The African Queen (1951)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

C.S. Forester (novel)
James Agee (adaptation) ...
(más)

Release Date:

20 febrero 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

Frase comercial:

The greatest adventure a man ever lived...with a woman!

Plot:

In Africa during WW1, a gin-swilling riverboat owner/captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship.

Plot Keywords:

American Expatriate | African Tribe | Roadboatmovie | Urban Legend Vector | Bathing Scene

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Love Isn't Just For the Young

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Charlie Allnut
Katharine Hepburn	...	Rose Sayer
Robert Morley	...	Rev. Samuel Sayer
Peter Bull	...	Captain of Louisa
Theodore Bikel	...	First Officer
Walter Gotell	...	Second Officer
Peter Swanwick	...	First Officer of Shona
Richard Marner	...	Second Officer of Shona
listado alfabético del resto del reparto:
Errol John	...	(uncredited)
Gerald Onn	...	Petty Officer (uncredited)
John von Kotze	...	German officer (uncredited)

Dirigida por
John Huston

Créditos del guión
C.S. Forester		(novel "The African Queen")
James Agee		adaptation &
John Huston		adapted for the screen by
Peter Viertel		uncredited
John Collier		uncredited

Producida por
Sam Spiegel	....	producer (as S.P. Eagle)
John Woolf	....	producer (uncredited)

Música original por
Allan Gray

Fotografía por
Jack Cardiff		(director of photography)

Montaje por
Ralph Kemplen

Dirección artística
Wilfred Shingleton

Diseño de vestuario por
Connie De Pinna

Departamento de maquillaje
Eileen Bates	....	hair stylist
George Frost	....	makeup artist

Dirección de producción
Leigh Aman	....	production manager
T.S. Lyndon-Haynes	....	production manager
Robert Sterne	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Ayudante de dirección
Guy Hamilton	....	assistant director
Bert Pearl	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
John Hoesli	....	assistant art director
Don Picton	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Departamento de sonido
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
Eric Wood	....	sound editor
Kevin McClory	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Efectos especiales
Cliff Richardson	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Ted Moore	....	camera operator
Edward Scaife	....	photography: second unit (as Ted Scaife)
Steve Birtles	....	electrician (uncredited)
Desmond Davis	....	clapper loader: studio (uncredited)
Arthur Graham	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
John von Kotze	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Doris Langley Moore	....	costumes: Miss Hepburn
Vi Murray	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Roy Hyde	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
George Minassian	....	color technician: Technicolor (uncredited)
Ted Obolensky	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Norman Del Mar	....	conductor

Otros miembros del equipo
Angela Allen	....	continuity
Bunny Allen	....	location manager (uncredited)
Edward Joseph	....	location scout (uncredited)
V.B. Lyndon-Haynes	....	location manager (uncredited)
Kevin McClory	....	assistant: Mr. Huston (uncredited)
Eva Monley	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jeanie Sims	....	secretary to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Horizon Pictures (II)
• Romulus Films (as Romulus)

Distributors

• United Artists (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Independent Film Distributors (IFD) (195?) (UK) (theatrical)
• Impuls (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (video)
• CBS/Fox (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1992) (USA) (video)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The  music played by

También conocida como:

Reina africana, La (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
Reina de África, La (Spain) [es]

Duración:

105 min

País:

UK | USA

Idioma:

English | German | Swahili

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sonido:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Clasificación:

Singapore:PG | Norway:7 | USA:Approved (PCA #15611) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:15 (2002) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Finland:S | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL (video rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Horizon Pictures (II)

Trivialidades:

Shortly after filming was completed, Belgian fan magazine Cine-Revue published an article allegedly written by Lauren Bacall, who had accompanied her husband, Humphrey Bogart, on location, which included behind-the-scenes photographs. According to a Mar 1952 Daily Variety story, Romulus Films protested the publication of the photos, which they said "dispelled the film's illusion" by exposing private shooting information. Lauren Bacall denied having written the story.

Goofs:

Continuity: Allnut is considerably cleaner shaven in the water after the Louisa is sunk then he is while being interrogated on board.

Quotes:

Charlie: All this fool talk about The Louisa. Goin' down the river...
Rose: What do you mean?
Charlie: I mean we ain't goin' to do nothin' of the sort.
Rose: Why, of course we're going! What an absurd idea!
Charlie: What an absurd idea! What an absurd idea! Lady, I may be a born fool, but you got ten absurd ideas to my one, an' don't you forget it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gimme a Break!: Someday My Prince... (#6.6)" (1986)

Soundtrack:

God of Grace and God of Glory (Cwm Rhondda)

Love Isn't Just For the Young

The African Queen is a significant historical film in two respects. Along with King Solomon's Mines it was the first American film to show the real Africa to the American public. Previously our ideas about Africa were gleaned from studio backlot jungles created for Tarzan films and the like. The African Queen changed all that, no cheap studio sets would do any more.

But also, The African Queen dealt with romance among mature adults in their forties. A ne'er do well river pilot on a ramshackle boat and the spinster sister of a missionary, thrown together by the circumstance of war.

Humphrey Bogart, our intrepid river pilot, makes a scheduled stop to deliver mail to the mission run by Robert Morley and Katharine Hepburn. And he breaks the news to them that World War I has started. Almost as soon as he leaves them, German troops from East Africa come to call. Bogie comes back and he finds Kate with her dead brother. They bury him and skedaddle. And while skedaddling they conceive of a cockeyed plan to help in the war effort.

To say what it is and what happens would spoil the story, but let me say this. The original opening of the film with Bogart coming in as church services are being conducted for a few hundred uncomprehending native Africans is Director John Huston's comment on the usefulness of the lives Morley and Hepburn have led up to that point. What Hepburn and Bogart accomplish by the end of the film makes up for the waste that was Hepburn's life.

But The African Queen is a great romance as well. Bogart became a great romantic star in Casablanca and he upholds the tradition here, winning an Academy Award for Best Actor. Katie Hepburn doesn't seem to miss her usual partner Spencer Tracy not a bit, the part of Rose Sayer is a perfect fit. As was remarked, they're going to have stories to tell their grandkids.

When I watch The African Queen I'm reminded of what Bogart's friend Frank Sinatra sang in one of his best ballads about how Love Isn't Just For the Young. Kate and Bogie sure prove it here.