User reviews

The producers respectfully dedIcate this story to the frontier woman of America who helped their men settle the Kentucky wilderness . They were gallant and courageous and without their agressive cooperation few of us would be around to see this picture . During 1798 , handsome Bushrod Gentry (Robert Taylor) is a Kentucky backwoodsman who sometimes staying with settler families for a night or two before moving on , until he meets a beautiful girl . One day, after being attacked from an Indian raid carried out by the Shawnes , being saved by a young Scotish woman, Mary Stuart Cherne (Eleanor Parker) , as the mountain man takes shelter with her family (father played by Victor MacLagen and sons : John Hudson , Russ Tamblyn , Jeff Richards ..) until his broken arm can heal . Then , Mary falls for him and she wished to marry him , leading to an obstinate proposal of marriage . But trapper Gentry delivers his usual speech about why he cannot marry or settle down , using the standard insinuations, and evasive motives and shortly after , he departs in a hurry . But stubborn Mary Stuart is not so easily dissuaded. She's the most impatient maiden in the virgin West...but he's not the marrying kind...It's an uproarious adventure!

Enjoyable Western comedy with action , shooting contests ,a shotgun wedding, broken promises , fist fights , a charming love story and thrilling Indian pursuits . This Kentucky adventure in CinemaScope results to be an extremely humorous and amusing romantic adventure through the American Frontier of 1798. This is a really spectacular and peculiar ¨Western¨version of Shakespeare's comedy ¨Taming of the Shrew¨, but here changing roles . As a freelance trapper and an obsessive woman who will not let anything interfere with her plans to marry him . As in this one explorer Robert Taylor plays the ¨Shrew¨ and independient scoutman who frequently breaks the hearts of the unmarried young daughters , while Eleanor Parker performs the ¨Tamer¨ , obstinate woman to take him as husband and asks him to marry her . Scout Robert Taylor gives a sympathetic acting as a Kentucky trapper who travels from place to place , using a few tricks up his sleeve to follow as a single man .Taylor and Parker are at their best in the extraordinarily funny fights scenes , giving an attractive and brilliant pairing . They added their inner fire to their performances . Being 3º and last movie they performed get together , in fact they played lovers in all three movies . This really splendid couple standing out similar to Douglas Fairbanks/Mary Pickford in 1929 version of ¨Taming of the Shrew ¨and Richard Burton-Elizabeth Taylor 1967 version playing Petruchio and Katherine respectively . These boxoffice actors sent the interested moviegoers to the theatres in droves , as getting 300.00 dollars approx . at the cinemas . The film owes much of its impact to fizzing filmmaking and the dazzing color camerawork of John Seitz , being shot on location in Wyoming, Cloverdale, California , Russian River, Sonoma County, California, and Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios . As well as jolly and atmospheric musical score by Cryl Mockridge and uncredited Miklós Rózsa .

The flick was decent and professionally directed by Roy Rowland . Veteran MGM B director Roy Rowland ended his career with three cheap westerns co-produced with MGM and shot in Spain . The motion picture was professional but middlingly directed by Roy Rowland . Roy sharpened his directing chops at MGM with a series of shorts starting in the 1930s, then moved up to features in 1943 . Roy spent quite a bit of time at the studio, from 1943-51 and again from 1954-58 ; he had the good fortune to marry the niece of Louis B. Mayer and was the father of actor Steve Rowland . While not one of the studio's top-rank directors , he was a good professional who had a considerable success . Most were B-movies, but he occasionally handled such A-graders . His greatest hit was , of course , the fantasy movie titled The 5000 fingers of Dr T (1953) . Rowland made an action picture for independent release based on a Mickey Spillane "Mike Hammer" novel starring Spillane himself (Girl hunters (1963)) . He specialized in a variety of genres, including musicals : ¡Viva Las Vegas! (1956) The seven hills of Rome (57) , Two weeks with love (50) and dramas : Our wines have tender grapes 45 with Edward G Robinson (1945). He was also responsible for the tough, fast-paced Rogue Cop (1954), one of the few MGM films that could be considered "film noir" . Roy was a Western expert , as the last film he made at MGM was this "B" western with Stewart Granger, Gun Glory (1957) ; besides , he filmed Outriders with Joel McCrea , Bugles in the afternoon with Ray Milland and Many rivers to cross with Robert Taylor ; after which and then he traveled to Europe for a string of Spanish/Italian-made westerns such as Los Pistoleros De Casa Grande and Ley Del Forastero . His final film as director was a somewhat cheesy pirate movie (he was uncredited ; his Italian co-director Sergio Bergonzelli got sole credit) called El Tigre De Los 7 Mares and its sequel : Tormenta Sobre el Pacífico (1966) . He was associate producer on Nathan Juran's Spain-shot Western : Al Infierno, gringo (1969), after which he retired . Rating : 6/10 . Well worth watching

I wasn't expecting much from this film - just something to pass a rainy Sunday.

What a wonderful surprise to find myself watching a screwball comedy about as good as Cary Grant or Irene Dunne could have hoped to make in the 1930's.

Give it a chance - you might love it like I did.

What a crosscurrent of styles! Alan Hale appears to already on "Gilligan's Island," McLaughlan is still doing "The Quiet Man," Tamblynn and Richards appear borrowed from "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (as do some of the sets; of course "Seven ..." was made the same year). Parker is nearly a decade too old for the part (In seven years, she'd play George Hamilton's mother!), Taylor about two decades (his adult movie debut was in 1936!). Still, this movie is fun enough.

This movie would have been better with more outdoor scenes, and a story that doesn't turn so serious toward the end. However, it is certainly worthwhile and not as predictable as I first thought it would be. With a little better pacing (and more humor) in the second half, "Many Rivers to Cross" would have been first rate. Still, it is a pretty good "near miss".

I have been searching for the theme song of this movie "The Berry Tree" since I saw it once as a 6 year-old kid in 1955 or 56. I've hummed the melody and sung the few lyrics I remembered since then. I finally got the VHS tape last week and what a pleasure. This is a fantastic frontier comedy and it brings back fond memories of me as a young kid wearing a Davy Crockett coonskin cap and singing the song. Here are the lyrics to the song if anyone else has wondered what they were for 45 years or so, as I had. From other comments here, this song made an indelible impression on almost everyone that has heard it.

The higher up the berry tree the sweeter grows the berry

The more you hug and kiss a gal the more she wants to marry

The berry tree's a wise old tree the sweetest fruit is his'n

But marryin' up with any gal is just like goin' to prison

(Bridge)

Peaches in the summertime, apples in the fall Till I find the gal I want, a' gonna have none at all

Cause higher up.

Bushrod Gentry (Robert Taylor) is a wandering backwoods trapper in 18th century Kentucky. He's fighting off a band of savage Indians when he is saved by woodswoman Mary Stuart Cherne (Eleanor Parker). Like so many others before her, she is immediately head over heels for him. Luke Radford (Alan Hale Jr.) is jealous.

This is an old fashion western rom-com. They are both wearing coon caps and fringed leather. Everyone is killing Indians. Eleanor Parker's performance reminds me of Maureen O'Hara right down to her red hair. It's the basic conflicting banter of a love hate relationship. This works.

If you liked Robert Taylor, (Bushrod Gentry) in many of his films, you will enjoy this comedy with Eleanor Parker, (Mary Stuart Cheme). This film opens up with Bushrod traveling through the woods of Kentucky as a hunter to just sold $400.00 worth of furs at a trading post and the young girl at the post had her eyes on Bushrod for marriage, but this was not what Bushrod wanted in his life for a long time to come.

Bushrod runs into an Indian who attacks Mary Stuart Cheme, and saves her from being scalped and raped. It was from that moment on that Mary Stuart was determined to have this man as her husband.

There is plenty of comedy and Victor McLaglen, (Mr. Cadmus Cheme) gave a great supporting role along with many other famous actors. Enjoy.

This is an excellent movie. It may be too slow paced for those of you who are only looking for whiz-bang, but for others with a little more spirit it is a classic. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie several times. It captures a long lost frontier spirit and accurately portrays it on the screen. The music is good, but not overwhelming. It matches the pace of the story very well.

Robert Taylor is the freelance fur trapper who is passing through. On his way he is rescued by Eleanor Parker and her sidekick Sandak.

Following this, the battle of the sexes begins. It is frontier wits versus feminine charm, and guile.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Coonskin-hatted trapper Robert Taylor is pursued by coonskin-hatted, Eleanor Parker in the wilds of 1790s Kentucky in this romantic comedy.

It strikes me that this seems much more the sort of movie you might get from Universal than MGM, even though it has the usual MGM gloss when it comes to all the details, what with Taylor's spotless buckskins, and his cap looking like it just came out of the vaults of Revillon Freres. The casting is prime too, with James Arness, Rhys Williams, and Victor McLaglen. Indeed, it's McLaglen who's the tell that this is MGM's take on THE QUIET MAN. Unfortunately, it lacks the boisterous good humor of Ford's take, the fight choreography is dull and cut so you can tell there's a stunt double for Taylor, and Ralph Moody's wooden Indian lacks the lurking menace of Barry Fitzgerald's amiable IRA man.

It's amiable, hokey cheese, and Universal might have cast Tony Curtis, which would have made it fun.

Are you guys kidding me? What's up with all the positive reviews on here. I enjoy watching old movies but you have to give credit where it is due and this movie does certainly not deserve all of that praising.

It's a very simple made little movie. The story is incredibly simple and is not really heading anywhere. It's unclear to me what this movie is trying to be; A comedy, a romantic movie or an adventurous one. The movie mixes many of all those elements and the end result is a mixed bag of a movie with an awkward love-story, sporadic action and a vague main plot line.

This is really one of those movies that is heading nowhere and makes a pointless impression. Perhaps if the movie had a more clear main plot line and other small things, such as perhaps a more villainous opposite character, the movie would at least had been more interesting to watch.

The movie mostly relies on its love-story but it is a rather awkward one, that is far from credible or likable. It tries to be original but ends up being annoying instead.

The fun characters are about the only redeeming quality of this movie. They still make sure that the movie is a light and fun one to watch. The main character, played by Robert Taylor, is also quite good and enjoyable. A sort of Indiana Jones like character set in the Wild West. Not as good obviously but certainly comparable.

Certainly not unwatchable but far from a good- or even interesting one to watch.

5/10

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This movie is one that I have watched (over the last forty years) with my mom and then later my daughter many times. It is one of our favorites. In it you will discover that Robert Taylor (best known for his beautiful face and romantic roles) has a flair for comedy and makes good use of a wonderful supporting cast.

Victor McLaughlin is himself (but that's just fine by me), James Arness plays straight man and a young Alan Hale Jr. (before Gilligan's Island) combine with the perennially juvenile antics of Russ Tamblin to provide and hour and a half plus of escapist entertainment and downright good old fashioned laughter.

The beautiful Eleanor Parker plays a tomboy like no other we've seen but that's okay, too. This one's for fun and for the trivia purists, too. There are many connections to television shows that some of the cast will appear in years later. See how many you can find. Hint...check out the director, etc.

The higher up the berry tree, the sweeter grow the berries, the more you hug and kiss a girl, the more they want to marry!

Many Rivers to Cross is directed by Roy Rowland and adapted for the screen by Harry Brown & Guy Trosper from a story by Steve Frazee. It stars Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, Victor McLaglen, Jeff Richards, Russ Tamblyn, James Arness & Alan Hale Jr. Music is by Cyril J. Mockridge and photography by John Seitz. It's a CinemaScope production in Eastman Color.

"The more you hug and kiss a gal, the more she wants to marry"

The film opens with a written statement informing us that the film is respectfully dedicated to the frontier women of America. Those tough gals who aided their men as they settled the Kentucky wilderness. It's a nice touch, but, after the film has finished you wonder if those tough gals from years back would have been grateful for the finished product. For the film in plot basically consists of sharp-shooting frontier woman Mary Stuart Cherne (Parker) badgering bachelor trapper Bushrod Gentry (Taylor) into marriage. Even tricking him into said marriage, where, she's aided by her father and brothers at gunpoint and fisticuffs. Of course none of it is to be remotely taken seriously, in fact this is a lovely little comedy that's rough around the edges but smooth in the centre, but it's undeniably archaic to say the least.

This is a film that you really have to be in the mood for because otherwise it could irk you. The direction is sloppy and there is a ream of overacting to tolerate. Yet it's fun, and the cast seem to be enjoying the relaxed nature of the plotting. There's some lovely scenery shot by Seitz, where various locations were used, including at Cloverdale, California and Rock Pile Mountain, Missouri, while Mockridge's music is jaunty and the title song eminently hummable. The advent of High Definition is also a plus point here, since the print of the film is a decent one the Eastman Color is very pleasing on the eyes, whilst suffice to say the sexy Miss Parker, with flaming red hair, also benefits greatly from the mix.

Nice family film with much to recommend, but only watch if you are in a jovial mood to begin with. 7/10

I couldn't get through 10 minutes of this movie. Cheesy dialog and mostly stiff, bad acting. I wanted to see James Arness, but didn't get far enough. I couldn't force myself to watch any longer.

higher up the berry tree" it stuck with me and so did the fun of the movie. i remember that robert taylor just looked out of place to me but the movie stayed with me all these years. I have enjoyed it over the years and have seen it on tv a couple of times and i always recommend it to my friends. good.

Whilst not the most naturally obvious of casting here, the dynamic between the Calamity Jane-esque "Mary Stuart" (Eleanor Parker) and trapper "Bushrod" (Robert Taylor) works quite well. He is a bit of an heart-breaker who has an altercation with some Indians in the Kentucky wilderness and is luckily saved when she comes to his rescue. She takes him to her family's settlement where she lives with her father "Cadmus" (a slightly understated Victor McLaglen) and her four brothers. They take to him, he takes to them - and he stays a little longer than planned starting an amiably comedic will they/won't they relationship with "Mary Stuart". Now here is a woman who is determined to get her man! It's all very predictable, but along the way we have some fun escapades with the Indians and the brothers - including Russ Tamblyn - with plenty of fisticuffs, bows-and-arrows, tomahawks, and some engaging role-reversal, raccoon-clad, entertainment. It's a bit over-scripted and Roy Rowland struggles to keep the initially quickly paced action and dialogue sustained throughout, but it's still quite a decent watch that puts a different slant on the pioneering west.

I watched this on TCM one night & my wife & I laughed so hard we almost fell off the couch!! This is one of those little movies that has something for everyone...comedy, action, a wonderful script, & characters that force you to like them. Robert Taylor was perfect as the footloose, frontier Romeo, & Eleanor Parker was never more beautiful & funny playing the love-sick woman who intends to "get her man" no matter what it takes...but make no mistake, she is no wimpy, sighing, helpless female...she really is "Steppin' Woman"!!!! The title song is so catchy that you'll have trouble not singing it for months afterward. Some of the dialogue is at one turn hilarious, then a few lines later, subtly humorous...a real scriptwriter's dream. There is nothing to offend anyone but lots of things to delight everyone. A great family film!!!!

I really, really liked this movie. I was entranced when I saw it on TV when I was 8 years old and I saw it again when I was 38. So many times I am disappointed when I watch a movie as an adult that I loved as a child. I am hoping that it will have the same impact on me and that I will love it just as much. Too often that just doesn't happen. THIS movie did not disappoint!! It takes off at the very beginning with Mary Stewart, brilliantly portrayed by Eleanor Parker, setting her cap for the handsome Bushrod Gentry, just as brilliantly portrayed by Robert Taylor. She schemes to marry him and then proceeds to follow him all over the wilderness. There is a hilarious sequence of events when Mary Stewart and Bushrod are hiding from the Indians.

This is a great guy movie AND a great chick flick rolled into one. This movie has it all - comedy, gun-play, drama, pathos, and a great score with a little ditty that gets in your head and won't soon leave.

The higher up the berry tree The sweeter grow the berries The more you hug and kiss a girl The more she'll want to marry!

Saw "Many Rivers to Cross" when it came out originally, then just recently -- in a boxed set of westerns from "Costco". I was 13 when I first saw it--and didn't remember much about it. Now, I know why, there's nothing memorable about it. This was an effort to equal the popularity and success of "The Quiet Man", a "comedy" with a roughly parallel tone and marriage-spoof/conflict. It even brings back Victor McGlaughlin in an almost identical role as "Man". The bad mistake with "Rivers...Cross", is that just because a Western has a comedic tone, it doesn't mean it should insult the genre right down to the spokes and horse's hooves. Some respect should be shown,if only a minimum, regards sets, script continuity, costumes and the times when the film is supposed to occur. Plus, if the budget requires a mostly studio effort, then some vigor should be made in the studios scenes to make them appear roughly genuine. If this were a weak "B" second feature from a minor studio maybe the poor quality could be excused; however, the cast was first rate, and this was allegedly an "A" movie. So, as an "A" movie, it completely failed for me. Lastly, it wasn't funny at all.

It is a film reflecting a period, more than a genre. because it is western and comedy and love story and beautiful eulogy to the people of frontier. and occasion for Robert Taylor to be seductive at whole. its virtue - to translate, in right manner, the atmosphere of "50. and to use , in inspired manner, the humor , remembering, in other context, same spiced, the couple Hepburn - Tracy. and, maybe, it is the axis of a story with old flavour and a lot of fun, mixed with tension, in package of old fashion sweat moral lesson.

Romantic comedy set in the West with brave Eleanor Parker trying by all means to get an aloof Robert Taylor to marry her either the good way or the bad way. The couple live spark, humorous situations with irregular effects on the battle of sexes, and a predictable ending, but they do have lucky moments within an entertaining plot with continuous incidents in a calm tempo, without sudden accelerations or breakdowns.

This is simply a charming , funny movie . Robert Taylor is exceptionally good - as is the supporting cast in general. Well-made Western comedies seem few and far between .

The movie was not well publicized upon its release as I recall , nor was it rated as top flight . It's hardly ever seen on television.

The film can easily be described as wholesome - a rarity more today than back in the 50's . Its tone and style reflect the mood of the times.

By all means , catch it if you can .