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William A. Wellman’sAcross The Wide Missourihad the potency to be an epic westerly , but extensive studio cuts resulted in a film unrecognisable from the one mean by its director . Released in 1951,Across The panoptic Missouristars screenland legend Clark Gable ( Gone With The Wind ) as pelt trapper Flint Mitchell , who embark upon a serious beaver hunting expedition in Blackfoot territory . accompany by a squad that includes trapper Pierre ( Adolphe Menjou ) and Flint ’s Scottish pal Brecan ( John Hodiak ) who ’s live on native with Blackfoot tribe , Flint ingratiates himself with Blackfoot head Bear Ghost ( Jack Holt , Cat People ) . That ’s thanks in part to entering a marriage of convenience with Bear Ghost ’s granddaughter Kamiah ( María Elena Marqués ) who he initially treats as a bargaining chip but they before long devolve in .
Across The Wide Missouridoes stick out from thewhitewashingcommon to Westerns of that era , with the Brobdingnagian majority of its Native American theatrical role played by Caucasian or Hispanic histrion , but Wellman did take steps to make a movie more authentic than many of its contemporaries . Thanks to expert advisor Nipo T. Strongheart , actor in the film speak Chinook jargon ( a aboriginal American trade voice communication ) and unlike many other Westerns of the era , Across The Wide Missourishowed a lot more cultural discernment by not portraying its Native American graphic symbol as barbarian .
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Add to that William C. Mellor ’s stunning Technicolor motion-picture photography of the ruggedly beautiful Colorado emplacement , andAcross The Wide Missourihad the potential to be an epical , intelligentWestern . That ’s until MGM took a tomahawk to the 135 - minute cut Wellman submitted and effectively ruined the film .
The cut came about as a result ofAcross The extensive Missouri’slukewarm receipt during mental testing screenings and the film was edited down to just 78 arcminute – scarcely half its original runtime . The heavily edited moving picture was so disjointed MGM decided to bring in actor Howard Keel ( Dallas ) to allow voiceover narration as Flint ’s grown - up Logos telling his father ’s life story to tie it together . Wellman was so sickened by MGM ’s cuts he effectively disownedAcross The Wide Missouri , afterwards tell in an interview “ I ’ve not seen it , and I never will . ”
In reality , the translation ofAcross The Wide Missourithat was released was only half the movie Wellman wanted interview to see . Had the film been made more recently , adirector ’s cutshowing a version more in line with his intent would ’ve probably been let go of but that was n’t the done thing back in the 1950s . Across The Wide Missouriis a beautifully nip and progressive Western but one that could ’ve been a whole peck better if it were n’t for MGM ’s ham - fisted redaction chore .
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