Where Was River Of No Return Filmed? The Epic 50s Western!

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One of the biggest releases this summer has been the Marilyn Monroe biography titled Blonde. It’s a tell-all movie and Ana De Armas does a splendid job of portraying Monroe. So if you’re on a binge of watching old classics of hers, then you should definitely watch River Of No Return. Today, we will tell you all about the movie, and also tell you where was River Of No Return filmed! Make sure you stick with us till the very end!

Directed in true 1950s fashion, River Of No Return is a western that will leave you on the edge of your seat all throughout! The filming of the movie was so arduous and difficult that Monroe once called it her ‘worst movie-making experience ever’. It’s no surprise she felt this way since, in one of the set mishaps, Monroe almost slipped and drowned to death!

So, where was River Of No Return filmed? The movie takes place in Idaho but is filmed mostly in Alberta, Canada. A few of the scenes were also shot in the actual location of Salmon River in Idaho. The remainder of the movie was shot within the four walls of 20th Century Fox Studios back in Los Angeles, California.

The filming locations were personally visited by the director and the producer of River Of No Return and only then approved. Canada standing in for Hollywood productions is nothing new and we have seen this in numerous movies. Some of the latest ones recently are movies like The Unforgivable, The Midnight Club, and more!

The Plot Of River Of No Return | What Is The Movie About?

Now, before we move on to see where was River Of No Return filmed, we need to see what the movie is about! River Of No Return starred some of the biggest names in Hollywood in the fifties! Besides Marilyn Monroe, we saw Robert Mitchum, Tommy Rettig, and Rory Calhoun in lead roles. With Otto Preminger as the director, River Of No Return had a lot going for it.

River Of No Return is set in the mid-1870s in Idaho, United States during the onset of the Gold Rush all across the county. The movie follows the life of a man named Matt Calder who has been serving time a prison. Serving time for killing a man but in self-defense, Matt is finally set free one day. 

As soon as he gets out the first thing he does is run to see his eleven-year-old kid, Mark. he has been in the custody of a local dance hall singer, Kay, played by Marilyn Monroe. The two come to a crossroads when Kay’s husband, Harry sets off to register a gold mine. The two set off on a journey to Council City through the river on a log raft. 

After the raft meets an accident, Kay and Harry are stranded in the middle of nowhere but are only saved by the generosity of Matt and Mark. But as Harry’s greed for money increases he abandons and leaves his wife Kay, as well as Matt and Mark for death. When the two finally come face to face against each other, things turn ugly.

Where Was River Of No Return Filmed? All The Locations You Need To Know About!

According to several movie insiders, the filming of River Of No Return was very difficult. Not only were there a lot of logistical issues for the crew but several issues with the cast arose too. Mitchum was a heavy drinker and Monroe had her own set of problems. 

With the cold arid location in Alberta not being friendly to them either, it was a miracle River Of No Return finished in time and within budget. So, where was River Of No Return filmed? Check out the locations down below!

Banff and Jasper National Parks, Alberta, Canada

Where Was River Of No Return Filmed? The Epic 50s Western!

River Of No Return hasn’t actually been filmed in Idaho for its entirety. That is because the director and producers of the movie had to incorporate a lot of scenes with the actors. That would have not been possible as the original river of no return is quite treacherous in its course.

Safe and logistically reasonable decisions to film in Canada were made and Otto himself scouted the locations. Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta were chosen for the filming of the movie. The cast and crew lived at the Banff Springs Hotel for the entirety of the filming in Canada. 

Rivers and places that feature in the movie are plentiful. The first one of which is the Maligne River in Jasper National Park. Further, Bow River and Snake Indian River were also used as locations in Alberta.

Salmon River, Idaho, USA

Where Was River Of No Return Filmed? The Epic 50s Western!

After filming wrapped up in Canada, some scenes needed to be filmed at the original place where the movie was based in. Otto the director, really wanted to add a touch of authenticity to the movie. So filming took place at the Salmon River in Idaho for a few scenes.

Some issues arose due to the fact that the star actors were not available during the filming. Monroe had endured a severe ankle injury in Canada due to which she had to wear a cast. The crew had to manage around that and film the scenes at Salmon River in Idaho.

21st Century Fox Studios, Century City, LA, California, USA

Where Was River Of No Return Filmed? The Epic 50s Western!

The film then moved to the studio to wrap up. All the indoor scenes were filmed at sets created in the 21st Century Fox Studios back in LA, California. There was a need to film some scenes with water involved too. As such the studio constructed a pool filled with water to replicate the river scenes. Some scenes involving a mountain lion attack were also filmed in a studio in controlled conditions. 

Final Words

We hope now you know where was River Of No Return filmed! The western is still a classic almost half a century after its release. With such difficult difficulties while filming, we can appreciate the dedication of the cast and crew behind the movie.

If you loved finding out about these locations, then check out where other westerns were filmed too! Some of our favorites are The Sacketts, Joe Kidd, Nevada Smith, and many more! If you want a movie or show to be covered then drop a comment below!

Who sang in The River of No Return?

In The River of No Return, the song with the same title is performed by Marilyn Monroe herself with lyrics by Ken Darby and music by Lionel Newman

Is The River Of No Return based on a true story?

No, The River Of No Return is not based on a true story, but a river in Idaho is actually known as the river of no return because of how dangerous it is.

Where to watch The River Of No Return in 2022?

You can watch The River of No Return on Amazon Prime and Vudu.

Ujwal Mattoo
Ujwal Mattoo
With full journalism and half engineering background, Ujwal has hands in both the tech and creative fields. He is a film enthusiast who loves all kinds of genres. As much as he enjoys watching movies, he is always amused to know more and write about the locations to feed his hunger for traveling. In this world of fictional louds, he voices his opinions softly! He is either busy writing or playing with Milo, his dog!

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