Mamba (1930)

August Bolte, the richest man in a settlement in German East Africa in the period before World War I, is called "Mamba" by the locals, which is the name of a deadly snake. Despised by the ... See full summary »

Director:

Albert S. Rogell

Writers:

Winifred Dunn, Tom Miranda (dialogue),

Stars:

Jean Hersholt, Eleanor Boardman, Ralph Forbes

Cast

Cast overview:
Jean Hersholt	...	August Bolte (Mamba)
Eleanor Boardman	...	Helen von Linden
Ralph Forbes	...	Karl von Reiden
Claude Fleming	...	Major Cromwell
Will Stanton	...	Cockney servant
Wilhelm von Brincken	...	Major von Shultz (as William von Brincken)
Hazel Jones	...	Hassim's daughter
Arthur Stone	...	British soldier
Torben Meyer	...	German soldier
Andrés de Segurola	...	Guido (as André De Segurola)
Edward Martindel	...	Fullerton
Noble Johnson	...	Hassim
Josef Swickard	...	Count von Linden (scenes deleted)

Storyline

August Bolte, the richest man in a settlement in German East Africa in the period before World War I, is called "Mamba" by the locals, which is the name of a deadly snake. Despised by the locals and the European settlers alike for his greed and arrogance, Bolte forces the beautiful daughter of a destitute nobleman to marry him in exchange for saving her father from ruin. Upon her arrival in Africa, she falls in love with an officer in the local German garrison. When World War I breaks out, Bolte, unable to avoid being conscripted, foments a rebellion among the local natives.

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Plot Keywords:

africa | world war one | partially lost film | two strip technicolor | melodrama

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Taglines:

In the depths of the African jungle is enacted a story of the depths of Human Hate and the Heights of Pure Love! (original ad)

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Il serpente bianco

Company Credits

Production Co:

Color Art Productions, Tiffany Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Color (2-strip Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Its successful opening broke all records at the Gaiety for the first two weeks of its run.

User Reviews

MAMBA exists! complete 78 mins 35mm 2 strip Technicolor

The comment from film library below is true and it is one of the most important discoveries in lost cinema. MAMBA is found intact and in color and on 35mm and the print exists here in Australia. In the tech specs info for this film, there were two main versions made, as silent one and two sound versions such was the transition of the time.... a photo-phone sound one and another sound version with the Vitaphone talking gramophone discs. This version discovered here is the sound-disc version and some discs exist here and some with a collector in the US. I now have been fortunate enough to actually see ALL of the film and the color is glorious: peacock colors and opalescent tangerine reds and cobalt blues... and excellent jungle colors and military uniforms... What a find! the sound is now matched and restoration imminent.....applause to our friends Murray and Pat xx

The re-discovery of a complete 35mm tech print of MAMBA is a major event for the world to share....so now we can share it: Talkie Historian Jonas Nordin and Myself PAUL BRENNAN with the assistance of the fabulous Astor theatre St Kilda (Melbourne) re presented MAMBA on a huge movie screen for the first time in 80- years on Nov 21st 2011. It was a gala night with hundreds in attendance who thrilled to the slideshow of the history of Tiffany productions then saw the whole 78 minute print with matched sound from the 9 discs held by UCLA. It was their office who assisted in providing the whole soundtrack in which we also found a censored sequence. MAMBA will have a US premiere in March 2012 courtesy of the Vitaphone Project office.