Robert Taylor is an engineer looking for a short but dangerous route across part of Africa, accompanied by a beautiful woman and a comic sidekick. He's working against a rival team. The rival team is led by the greedy Gunther, a British actor but wearing a German name. Gunther is aided by swarthy, double-dealing Islamic sneaks. I leave it to you to guess which team wins.
If there is ANY cliché you can think of that's associated with the meme of Africa, the Dark Continent, you'll find it used unashamedly here.
Traveling down the river on rafts, Taylor and sidekick Anthony Newley take turns shooting crocodiles. (They shoot everything they see.) Each time one manages to kill one of the reptiles, he gives the other a thumb up, as if it were some kind of game of backyard basketball. Taylor at least aims his rifle. He'd been a hunter since childhood. Newley merely shoots from the hip -- or jabs his rifle in the direction of the target, as if trying to frighten it with a spear.
They shoot and kill a magnificent bull elephant too, against a back projection. They shoot "natives." Well, except the "good natives," with whom there is the ritual exchange of "magic trinkets." Taylor performs a miracle by chloroforming a witch doctor then reawakening him. He gives the chief a telescope, which the chief deploys to much laughter. There is a native dance with the villagers thumping up and down and going "Ooomph!" with each bounce. A view of the distant Kilimajaro, which the natives believe is topped with silver rather than snow.
The beautiful girl falls in love with Robert Taylor. Gunther shoots one too many people and is himself offed.
The score is genetic. The acting is wooden. The sound is tinny. You've seen this all before.
If there is ANY cliché you can think of that's associated with the meme of Africa, the Dark Continent, you'll find it used unashamedly here.
Traveling down the river on rafts, Taylor and sidekick Anthony Newley take turns shooting crocodiles. (They shoot everything they see.) Each time one manages to kill one of the reptiles, he gives the other a thumb up, as if it were some kind of game of backyard basketball. Taylor at least aims his rifle. He'd been a hunter since childhood. Newley merely shoots from the hip -- or jabs his rifle in the direction of the target, as if trying to frighten it with a spear.
They shoot and kill a magnificent bull elephant too, against a back projection. They shoot "natives." Well, except the "good natives," with whom there is the ritual exchange of "magic trinkets." Taylor performs a miracle by chloroforming a witch doctor then reawakening him. He gives the chief a telescope, which the chief deploys to much laughter. There is a native dance with the villagers thumping up and down and going "Ooomph!" with each bounce. A view of the distant Kilimajaro, which the natives believe is topped with silver rather than snow.
The beautiful girl falls in love with Robert Taylor. Gunther shoots one too many people and is himself offed.
The score is genetic. The acting is wooden. The sound is tinny. You've seen this all before.