Review of River Lady

River Lady (1948)
5/10
So-so Western set in upper Mississipi where confront loggers, corrupt businessmen and a beautiful River Queen
14 April 2020
A passable but average Western with no much action, not shootouts, dealing with tough loggers and their violent facing off contenders in the upper Mississippi zone. It is set circa 1850s, ambitious businessman Beauvais, Dan Duryea attempts to take over the local mill whose owner is the reluctant Mulligan : John McIntire , but there comes Dan : Rod Cameron to help him, while he falls in love for Mulligan's daughter Stephanie : Helena Carter. There also arrives on her gambling riverboat, Sequin : gorgeous Yvonne De Carlo, to meet the lumberjack people who amuse themselves at the casino boat. Meantime , manipulating and seductive Sequin manages to Dan falls for her claws, causing the subsequent jeoulous of Stephanie.

A western drama with thrills, brawls, dramatic moments, romance, colorful cinematography and commendable musical score. This concerns the brawling story of the lusty Mississippi in which some lumbermen arrive in town causing mayhem and confrontation . Stars the always wonderful and sensual Yvonne De Carlo , the Technicolor queen, who performed several Westerns and adventure movies. Co-stars Rod Cameron as a two-fisted logger taking on crooked enemies, the tall and veteran actor playing Westerns through a long career from the 40s, as he acted in a lot of oaters, such as : The old Texas trail, The riders of Santa Fe, The Kansan, Brimstone, Runaround, Trigger trail, Panhandle, Dakota Lil, Belle Star's daughter, Renegades of the Rio Grande, The plunderers, Stampede and he even starred Spaghetti Westerns as Bullets and the flesh, Thunder at the border and Pistols don't argue.

It contains shimmer and glimmer cinematography in brilliant Technicolor by Irving Glassberg, Univetsal's regular. As well as evocative and rousing musical score by Paul Sawtell. The motion picture was uneven but professionally directed by George Sherman in B style, though it has some flaws. Sherman made reliable low budget fares for Columbia between 1945 to 48, then moved on to do the same at Universal for another 8 years, where he directed a lot of films. Sherman especialized almost exclusively in B westerns there, including The Three Musketeers series which featured a young John Wayne. As George directed westerns as The last of the fast guns, The lone hand, Santa Fe stampede, Red Skin, Chief Crazy Horse, Calamity Jane, Relentless, Comanche territory , among others. Rating 5, 5 out of 10, acceptable and passable western that will appeal to Yvonne De Carlo fans.
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