A gold rush adventure filmed in color in Canada, River of No Return is widely considered to be the first important Cinemascope western. Marilyn Monroe is a gold-digging saloon singer bent on staking her claim on a man; Mitchum, a widowed father determined to start a farm. Both are motivated by shady pasts and strong parental instincts to battle the raging River of No Return for their lives. Otto Preminger, a director noted for his cool and objective approach, allows his two larger-than-life stars refreshingly straightforward performances in this “intelligent western,” as French critics have called it.