The African Queen (1951)

In Africa during WW1, a gin-swilling riverboat owner/captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

C.S. Forester (novel), James Agee (adapted for the screen by),

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Charlie Allnut
Katharine Hepburn	...	Rose Sayer
Robert Morley	...	The Brother / Rev. Samuel Sayer
Peter Bull	...	Captain of Louisa
Theodore Bikel	...	First Officer
Walter Gotell	...	Second Officer
Peter Swanwick	...	First Officer of Shona
Richard Marner	...	Second Officer of Shona

Storyline

September 1914, news reaches the colony German Eastern Africa that Germany is at war, so Reverend Samuel Sayer became a hostile foreigner. German imperial troops burn down his mission; he is beaten and dies of fever. His well-educated, snobbish sister Rose Sayer buries him and leaves by the only available transport, the dilapidated river steamboat 'African Queen' of grumpy Charlie Allnut. As if a long difficult journey without any comfort weren't bad enough for such odd companions, she is determined to find a way to do their bit for the British war effort (and revenge her brother) and aims high as God is obviously on their side: construct their own equipment, a torpedo and the converted steamboat, to take out a huge German warship, the Louisa, which is hard to find on the giant lake and first of all to reach, in fact as daunting an expedition as anyone attempted since the late adventurous explorer John Speakes, but she presses till Charlie accepts to steam up the Ulana, about to brave...

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Plot Keywords:

german | steamboat | african | torpedo | mission | 

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Taglines:

The greatest adventure a man ever lived...with a woman!

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Genres:

Adventure | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements, some violence and smoking

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English German Swahili

Release Date:

20 February 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

African Queen

Filming Locations:

Isleworth Studios, London Road, Isleworth, Middlesex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Horizon Pictures, Romulus Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (as Colour by) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'The African Queen' sank and had to be raised twice during filming of the movie. Lauren Bacall quoted "The natives had been told to watch it and they did. They watched it sink."

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Goofs

When Charlie wakes up in the rain, his blanket is completely soaked. After Rosie lets him in out of the rain, his blanket is dry.

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Quotes

Charlie Allnut: [skitting Rose] Can you make a torpedo? Well do so Mr. Allnut.

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Connections

Edited into Spisok korabley (2008)

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Soundtracks

"God of Grace and God of Glory (Cwm Rhondda)"
Words by Harry Fosdick
Music by John Ceiriog Hughes

User Reviews

entertaining but overrated

The African Queen is an entertaining film done in grand old Hollywood style, and it is probably the most conventional movie John Huston ever made. It's surprising though that people can call this movie one of the greatest of all time considering the hokey (and at times unbelievable) script and the awkward lack of chemistry between Bogart and Hepburn. Actually, that lack of chemistry creates some strangely funny moments which change the tone of this adventure story--sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. The two are never really believable as the characters they are playing, but they are still fun to watch as a couple of stars chewing up the scenery. Bogart's Academy Award for this performance is obviously a Revlon choice in that it makes up for his being overlooked for at least 10 better performances that he gave prior to this one. Huston's direction seems to lose focus in the last 10 minutes or so and the ending is very abrupt, but overall the film is briskly paced and painless. Also worth noting is the wonderful use of African locations as photographed by master cinematographer Jack Cardiff. If you want to see a better film with similar themes, check out Huston's far superior Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison.