A businessman returns to his pioneer settlement and becomes embroiled in mystery, romance and violence.
Born in Paris, Jacques Tourneur was the son of a filmmaker and spent much of his youth in the United States. After working as an editor in France he returned to Hollywood and eventually fell in with producer Val Lewton, put in charge of RKO Studios' low-budget horror film department. The two collaborated on several highly atmospheric and influential films, including Cat People and I Walked With A Zombie. Tourneur was promoted to working with bigger casts and budgets, and Canyon Passage was his first foray into the Western genre as well as color photography.
What primarily separates the films from other Westerns is its setting; taking place in the Pacific Northwest, the imagery is far from the big skies and landscapes found in John Ford's iconic Monument Valley films. The atmosphere at times appears carried over from Tourneur's horror films: shadows and an uneasy sense of menace. The characters, far from the black and white archetypes common to the genre, are philosophical by word and complicated in action. The lack of a straightforward plot fits the idea of a region and society being constructed as we watch, with all of the joys and pitfalls that accompany progress.
Starring in the film are Dana Andrews (fresh off his hit collaboration with director Otto Preminger on Laura), Brian Donlevy (The >The Great McGinty), and future Oscar-winner Susan Hayward, Ward Bond (veteran of many John Ford productions). Singer-songwriter Hoagy Carmichael also appears on camera and performs several compositions.
Much of the film was shot on location in Oregon, with a distinct focus on the vertical space of the surroundings. The normally bold Technicolor palette was somewhat muted to better fit the story's setting and perspective.
While a moderate success at the time, the film was largely forgotten until more attention was paid to Tourneur's career by modern film critics and fans. Martin Scorsese is one of the film's notable cheerleaders.
Running time is approx. 1 hr, 30 min.
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