THE AFRICAN QUEEN
Humphrey Bogart, released 1951
ROSE SAYER (Katherine Hepburn) and her brother SAMUEL are straight-laced missionaries in a remote African village at the beginning of WWI in 1914. The Germans attack and burn the village, and beat Samuel when he protests. He becomes feverish and dies soon afterwards, leaving Rose alone and without any support.
Enter CHARLIE ALLNUT (Humphrey Bogart), the highly capable, uncouth, affable and diffident alcoholic captain of a rather shabby boat, THE AFRICAN QUEEN. He offers to take Rose upriver to relative safety in a mining camp, but she wants to go downriver where she can relate the news of the German attack to British authorities. Her route is dangerous in the extreme. They would encounter white water, a German fort, and many other obstacles, the worst being a German warship, the LOUISA. Charlie objects, but Rose has considerable powers of persuasion and gets her way. The movie relates how they tackle these problems, (SPOILER) fall in love (not much of a spoiler) and finally confront the Louisa.
This movie is largely predictable, though there is an unexpected twist just before the end. Charlie’s ability to fix almost anything on the African Queen is not believable. And when he talks about the two of them telling their grandchildren stories, I want to puke. This would be a marriage made in hell. For example, at one point, she throws all his booze overboard.
Still and all, it’s Bogart and Hepburn, and it’s hard to find classier than that. These actors play their roles with consummate skill so you care about what will happen and want them to succeed. There are slow spots, but on the whole, this flick will get your pulse up to a run. I give it ++++.
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