The African Queen (1951)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

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

Release Date:

20 February 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

German | Steamboat | Mission | Swamp | Missionary

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Charlie Allnut
Katharine Hepburn	...	Rose Sayer
Robert Morley	...	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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Errol John	...	(uncredited)
Gerald Onn	...	Petty Officer (uncredited)
John von Kotze	...	German Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
C.S. Forester		(novel "The African Queen")
James Agee		(adapted for the screen by) &
John Huston		(adapted for the screen by)
Peter Viertel		uncredited &
John Collier		uncredited

Produced by
Sam Spiegel	....	producer (as S.P. Eagle)
John Woolf	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Allan Gray

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ralph Kemplen

Art Direction by
Wilfred Shingleton

Makeup Department
Eileen Bates	....	hairdresser
George Frost	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Leigh Aman	....	production manager
T.S. Lyndon-Haynes	....	production manager
Robert Sterne	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Guy Hamilton	....	assistant director
Bill Herlihy	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Bert Pearl	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
John Hoesli	....	assistant art director
Don Picton	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
Eric Wood	....	sound editor
Kevin McClory	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Cliff Richardson	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Ted Moore	....	camera operator
Edward Scaife	....	second unit photography (as Ted Scaife)
Steve Birtles	....	electrician (uncredited)
Desmond Davis	....	clapper loader: studio (uncredited)
Arthur Graham	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
John von Kotze	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Connie De Pinna	....	other clothes designer
Doris Langley Moore	....	costume designer: Miss Hepburn
Vi Murray	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Roy Hyde	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
George Minassian	....	color technician: Technicolor (uncredited)
Ted Obolensky	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Norman Del Mar	....	conductor

Other crew
Angela Allen	....	continuity
Bunny Allen	....	location manager (uncredited)
Edward Joseph	....	location scout (uncredited)
V.B. Lyndon-Haynes	....	location manager (uncredited)
Kevin McClory	....	assistant: Mr. Huston (uncredited)
Eva Monley	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jeanie Sims	....	secretary to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Romulus Films (presents) (as Romulus)
• Horizon Pictures

Distributors

• United Artists (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Independent Film Distributors (IFD) (1951) (UK) (theatrical) (distribution controlled by) (as Independent Film Distributors Ltd)
• Filmileijona (1952) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Nova Film (1952) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Impuls Verleih (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Eye Film Instituut (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Filmimies (1977) (Finland) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1970) (USA) (TV)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Elephant Films (2004) (France) (DVD)
• Finnkino (1996) (Finland) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Future Film (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Magnetic Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1983) (Finland) (TV)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• TV3 (1990) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Cinema Classics Masterpiece Collection)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1962) (Finland) (TV) (1967) (1997) (2000) (2003) (2007) (2009)

Other Companies

• Technicolor  color
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)  acknowledgement
• Westrex Recording System  recording system
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The  music played by (as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | German | Swahili

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Norway:7 | Singapore:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #15611) | South Korea:15 (2002) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | UK:U (video rating) (1987) (2001) | UK:U (tv rating) | Netherlands:9 (2010) (DVD) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 (re-rating) (1978) | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1952) | USA:Unrated | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL (video rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:U | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Romulus Films

Trivia:

John Huston's daughter Anjelica Huston was born in Ireland during filming.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Allnut gets wet sleeping under the open sky, and Rose finally lets him into the canopied part of the boat. After he falls asleep, she opens an umbrella to protect him from the rain. When she opens the umbrella, it is already wet, presumably from previous takes.

Quotes:

Captain of Louisa:By the authority vested in me by Kaiser William II, I pronounce you man and wife. Proceed with the execution.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Hollywood's Top Ten: Romantic Adventures (#1.358)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Bold Fisherman

Two-Person Adventure Story That Entertains

This is almost strictly a two-person movie with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn dominating the story and screen time. It's a likable classic film because of those two famous actors, a nice romance, good adventure and even some comedy thrown in to the mix. I'm shocked a well-known film with these actors still isn't available on DVD in Region 1, as of late 2006.

The two actors squabble in the beginning but I like the fact that the film didn't go on too long in that regard as they did in many old-time battle-of-the-sexes movies. The story also a little unusual in that neither lead actor is in his/her prime, meaning it's almost a middle-age romance story.

Once they become enamored with each other, the movie mainly goes into the trials the two have in piloting this boat, "The African Queen" down river with the goal of reaching a German ship and blowing it up. Yes, it's a World War II movie, of sorts.

To be honest, the film does slow down a bit in the beginning of Bogie and Hepburn's romance but the last 30 minutes finish strong with one obstacle after another hitting the pair of adventurers, and it's interesting to watch.