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African Queen, The

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African Queen, The DVD
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African Queen, The on DVD


After years of wooing director John Huston via good reviews, film critic James Agee was given a chance to write the screenplay for a Huston picture. Adapted from a novel by C.S. Forester, The African Queen stars Humphrey Bogart in his Oscar-winning portrayal of Charlie Allnut, the slovenly, gin-swilling captain of a tramp steamer called the African Queen, which ships supplies to small East African villages during World War I. Katharine Hepburn plays Rose Sayer, the maiden-lady sister of a prim British missionary, Rev. Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley). When Germans invade and Samuel dies, Allnut offers to take Rose back to civilization. She can't tolerate his drinking or bad manners; he isn't crazy about her imperious, judgmental attitude. However it does not take long before their passionate dislike turns to love. Together the disparate duo work to ensure their survival on the treacherous waters and devise an ingenious way to destroy a German gunboat. The African Queen may well be the perfect adventure film, its roller-coaster storyline complemented by the chemistry between its stars. The profound difficulties inherent in filming on location in Africa have been superbly documented by several books, including one written by Katharine Hepburn. Screenwriter Peter Viertel (who worked, on an uncredited basis, on the script of this film - assisting with some of the dialogue) incorporated some of the African Queen anecdotes in his roman a clef about a Huston-like director/adventurer, White Hunter, Black Heart. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
  • Sound By: Dolby Digital Mono
  • Released By: Paramount
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Embracing Chaos: Making the African Queen

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  • African Queen, The DVD
African Queen, The DVD

Editorial Reviews

Yes, you know that the amusingly juxtaposed boozy sailor (Humphrey Bogart) and missionary's sister (Katharine Hepburn) will eventually see past their opposite-world differences to find love. But getting from A to B has never been so much fun as it is in this John Huston masterpiece. The African Queen is a sterling example of the kind of rollicking adventure that makes classic film enthusiasts pine for the old days. It has it all: action, comedy, and romance that unfold in a perfect synergy of plot, character, and dialogue. The film was deservedly nominated for four key Oscars: for Huston and James Agee's screenplay, for Huston's directing, and for Bogart and Hepburn, though only Bogart won (the only Oscar of his career). Bogie and Hepburn were in the primes of their careers here, and their talent shows. We buy that they grow to love each other, and the actions and incidents that prove their devotion -- Rose jumping into the leech-infested water to help Charlie, for example -- come across with genuine emotion. The only easy point of criticism (a big one for those who like their plots tight) is the ironic nautical coincidence that brings about our heroes' salvation. The beautiful on-location filming in the then-Belgian Congo and British Uganda was legendarily difficult. But, like Charlie and Rose trying to get that boat down the river, Huston and his team never gave up. Filmgoers everywhere should be thankful for that. ~ Matthew Doberman, Rovi