River of No Return

Synopsis: Matt Calder, who lives on a remote farm with his young son Mark, helps two unexpected visitors who lose control of their raft on the nearby river. Harry Weston is a gambler by profession and he is racing to the nearest town to register a mining claim he has won in a poker game. His attractive wife Kay, a former saloon hall girl, is with him. When Calder refuses to let Weston have his only rifle and horse, he simply takes them leaving his wife behind. Unable to defend themselves against a likely Indian attack, Calder, his son and Kay Weston begin the treacherous journey down the river on the raft Weston left behind.
Production: 20th Century Fox
 
IMDB:
6.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
62%
APPROVED
Year:
1954
91 min
713 Views


No return, no return

No return, no return

There is a river

Called the River of No Return

Sometimes it's peaceful

And sometimes wild andfree

Love is a traveller

On the River of No Return

Swept on for ever

To be lost in the stormy sea

Wailaree!

I can hear the river call

No return, no return

Where the roarin' waters fall

Wailaree!

I can hear my lover call

Come to me

No return, no return

I lost my love on the river

Andfor ever my heart will yearn

No return, no return

Gone, gone for ever

Down the River of No Return

No return, no return

Wailaree!

Wailaree!

She'll never return to me

No return, no return, no return

(country music)

(chattering)

(gunshots)

- Your Bible, padre. Don't lose it now.

- Thank you.

I expected to find a small trading post,

and instead... Sodom and Gomorrah.

All because someone

has found gold in this earth.

- You looking for it too, padre?

- I came here as a missionary to the Indians.

I thinkthe white man will need me more.

- Good evening, padre.

- Good evening.

Who's in charge of all this?

The padre'd say the devil.

What about this trading post?

The devil got that too?

No, I still got this.

I'm looking for a boy. About nine?

He was to be delivered here

by a man named Martin.

- You seen him?

- They were here.

Were or are?

I understand the man took off for the hills

almost as soon as they pulled in.

What about the boy?

He's probably walkin' around here, lost.

Well, if he comes in,

would you hold onto him for me?

- What's his name?

- The name is Mark Calder.

- How old did you say?

- Nine.

What's your name?

I'm not lost.

(raucous laughter)

(cheering)

One silver dollar

Bright silver dollar

Changing hands

Changing hands

Endlessly rollin'

Wasted and stolen

Changing hands

Changing hands

Spent for a beer he's drinking

Won by a gambler's lust

Pierced by an outlaw's bullet

And lost in the blood-red dust

One silver dollar

One silver dollar

Changing hands

Changing hands

Love is a shining dollar

Bright as a church bell's chime

Gambled and spent

And wasted

And lost in the dust of time

One silver dollar

One silver dollar

Changing hearts

Changing lives

Changing hands

(cheering)

Take these beers

down the street to the barber.

- You know where it is?

- Yes, sir.

Bring backthe money - cash.

And don't spill the beer, boy. It's liquid gold.

(woman) Hey!

(laughter)

(gunshot)

(laughter)

Would you like to shoot at something taller?

- Like what, for instance?

- Like me.

Do you wanna getyourself a gun?

I don't think I need one.

- What's that tag on your coat?

- The man who brought me here put it on.

I'm lookin' for my dad.

- What's your dad look like?

- I don't know.

I was just a kid last time I saw him.

Would it be all right if he looked like me?

Yes, sir. It would.

I'm your dad.

How do I knowthat?

The man who broughtyou here

was named Martin.

I paid him a hundred dollars.

You came from Illinois.

Anybody coulda found that out.

Who's this?

My mother!

All right, son. Let's get outta here.

- I have to say goodbye to Kay.

- Kay? Who's Kay?

She's the lady who sings in the saloon.

- You have to do that?

- Yes, sir. I have to.

All right. We'll do that first.

Kay! I found him! This is him!

You've gotyour nerve. Leaving this kid

running around a crummy place like this.

- What kind of a father are you, anyway?

- The worst.

Well, it's nice you admit it.

It's nice you helped him out.

I'd like to, uh... give you a little money.

No, thanks. I've got a little.

Well, thanks, then.

Come on, boy.

I hope I see you again sometime.

- It's a pleasure meeting a gentleman.

- Thank you.

- Hey, you're forgetting your things.

- Oh!

Thanks again.

- Goodbye, Mark.

- Goodbye, Kay.

( piano)

(cheering)

I've looked around the country

and I've seen it all

And what I want, I'm ready to name

It's big and strong and handsome

and it's six feet tall

I'm gonna file my claim

I struck a real bonanza

And he's rough and rash

But what he's got I'm ready to tame

He's worth a fancy fortune

but it's not in cash

I'm gonna file my claim

I got the fever

Ooh, the fever

But not for gold in the ground

I want the title to something vital

That I can throw my fences around

A gal should never hustle

with a pick and pan

To dig for gold, that isn't her game

I'll find the man who's found it

Then I'll get that man

Who's gonna help me file my claim?

I gotta file my claim

Ooooh!

Lookin' for nuggets?

(laughter)

Mmm, mush!

(laughter)

A-B-C-D

Who's gonna file me under "love"?

There ain't a man, not a single man

There ain't a man alive

who wouldn't trade his gold

For what it takes to stay in the game

So have your fun and spend it

'fore you get too old

Who's gonna help me file my claim?

Who's gonna help me

Help, help me

Who's gonna help me file my claim

Tonight?

(cheering)

What are you do...?

All right. Where were you all day?

There's an old sayin', honey: "Stickto your

peanut stand if you're never selling nothin'."

- Is thatyour excuse?

- That's it.

Some day I'll take you

out of this crummy grime.

I'm ready.

No more saloons or tent shows for you.

For me, either. I'm gonna take you to all

the capitals of all the countries in the world.

What have you been drinking?

Diamonds in your hair,

rubies on your fingers.

- Bells on my toes.

- Pearls. And gowns made for queens.

Exceptyou'll look better in 'em.

How you gonna do it?

With your deck o' cards?

I've just done it.

- You hear what I said? I've just done it.

- Just done what?

I've just won a gold claim,

right in the heart of the richest strike.

Harry! From whom?

What's it matter? All my life,

I've been chiselling in penny-ante games.

This time I got lucky!

This is the big one, honey. This is it!

- Harry, what are you going to do?

- What do you mean, "me"? You and me.

We're going to Council City and file a claim

before anything can happen to it, or us.

- What could happen?

- Who knows? Who cares?

The man could get mad, say I did something.

Did you?

I told you, honey. I got lucky, that's all. Just

lucky. Now, look. We gotta get outta here.

I ransacked the town and there isn't

a horse to be had for the crown jewels.

But I got another idea. We can buy a raft

and go to Council City on the river.

- You got any money?

- Well, I have a little.

All right. Come on! Come up with it.

All you want is my money.

Is it?

We'll plant the field and hunt and fish.

How does that sound?

- Justyou and me?

- That's all.

- Fine. Sounds fine.

- We'll make out all right.

I'll teach you to fish and trap.

You'll be as good as the best of'em.

- And teach me to shoot?

- Yeah, and shoot too.

- What are they doin'?

- They're just comin' to look around the town.

- They don't like what they see.

- Will they make a war?

No, they're just hunting. When they

make a war, they paint their faces.

Then you knowthey're hunting you.

Mark!

Come on, boy. Giddap! Giddap! Hey.

Oh.

You can't just go through

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Frank Fenton

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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