a film worth seeking.

By the way, this film is highly reminiscent of the wonderful Robert Redford film, JEREMIAH JOHNSON--another film well worth your time.