<P> Preminger's experience on the film convinced him he never wanted to work as a studio employee again, and he paid Fox $150,000 to cancel the remainder of his contract . </P> <P> In later years, Monroe claimed River of No Return was her worst film, and Preminger spoke bitterly about her in numerous interviews . It wasn't until January 1980, when being interviewed for the New York Daily News, that he conceded, "She tried very hard, and when people try hard, you can't be mad at them ." </P> <P> Bosley Crowther of the New York Times observed, "It is a toss - up whether the scenery or the adornment of Marilyn Monroe is the feature of greater attraction in River of No Return...The mountainous scenery is spectacular, but so, in her own way, is Miss Monroe . The patron's preference, if any, probably will depend upon which he's interested in . Certainly, scriptwriter Frank Fenton has done the best he could to arrange for a fairly equal balance of nature and Miss Monroe...And that should not be too lightly taken . For Director Otto Preminger has thrown all the grandeur and menace of these features upon the eye - filling CinemaScope screen . A sickening succession of rapids, churned into boiling foam, presents a display of nature's violence that cannot help but ping the patron's nerves . The raft tumbling through these rapids is quite a sight to see . And layouts of Rocky Mountain landscapes are handsome in color, too . But Mr. Mitchum's and the audience's attention is directed to Miss Monroe through frequent and liberal posing of her in full and significant views ." </P> <P> Variety said, "The competition between scenic splendors of the Jasper and Banff National Parks and entertainment values finds the former finishing slightly ahead on merit, although there's enough rugged action and suspense moments to get the production through its footage . In between the high spots, Otto Preminger's directorial pacing is inclined to lag, so the running time seems overlong ." </P>

Where was the film river of no return filmed