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I couldn't find a topic dedicated to this Howard Hawks western, so I created one. It's been a good 20 years since I watched it. Yesterday, there was a broadcast of the reconstructed 140 min version. While I have been disappointed sometimes when I rewatched some films that used to be favourites of mine, this time, I was enchanted by the delicacy of the narrative, the beauty of the lanscape and the charming humour of this slow moving western. I had forgotten how the narration by Arthur Hunnicutt gave the film a unique flavour. Unlike many western, this one takes place in 1830 when trappers roamed a country that was still wild. A group of traders (mostly French) board a river boat and go up the river Mississipi to trade with the Black-Foot tribe. Kirk Douglas is a trapper who follows the group with his friend Boone (Dewey Martin). In a way, the film has little action, except for a few attacks by fur-traders. But, Dimitri Tiomkin's score draws you in with that crew on board the Mandan. They sing French songs, dance and exchange stories as they go up the river. The only other western I can think of which deals with the same period is Across The Wild Missouri, a wonderful Wellman picture -in spite of the severe cuts by MGM.
Are there any fan of this western around?