Stanley and Livingstone (1939)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Directors:

Henry King
Otto Brower

Writers:

Hal Long (historical research and story outline) and
Sam Hellman (historical research and story outline) ...

Release Date:

18 August 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History

Tagline:

IN ALL THE WORLD NO SHOW LIKE THIS! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

When American newspaperman and adventurer Henry M. Stanley comes back from the western Indian wars,...

Plot Keywords:

Missionary | Religion | Africa | New York City | Wyoming

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Henry M. Stanley
Nancy Kelly	...	Eve Kingsley
Richard Greene	...	Gareth Tyce
Walter Brennan	...	Jeff Slocum
Charles Coburn	...	Lord Tyce
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Dr. David Livingstone (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Henry Hull	...	James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
Henry Travers	...	John Kingsley
Miles Mander	...	Sir John Gresham
David Torrence	...	Mr. Cranston
Holmes Herbert	...	Sir Frederick Holcomb
C. Montague Shaw	...	Sir Oliver French (as Montague Shaw)
Brandon Hurst	...	Sir Henry Forrester
Hassan Said	...	Hassan
Paul Harvey	...	Col. Grimes

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #5040)

Filming Locations:

Kenya

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The movie was dubbed into Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch.

Goofs:

Factual errors: At the National Geographic Society Stanley states he is English because he was born in St. Asaph. This is actually in Wales.

Quotes:

Henry M. Stanley: Dr. Livingstone, I presume?
Dr. David Livingstone: Yes!
Henry M. Stanley: Thank God, Doctor, I have been permitted to see you.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Malibu Beach Party (1940)

Soundtrack:

Onward Christian Soldiers

The wild west moves east

This is an interesting movie for a couple of reasons. It suffers from coming out in 1939, which may be the great year of movie releases in history. Its history might be quite different if it was not buried amongst the movie icons that also came out that year.

The first thing I found worth noting was how Hollywood converted the basic western format into an African safari. You could see/hear so many western standard devices as you viewed the film. It was once stated that all movies can be converted into a cowboy movie. This movie was a very short trip in that respect.

The second, and best part, was the whole historical concept of the story, despite the difference from the actual story, which were so eloquently detailed below. The story of this journey, along with the journey of Lewis and Clark, or one-armed Capt. John Wesley Powell through the southwest, especially the Grand Canyon, make up some of the greatest adventures of modern times.

All in all, this movie is a good adventure.