The African Queen

Giants of the silver screen delivering one giant of a movie.

WW1, East Africa, after her brother is killed by invading German troops, Rose Sayer is reliant on gruff steamboat captain, Charlie Allnut, to ferry her safely out of harms way and back to civilisation. Trouble is is that they are poles apart in ideals and ways, she is a devoted missionary, he a hard drinking tough nut with a glint in his eye. Yet as they venture further down the river, an unlikely alliance is starting to form, both in personalities and a keenness to give it to the Germans!

It's probably something of a given that The African Queen was starting with an advantage from the very first cry of action! Because to have Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn as your ...

Saw this at the BFI in London recently and it looks superb on a big screen. Essentially a two-hander with screen legends Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn who have to escape the approaching WWI German East African forces by sailing down a river on a boat held together by chewing gum and a lot of good luck! Robert Morley has a small role at the start, and plays it to a "T" - setting us up for a cracking adventure yarn that ends up being the most unlikely romance you will ever see. John Huston has done a brilliant job with CS Forrester's characters - they are engaging, the trip is enthralling and the ending, though a tad predictable, brings a smile to your face. Originally slated for David Niven and Bette Davis, but hard to imagine they would have been near half so good!

A film too American in an Africa still dominated by Europeans.

The film is set in colonial Africa during the First World War, near the Lake Tanganyika area, where the borders of the colonies of Rhodesia (British), Belgian Congo and Tanganyika (German) were formed. It all begins with the German attack on a native Rhodesian village where Protestant missionaries were based. After the attacks, the place is visited by a British boatman, owner of a steam barge called African Queen and which is apparently dedicated to carrying out river transport. He collects the deceased missionary's sister, and together they decide to go to the lake and attack a German military ship that is blocking the passage of British ships.

Currently forgotten, it...