Originally planning to buy a DVD of the wonderful Film Noir/proto-Giallo title The Screaming Mimi on its own,I got caught by surprise,when the DVD seller told me,that due to postage cost,I would have to order a minimum of 2 titles.Searching around the sellers list of available titles,I was delighted to spot a movie starring an actress who I've been reading a lot of praise for from fellow IMDb'ers called Yvonne De Carlo,which led to me happily getting ready to visit the 'River Lady' for the first time..
The plot:
Returning to a small logging village,the crew on a gambling ship called the River Lady reveal that they are planning to buy out all of the small time log distributors,so that they can become the dominating force.Standing in the way of the plan is local businessman H.L. Morrison,who is desperate to not lose his business to the River Lady's leading crew members Sequin and Bauvais.Seeing Morrison's business as an easy target,Sequin cuts a secret deal which leads to her boyfriend Dan Corrigan getting a job at Morrison's company.As they start to make plans on taking over Morrison's business,Sequin and Bauvais begin to fear that Corrigan will stop the small time businesses from running down stream.
View on the film:
For their excellent adaptation of Houston Branch and Frank Waters novel,writers D.D. Beauchamp and William Bowers use the woodland village setting to give the movie a strong folk atmosphere,with the writers making the residences of the River Lady be the high gambling and drinking kind,compared to the down to earth and humble village residences.Thanks to making each set of residences be different from each other,the writers place a nice 'big guy v little guy' at the heart of the title,with the writers also wonderfully showing each of the villagers' being tempted by the wild life style of the River Lady.
Directed with a real elegance by George Sherman,the beautiful Yvonne De Carlo gives a wonderfully frosty performance as Sequin,with De Carlo showing Sequin to have her eyes on the prize,and nothing else which could cause Sequin to lose her seat at the River Lady's gambling tables.Joining De Carlo,Dan Duryea gives a delightful boo-hiss performance as Beauvais,whilst a stern Rod Cameron shows that Corrigan will do everything possible to stop the river from flowing into Beauvais and Sequin's hands.
The plot:
Returning to a small logging village,the crew on a gambling ship called the River Lady reveal that they are planning to buy out all of the small time log distributors,so that they can become the dominating force.Standing in the way of the plan is local businessman H.L. Morrison,who is desperate to not lose his business to the River Lady's leading crew members Sequin and Bauvais.Seeing Morrison's business as an easy target,Sequin cuts a secret deal which leads to her boyfriend Dan Corrigan getting a job at Morrison's company.As they start to make plans on taking over Morrison's business,Sequin and Bauvais begin to fear that Corrigan will stop the small time businesses from running down stream.
View on the film:
For their excellent adaptation of Houston Branch and Frank Waters novel,writers D.D. Beauchamp and William Bowers use the woodland village setting to give the movie a strong folk atmosphere,with the writers making the residences of the River Lady be the high gambling and drinking kind,compared to the down to earth and humble village residences.Thanks to making each set of residences be different from each other,the writers place a nice 'big guy v little guy' at the heart of the title,with the writers also wonderfully showing each of the villagers' being tempted by the wild life style of the River Lady.
Directed with a real elegance by George Sherman,the beautiful Yvonne De Carlo gives a wonderfully frosty performance as Sequin,with De Carlo showing Sequin to have her eyes on the prize,and nothing else which could cause Sequin to lose her seat at the River Lady's gambling tables.Joining De Carlo,Dan Duryea gives a delightful boo-hiss performance as Beauvais,whilst a stern Rod Cameron shows that Corrigan will do everything possible to stop the river from flowing into Beauvais and Sequin's hands.