The African Queen [Media Notes 133]

I don’t know what I think about this movie, The African Queen. It’s from 1951, stars Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn, was directed by John Houston, and was based on a novel by C. S. Forster. A-listers, all of them. I guess that’s what I think of it, A-listers, all of them.

The title refers to a boat, a small 30-foot steamboat helmed by Bogart. Hepburn and her brother (James Morley) are missionaries in German East Africa in 1914, at the outbreak of World War I. The Germans come through, burn the village and conscript the natives, and Hepburn’s brother is killed. Bogart comes through on his boat and helps her bury her brother. They board The African Queen and make a run for it.

In my favorite scene, they’ve just run some small rapids, with Hepburn at the tiller. She’s thrilled with the ride, saying it’s the best physical thrill she’s ever had (close-up on her glowing face). More, more! At this point you know what’s coming, don’t you? Heck, you knew what was coming when you entered the theater, didn’t you? It’s that kind of movie. The missionary lady falls in love with the rough-hewn Africa hand and they’re making eyes and talking domestic and cute while on this barely functioning boat on a river in East Africa on route to destroy a German gunboat downriver. It takes quite a bit of improvising, dealing with hordes of mosquitoes, mud, reeds, and rain, and – wouldn’t you know? – they’re captured by the Germans and about to be hanged as spies – though the captain obliged them by marrying them before hoisting them up – when BLAM! They’re saved by an explosion.

I wasn’t expecting that the first time I saw the film some years ago, though I knew that SOMETHING had to happen to make things work out, because that’s what kind of movie this is, but I was prepared this time. Still, it was a bit of a surprise, just a bit.

What can I say. Hepburn was Hepburn, Bogie was Bogie, and African did OK as well. Much of the film was actually shot on the location, which was quite novel at the time.

A good time was had by all.