Low beef prices are forcing the ranchers of Wyoming to sell their herds and land.
But Steve Patrick (George Montgomery) has a solution — create a new breed, less susceptible to Wyoming winters, by mixing longhorns and Hereford cattle.
So he sells his cattle and sets off with foreman Bob Andrews (Peter Graves) intent on returning with a herd of Herefords to reinvigorate the Wyoming cattle market.
He quickly runs into two problems. Andrews is seriously wounded when an Indian tries to steal their horses; Patrick leaves him in the care of pretty widow Janet Hale (Marcia Henderson) and her son.
And when he reaches Oregon, the Herefords aren’t difficult to find. Cowhands to drive them back to Wyoming are.
So he’s forced to take on a band of ruffians, most of whom have served time in prison.
What Patrick doesn’t know is that there’s a larger problem looming.
His foreman is plotting with a businessman named Maddox and his henchman Joe Graycoe to steal the herd and ambush Patrick and his men.
George Montgomery as Steve Patrick, hatching a plan to save the Wyoming cattle industry in Canyon River (1956)
Peter Graves as Bob Andrews, making a point with his business partners in Canyon River (1956)
Review:
A remake of 1951’s “Longhorn” starring Bill Elliott, this is a decent Montgomery vehicle even if our hero is unbelievably hero-like.
Let’s see, he’s willing to give ex-cons an even break. He’s making this backwards trail drive to benefit Wyoming’s ranching industry, not just himself. He plans to set his foreman up with a ranch of his own. He even has to be asked before he’ll kiss pretty Janet Hale. Who, by the way, his foreman would also like to romance.
In addition to future TV star Peter Graves, this marks another 1950s Western featuring Alan Hale, later of Gilligan’s Island fame. He plays an ex-con who tries his best to keep Patrick’s other trail hands in line.
The film’s biggest flaw is the poorly matching stock footage used for the climatic stampede. The cattle change from Herefords to longhorns and back again. Part of the stampede takes place at night, part in the blazing sun.
Marcia Henderson as Janet Hale, the pretty widow who nurses Bob Andrews back to health in Canyon River (1956)
Richard Eyler as Chuck Hale, listening in on one of his mother’s conversations in Canyon River (1956)
Directed by:
Harmon Jones
Cast:
George Montgomery … Steve Patrick
Marcia Henderson … Janet Hale
Peter Graves … Bob Andrews
Alan Hale … George Lynch
Walter Sande … Maddox
Richard Eyer … Chuck Hale
Robert J. Wilke … Joe Graycoe
John Harmon … Ben
Jack Lambert … Kincaid
William Fawcett … Jergens
Runtime: 79 min.
Walter Sande as Maddox, the man plotting to stop Steve Patrick’s backwards cattle drive in Canyon River (1956)
Robert J. Wilke as Joe Graycoe, Maddox’s head henchman in Canyon River (1956)
Memorable lines:
George Lynch to Steve Patrick: “You may be loco at that. Driving cattle backwards on the Oregon Trail. But if that’s what you want us to do, we’ll do it.”
Steve Patrick, when Janet Hale asks to cook for the cattle drive: “There are two things that just aren’t allowed on cattle drives — women and whiskey. It’s just traditional.”
Janet Hale: “A lot of things are traditional, like going East to West on the Oregon Trail.”
Alan Hale as George Lynch, leader of Steve Patrick’s unruly gang of trail hands in Canyon River (1956)
Jack Lambert as Kincaid, a trail hand caught drunk on the job in Canyon River (1956)
Marica Henderson as Janet Hale and Richard Eyler as her son Chuck, watching Steve Patrick discipline a trail hand in Canyon River (1956)
George Montgomery as Steve Patrick, about to hire a motley crew of cattle hands in Canyon River (1956)
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