River of No Return is showing at L’Aiglon Cinema in the Orne area of Normandy, France on Sunday, November 9 at 6:00 pm. The screening is part of a monthly series, ‘100 Years of Marilyn Monroe,’ which began in October with The Asphalt Jungle, and continues with Some Like It Hot on December 14, and into 2026 with Let’s Make Love (January 11) and The Misfits (February 8.)
“Though people love to discuss Marilyn Monroe the underrated actress (which is true — she was a great comedienne), rarely do they argue about MM the underrated singer … and in Otto Preminger’s 1954 River of No Return, Marilyn shows off her vocal range splendidly. Whether vamping it up for a bunch of rowdy gold miners with ‘I’m Gonna File My Claim’ or singing softly on guitar to a little boy, she lights up this CinemaScope Western with joy and heart. Though Preminger didn’t particularly like this film, he capably directs a beautifully bright, often exciting picture that showcases not only the lush beauty of MM but the rugged magnetism of another beautiful lug, Robert Mitchum (oh yes, the natural scenery is lovely too). You’d think that that much sex appeal by two stars in one movie would cancel each other out, but River keeps their chemistry well balanced thanks to Mitchum’s laconic performance — he actually plays a man initially disinterested in a woman who looks like Marilyn Monroe … Mitchum is great to look at and wonderfully low key, making for his eventual romance with Monroe all the more intense, and little Tommy Rettig is a capable, pleasant child actor who truly appears comforted by Monroe’s care (what kid wouldn’t?) It’s not Anatomy of a Murder, but River of No Return is a splendid entertainment aided by two great looking people getting wet, a lot. And remember, Marilyn sings.”
– Kim Morgan, DVD Journal
The Marilyn Report 