Silver River is a 1948 Western film directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan.
The story starts out with Mike McComb (Flynn) as an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War. Mike is at the battle of Gettysburg guarding a wagon filled with a million dollars—the payroll for Union soldiers—when Confederate cavalry sweeps down on them. Mike burns the money to keep it from falling in Confederate hands, but afterwards he is unfairly blamed for abandoning his post and losing the cash. He is court-martialed and kicked out of the army.
Cut to Mike, having taken a lesson in cynicism, reinventing himself as a gambler. He goes to the boom town of Silver River, Nevada to establish a casino. He aggressively pursues the gorgeous Georgia Moore (Sheridan) despite the fact that she's married to Stanley Moore (Bruce Bennett), one of the mine owners. Mike's lust for Georgia eventually leads to tragedy.
Thomas Mitchell plays John "Plato" Beck, Mike's lawyer and advisor. Max Steiner composed the score.
Tropes:
- The Alcoholic: Thomas Mitchell was typecast as a drunkard and he plays another one in this movie. He's unshaven and drunk at a bar when Mike hires him as his lawyer. Plato sobers up and straightens out for a while after this, but Mike's Uriah Gambit with Stanley causes Plato to fall Off the Wagon.
- Almost Dead Guy: Mike and Plato are scouting mining locations out in the desert when Mike's old friend Sam comes staggering over a hill. Sam collapses to the ground and tells them that he and his party were surveying the Black Rock Range when they were attacked by Shoshones. Then Sam dies.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: From the get-go between Georgia and Mike, at least from Georgia's perspective. She is constantly flinging insults at Mike and talking about what a bad guy he is—but she can't stop talking about him.
- Briefcase Full of Money: Boxes full of money being transported by Mike in a cart. He opens them up and burns them, as Confederate cavalrymen are in hot pursuit.
- Court-martialed: Mike is court-martialed and cashiered after he's unfairly blamed for losing the payroll money.
- Food Slap: Mike is putting the full-court press on Georgia at the reception dinner for President Grant. He raises his glass and says "May I offer you a toast, Mrs. Moore, to what we both really want." She throws her drink in his face.
- Historical Domain Character: President Ulysses Grant stops in Silver River. Georgia is irritated when Mike manages to get the president to visit his place.
- Injun Country: The Black Rock Range, where the local Shoshones are killing white prospectors, and where Mike deliberately sends Stanley.
- Insignia Rip-Off Ritual: Mike has his shoulder boards and buttons ripped off after he's convicted by a court-martial and discharged from the army.
- The Magic Poker Equation: A rival lays down three aces in a poker hand, but Mike has four queens so he wins.
- Nouveau Riche: After hitting it big Mike constructs a garish, tasteless mansion, and then invites all the other leading citizens of the town to a reception, just to rub their faces in it. Plato shows up drunk and ruins the reception with a "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
- Riding into the Sunset: The film ends with Mike riding off into the sunset with Georgia after telling the townsfolk that they'll open all the mines back up.
- Shoot Out the Lock: How Mike opens a gambler's safe in order to take his money, which Mike uses as seed money for his gambling business.
- Thunder Equals Downpour: A clap of thunder is followed by a deluge of rain, which forces Georgia to take refuge in Mike's wagon.
- Uriah Gambit: Mike has been alerted to the presence of Shoshone Indians in the Black Rock Range, murdering white prospectors who enter the area. He sends Stanley there anyway, because he wants Stanley's wife. A horrified Plato tells the story of the Trope Namer when confronting Mike about this. Mike has an attack of conscience and tries to stop Stanley, but it's too late and Stanley is killed.
