THE AFRICAN QUEEN 🤩

Some movies draw audiences into the story by their sheer brilliant, effortless dialogue.  The easy, quick banter, the variety of pacing, the specificity of details, the authenticity, truthfulness in acting, and the realism of location choices. Few films check all of these boxes. I have been a Humphrey Bogart fan for as long as he was alive. Couple him with the stunning Katharine Hepburn as Rose and there are genius vibes surrounding the set. Add the incomparable visionary John Houston as director and you have created cinema at its finest. It is strange, but I didn’t even mind watching the sweltering heat, humidity, bugs, wild animals, or filthy, sweaty bodies. THE AFRICAN QUEEN showcased all of this and more, yet it never gets old or mundane. 

THE AFRICAN QUEEN rewarded Bogart with his first and solitary Oscar win for Best Actor. This is interesting because there wasn’t a day filming this movie that he didn’t whine and complain about the horrendous locations highlighting Africa. Bogart and Houston were also the only ones who did not suffer from dysentery or malaria. They credit their alcoholic intake every day as to what kept them from being as sick as the rest of the crew and ensemble. Hepburn at some moments had to have a bucket right next to her in between each take. It was a miracle she could deliver her lines, yet she was enthralled with Africa. She loved every moment on THE AFRICAN QUEEN boat and countryside while Bogart and the rest of the crew were counting down the days until they could fly home. 

THE AFRICAN QUEEN was featured as a war film and an unlikely love story. Both plotlines crept up and developed slowly as Charlie and Rose tried to make their escape out of Africa during World War II. The two repeatedly called each other by their last names throughout half of the film (Miss Sayer and Mr. or Captain Allnutt) The scenes along the racing, river, and rapids got my heart a pumping. It was not easy trying to catch those waves with a dry camera lens. They filmed through several torrential downpours to save money and get the shot. The wild animals were all real. CGI did not exist in 1951. Disney studios used their journey in Uganda as a blueprint for Dinseyland’s Jungle Cruise ride. 

I loved Hepburn’s costumes in the first half of the movie. Precise details that were buttoned up high on her fabulous, long neck shared an inside view of who her character was. The best part was when her hair was not as tidy, or her dress was in dirty tatters. Creative and inventive costume choices speak volumes. 

Bogart and Hepburn didn’t always get along when they first met. Their acting process was on the opposite side of each other, but their mutual respect grew in later years. “What a time we have had!” 

THE AFRICAN QUEEN is a gripping, adventure that never fails to entertain even after seventy years. Excellent storytelling and the perfect directorial touch to guide a stellar cast give audiences a masterpiece and a classic for future generations. It is available to stream on TMC.