Hatari! (1962)

A group of men trap wild animals in Africa and sell them to zoos before the arrival of a female wildlife photographer threatens to change their ways.

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Leigh Brackett (screenplay), Harry Kurnitz (story)

Stars:

John Wayne, Elsa Martinelli, Hardy Krüger

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Wayne	...	Sean Mercer
Hardy Krüger	...	Kurt Muller (as Hardy Kruger)
Elsa Martinelli	...	Anna Maria 'Dallas' D'Allesandro / Mama Tembo
Red Buttons	...	Pockets
Gérard Blain	...	Charles 'Chips' Maurey (as Gerard Blain)
Bruce Cabot	...	Little Wolf aka The Indian
Michèle Girardon	...	Brandy de la Court (as Michele Girardon)
Valentin de Vargas	...	Luis Francisco Garcia Lopez
Eduard Franz	...	Dr. Sanderson
Queenie Leonard	...	Nurse (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Sean Mercer (played by John Wayne) runs a business in East Africa. He and his team capture wild animals for zoos. It is dangerous work - on of his men almost dies after being gored by a rhino. He accepts a request from a photographer to join his business and capture their experiences but is very surprised, and bit inconvenienced, when the photographer turns out to be a woman. However, over time he grows fond of her. Meanwhile, plans to capture certain animals lead to all sorts of plans and adventures.

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Plot Keywords:

zoo | chase | wildlife | drunk | savannah | 

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Taglines:

Hatari means Fun Hatari means Adventure! Hatari means Thrills!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Swahili

Release Date:

19 June 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tanganyika

Filming Locations:

Lake Manyara, Manyara, Tanzania

Box Office

Gross USA:

$14,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Malabar

Technical Specs

Runtime:

157 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the film, the going wholesale price for vervet monkeys was $12 apiece. Adjusted for inflation this would come to approximately $100 each.

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Goofs

In the opening scene where they are chasing a rhino, The Indian can be seen clutching his left leg where the rhino will gore him in a later shot a few seconds later. It appears to be a longer shot of the one just after the rhino gores him.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sean Mercer: [over two-way radio] Kurt, can you hear me?
Kurt Muller: Go ahead, Sean.
Sean Mercer: At about eleven o'clock... right in the middle of that herd of wildebeest - see him?
Kurt Muller: Oh, that's a good one.
Sean Mercer: Let's go; start out easy.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return: Lords of the Deep (2018)

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Soundtracks

Baby Elephant Walk
Written by Henry Mancini

User Reviews

so much fun

HATARI! is a film I could watch over and over for all eternity. I've loved it since I was a kid. John Wayne and a great ensemble cast are fun to watch as they have adventures in Africa capturing wild game for zoos around the world. Most of the laughs come from Red Buttons's comic relief Pockets, who does everything from make sly comments to building a giant rocket in order to capture monkeys. The capture sequences with the larger animals (especially the first and second rhino chases) are thrilling, with the actors themselves right in there with the animals. The almost three-hour running time flies by before you even know it. Throw in one of Henry Mancini's greatest scores and two pretty girls, and you've got a fun-filled adventure the whole family can enjoy for years and years.