Good start, but then it gets ruined

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Best movie ever!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Border River at it's time was one of a dwindling band of westerns where you could have a Confederate hero as the lead. Joel McCrea plays a man who was a major on Robert E. Lee's staff. He's pulled off one very big heist at the Denver Mint and he's got 2 million in gold bullion. But what to do with it? Actually the miracle is how he got it from Colorado to Texas, the stuff is pretty bulky.McCrea crosses the Rio Grande to a place called Zona Libre where neither the writ of Emperor Maximilian nor that of Benito Juarez runs. Instead the guy in charge is Pedro Armendariz who's a tin-pot tyrant and his right hand man is Alfonso Bedoya who revs up his Gold Hat character from The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. There's also saloon entertainer Yvonne DeCarlo who's the general's personal squeeze, but she takes a fancy to McCrea and later proves invaluable to him.McCrea's interest is to buy supplies for the Confederate army with the stolen gold. But there's a real lack of trustworthy people around from Armendariz on down. There's a whole lot of intrigue going on in the Zona Libre. There's also the looming shadow of Juarez who'd really like to put Armendariz and remove a real problem from his rear.Border River is a competently made western with the truest cowboy hero around Joel McCrea in the lead. He and DeCarlo work well together. But the ones to watch are Armendariz and Bedoya trying to outdo each other in evil. Bedoya looks like he's having a great old time out-acting the cast of about ten different films.

In Civil War time, officer of the South Joel McCrea shows up in Zona Libre, a "neutral" territory ruled by a suave-slimy Mexican general, offering gold in exchange for guns and supplies. The general agrees....and not much more happens for the rest of the movie. While the political machinations of the plot give it some interest, there just isn't enough drive in it. McCrea and Yvonne De Carlo (exceptionally beautiful in a succession of dresses that cover nearly all the colors of the rainbow!) have some interesting discussions, but mostly go through the motions; Perdo Armendariz gives the most entertaining performance as the general. On the whole, apart from a scene of McCrea trying to pull his horse out of a quicksand pit, a quite forgettable film. ** out of 4.

This isn't a particularly good or bad Western and the only reason I watched it is because Joel McCrea was a pretty good actor. Aside from his excellent as always performance, the film doesn't have a whole lot to distinguish it one way or the other. It's a definite time-passer, though Yvonne de Carlo and Pedro Armendariz do provide some decent supporting chemistry in this film about stolen Union gold during the US and Mexican Civil wars.Armendariz plays a rogue Mexican general who sets up his own government along the US and Mexican border. Here is where wanted men and those who are seeking to do illegal stuff congregate. McCrea shows to buy arms for the Confederacy from the slick general and most of the movie concerns how McCrea can both keep the gold hidden AND eventually exchange it for weapons without getting killed or robbed. The film is competently made and interesting, but that's all.

this was yet another solid performance by joel mccrea. yvonne de carlo also adds strength to this feature. the film portrays a turbulent time in our history and the the film portrays just how dedicated some membersof the confederacy were in prolonging the war.