Review: The African Queen

Set in 1914, Katharine Hepburn is Rose Sayer, a prim and proper British missionary in East Africa with her brother, played by Robert Morley. WWI has broken out and it’s getting unsafe to stay, but Rose and her brother insist. Unfortunately, before long the Germans turn up and in a scuffle, Morley is killed. Humphrey Bogart plays Charlie, the grubby-looking but well-meaning Canadian steamboat captain who delivers supplies to Rose and her brother. When he turns up and learns what has happened, he kindly offers to help bury the brother and then get Rose to safety. Thus begins a trip along the river between two complete and utter opposites.

 

Long before Robert Zemeckis gave us “Romancing the Stone” in 1984, John Huston (“The Misfits”, “The Maltese Falcon”, “The Asphalt Jungle”) gave us this grand romantic adventure from 1951. Based on a book by C.S. Forester (“Sink the Bismarck!”), it’s a classic romance story, but with enough other stuff to keep the boys interested too. It is somewhat of a war movie after all, when you get right down to it. It’s grand, classic Hollywood entertainment containing something for everyone.

 

Humphrey Bogart won an Oscar here in one of his best-ever performances. I’m not normally a Katharine Hepburn fan, but this Oscar-nominated turn is easily one of her least irritating performances, even if she never sounds English so much as New England. No matter the accent (and Bogey doesn’t even try a Canadian accent), she’s pitch-perfect casting as the rather prim and proper spinster. She and Bogey make for an excellent romantic pairing, perhaps one of the finest in cinematic history. However, even a staunch non-drinker like me finds the scene where Hepburn faints at the very sight of alcohol to be awfully silly. The rest of the romantic odd couple pairing, is excellent, though. In fact, the only problem I have with the whole film (aside from a bit of dodgy projection work), is that the noisy motor of the boat means that both Bogey and Hepburn have to shout a lot of their dialogue. But any flaws are minor and frankly a bit petty.

 

The action is also pretty well-staged for 1951 I must say. It’s a shame inimitable British character actor Robert Morley doesn’t get many scenes as Hepburn’s brother (a bit of a stretch in casting I might add), and in fact the role doesn’t play to his normally pompous, comedic strengths. He is, however as solid as ever and does what he can. It’s certainly interesting to see him in such a different role.

 

This isn’t the masterpiece many claim it to be, but it’s very good entertainment with great stars, terrific scenery captured by Jack Cardiff (“Black Narcissus”, “The Vikings”), and a little something for everyone. The Oscar-nominated screenplay is by Huston, James Agee (“The Night of the Hunter”), John Collier (“The War Lord”, “I Am a Camera”), and with dialogue by Peter Viertel, who would later write about the experience in White Hunter Black Heart (Later turned into the underrated Clint Eastwood movie).

 

Rating: B