The Macomber Affair (1947)

Director:

Zoltan Korda

Writers:

Ernest Hemingway (story)
Seymour Bennett (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

17 September 1947 (France)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

Peck...Bennett...Hemingway...only all three together could create this electric love story...with a vengeance! (oiginal poster)

Plot:

Robert Wilson leads safaris on the Kenyan savannah. On this occasion, he takes Mr. and Mrs. Macomber out to chase buffalo...

Plot Keywords:

Safari | Rich | Attraction | Uxoricide | Illness

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Robert Wilson
Joan Bennett	...	Margaret Macomber
Robert Preston	...	Francis Macomber
Reginald Denny	...	Police Inspector
Jean Gillie	...	Aimee
Carl Harbord	...	Coroner
Earl Smith	...	Kongoni
Frederick Worlock	...	Clerk
Vernon Downing	...	Reporter Logan

Also Known As:

The Great White Hunter (USA) (reissue title)
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #11941) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Benedict Bogeaus Production

Trivia:

For the African scenes, Reginald Denny invented the first radio-controlled model airplane and, with Osmond Borradaile, put a camera on board in 1946.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Remington Steele: Steele Spawning (#4.12)" (1986)

Hemingway would have appreciated this journey

The writing team of Casey Robinson and Seymour Bennett adapted Ernest Hemingway's "the Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" into a solid screenplay which enlarged upon the subtle themes of the original. A wealthy couple(Robert Preston,Joan Bennett) arrive in East Africa ostensibly for a safari vacation but it soon becomes apparent that they are ill-matched and resentful of each other's failings.Their safari guide,Gregory Peck,attempting to conduct things professionally,becomes an unwilling spectator to their petty arguments and vicious insults.But as the party trek through the jungle in search of game the true personalities of the warring couple emerge playing havoc with Peck's sympathies and his growing interest in beautiful Bennett.An ironic twist of events await these adventurers as they pursue game more dangerous than they bargained for. An enriching score by Miklos Rozsa,the superb direction by Hungarian director Zoltan Korda,and fine performances by the 3 principals(especially Preston's paranoid tycoon) all serve the viewer with a gripping drama.