Canyon River (film)

Canyon River is a 1956 American Western film directed by Harmon Jones and starring George Montgomery, Marcia Henderson, and Peter Graves. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Samuel Peeples.

The plot centers around a sheep rancher, Steve Wesley (Montgomery), who faces prejudice and hostility from local cattle ranchers in the Oregon Territory. Wesley is determined to make a living raising sheep, but the cattlemen, led by Van McEwen (Graves), see him and his flock as a threat to their grazing land. McEwen and his men resort to violence and intimidation to drive Wesley out. Adding to the tension is the arrival of Ann Kitteridge (Henderson), a woman from the East who is drawn to the rugged landscape and Wesley himself. The film explores themes of prejudice, perseverance, and the clash between old and new ways of life in the American West. Canyon River is notable for its scenic location shooting in Oregon and its depiction of the sheep versus cattle conflict, a common theme in Western literature and film.