Across the Wide Missouri (2024)

Across the Wide Missouri

Across the Wide Missouri

A difficult shoot, a broken marriage and behind-the-scenes battles make up the story of MGM's Western Across the Wide Missouri (1951). Much as with another epic made that year, John Huston's The Red Badge of Courage (1951), Across the Wide Missouri was taken away from its director in an attempt to broaden its commercial appeal for audiences of its day.To begin with, the source material was unusual. Bernard De Voto's book Across the Wide Missouri (1947) was not a novel but a lengthy and detailed historical study of the American fur trade from 1832 to 1838. When it became a surprise bestseller, MGM bought the book and threw away everything but the title and the concept of fur traders in the old West.Screenwriter Talbot Jennings, with the help of Frank Cavett, devised an original story about trapper Flint Mitchell (Clark Gable) who marries a woman from the Blackfoot tribe (Maria Elena Marques) hoping to gain entry to their lands. This mercenary marriage evolves into a deeper love once his pregnant wife leads him over the mountains to her tribe's village.William A. Wellman, director of such classics as The Public Enemy (1931) and The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), took on the project at the last minute. He imposed one condition: "I agreed, provided that they included all my family from the moment they left the house until they returned...This was an expensive agreement, for most of the picture was to be made on location at Durango, Colorado."Taking along the family hardly seemed a trial at all compared with hauling a giant Hollywood production ten thousand feet up into the Rockies. As Wellman recalled, "For one sequence, we went in the way the trappers did, hacking a path with axes. Cables, lights and the Technicolor camera were packed in on muleback."Wellman, Clark Gable and most of the cast adapted well to the rugged outdoor locations, but not so Gable's new wife, Lady Sylvia Ashley. She tried to introduce typical English country life to the cabin where she was staying with Gable, earning the derision of the crew by putting up "frilly curtains" and having their temporary shelter landscaped with trees, grass and a garden. She later provoked more embarrassment when she refused to eat with the crew outdoors because sunlight harmed her skin. Friends later said tensions between Gable and Lady Ashley on this trip brought his fourth marriage to an end.When it was all over, Wellman delivered a picture that was a study of a white man coming to terms with the Native American world, more character-driven than action-packed. Preview audiences, not given what they expected, squirmed, so MGM boss Dore Schary chopped the movie down to its present 78 minutes and added a narration by Howard Keel. In spite of or perhaps due to the cutting, reviews were mixed and Wellman disowned the film. "I've never seen it and I never will."Across the Wide Missouri, even in its truncated form, still remains a ravishing movie, filled with breathtaking Technicolor views of America's western wilderness. Fans of William Wellman's work can appreciate the look of the film while pondering how the director's original version might have played.Director: William A. WellmanProducer: Robert SiskWriter: Talbot Jennings, from a story by Jennings and Frank Cavett, inspired by the book by Bernard DeVotoCinematographer: William MellorArt Director: James Basevi, Cedric GibbonsEditor: John DunningMusic: David RaksinCast: Clark Gable (Flint Mitchell), Ricardo Montalban (Ironshirt), John Hodiak (Brecan), Adolphe Menjou (Pierre), Maria Elena Marques (Kamiah), Howard Keel (Narrator).C-79m. Closed captioning. by Brian Cady

TCM Remembers Howard Keel this Monday, Nov. 15th

PLEASE NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGE

TCM Remembers Howard Keel this Monday, Nov. 15thPLEASE NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGE

TCM will air the following films featuring the late actor Howard Keel this Monday, November 15th : 6:00 AMCallaway Went Thataway (1951) 7:30 AMRide, Vaquero! (1953) 9:30 AMWar Wagon (1967) 11:30 AM"MGM Parade Show #14" (Keel talks with George Murphy about his latest MGM picture "Kismet")(1955)12:00 PMShowboat (1951)2:00 PM Kiss Me Kate (1953) 4:00 PMSeven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) 6:00 PMKismet (1955)HOWARD KEEL (1919-2004):Howard Keel, the strapping singer and actor whose glorious baritone took him to stardom in the early '50s in some of MGM's best musicals, including Showboat, Kiss Me Kate and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, died on November 7 of colon cancer at his home in Palm Desert, California. He was 85. He was born Harry Clifford Leek on April 13, 1919, in Gillespie, Illinois. His father, was a coal miner and his mother, a strict Methodist, forbid the children from enjoying popular entertainments. When his dad died, his mother relocated the family to California when Harry was still a young teenager. After he graduated high school, Keel had a brief stint as a singing busboy, but had not considered a professional career as a vocalist....until one fateful evening in 1939. It was at this time he saw celebrated opera singer, Lawrence Tibbett, at the Hollywood Bowl. Keel was inspired, and he soon began taking voice lessons. Over the next several years, he carefully trained his voice while entering any singing contest he could find. It wasn't long before his talents caught the attention of Rodgers & Hammerstein. In 1946, they signed him to replace John Raitt in the Broadway production of Carousel, changed his name to Howard Keel (His proper surname Leek spelled backwards), and Keel was on his way to international stardom. After his run in Carousel ended, he sailed to London the following year to play the role of Curley in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma. He received rave reviews from the London press, and by the time he returned to the United States in 1948, he was ready to make his move into films. Keel made his movie debut in the British thriller, The Small Voice (1948), but it would be his second film, and first for MGM, portraying Frank Butler, Betty Hutton's leading man in Annie Get Your Gun (1950), that sealed his success. Keel's several strengths as aperformer: his supple, commanding singing voice; his athletic, 6'4" frame; striking, "matinee-idol" good looks; and his good humored personality made him one of the studios' top leading men over the next few years. Indeed, between 1951-55, Keel could do not wrong with the material he was given: Show Boat (1951), Lovely to Look at (1952), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), and Kismet (1955). Clearly, he was a shining star in this golden era of the MGM musical. By the late '50s, movie musicals began to fade out of fashion, but Keel returned to the stage and had success performing with several touring companies. He made a brief return to films when he was cast as a seaman battling carnivorous plants from outer space in the popular British sci-fi hit, The Day of the Triffids (1962). Television also provided some work, where he guest starred in some of the more popular shows in the late '60s including Run For Your Life, and The Lucy Show. Keel would keep a low profile over the next decade, but he made an amazing comeback in 1981, when he was cast as Clayton Farlow, Ellie Ewing's (Barbara BelGeddes) second husband in the wildly successful prime time soap, Dallas. Not only did he play the role for ten seasons, but Keel would also be in demand for many other shows throughout the '80s and '90s:The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Murder, She Wrote, Hart to Hart, and Walker, Texas Ranger, to name a but a few. By the late-'90s, Keel retired to his home in Palm Desert, California, where still made public appearances now and again for a tribute or benefit. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Judy; a son, Gunnar; daughters, Kaija, Kristina and Leslie; 10 grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. by Michael T. Toole Important Milestones on Howard Keel: 1933:Moved to Southern California at age 16 (date approximate) Worked as a singing busboy in a Los Angeles cafe Worked for Douglas Aircraft as a manufacturing representative travelling among various company plants; work included singing; won a first prize award at the Mississippi Valley while on the road; also won an award at the Chicago Music Festival Began singing career with the American Music Theatre in Pasadena, California Chosen by Oscar Hammerstein II to perform on Broadway in "Carousel"; succeeded John Raitt in the leading role of Billy Bigelow; also took over the leading role of Curly in "Oklahoma" 1947: Recreated the role of Curly when he opened the London stage production of "Oklahoma" 1948: Made feature film debut in a non-singing supporting role in the British crime drama, "The Small Voice" 1950: Signed by MGM; became instant star as the male lead of "Annie Get Your Gun" 1951: Provided the offscreen narration for the Western saga, "Across the Wide Missouri", starring Clark Gable 1951: First film opposite Kathryn Grayson, "Show Boat" 1952: First leading role in a non-musical, "Desperate Search" 1954: Made best-remembered film, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" 1955: Last musical starring roles, and last musicals for MGM, "Jupiter's Darling" and "Kismet" 1958: Went to Britain to play the leading role in the action drama, "Floods of Fear" 1967: Last leading role, "Red Tomahawk" 1968: Last feature film appearance for over 20 years, "Arizona Bushwhackers" Starred on the London stage in the musical "Ambassador"; later brought the role to Broadway (date approximate) Toured the nightclub circuit, sometimes teaming up with his co-star from three MGM musicals of the 1950s, Kathryn Grayson Toured in stage productions of musicals and comedies including "Camelot", "Man of La Mancha", "Paint Your Wagon", "I Do! I Do!", "Plaza Suite", "Gigi", "Show Boat", "Kismet", "The Most Happy Fella" and "The Fantasticks" 1977: Teamed with Jane Powell on record-breaking national theater tour of "South Pacific" 1978: Reprised screen role of eldest brother Adam in a touring stage version of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", opposite original screen co-star Jane Powell Joined the cast of the CBS primetime serial drama, "Dallas", which had premiered in 1978; played Clayton Farlow 1983: Recorded first solo album, "And I Love You So" 1994: Was one of the hosts of the feature compilation documentary, "That's Entertainment III", revisiting the MGM musical from the coming of sound through the late 1950s Keel was President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1958-1959.