Movie for the Evening: African Queen

Movie for the Evening: “African Queen”

1951

The movie “African Queen” scores big on two important points: love is not just for the young and the real Africa can be made an integral part of a movie plot.

Who people are and how they live is explored on a 30 foot, aging river boat. No reliance on CGI here, plot and dialogue are what count.

Charles Allnut (Humphrey Bogard) is the rough edged owner of the African Queen, a scowl that delivers mail along a river in East Africa. His routine of heavy drinking interrupted by occasional work as a jack of all trades for the mines is abruptly changed by the outbreak of WWI.

Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) is the sister of a missionary priest, Reverend Samuel Sayer, played unsparingly by Robert Morley. When the Germans evacuate his parish village, and Rev. Sayer dies, the spinster Rose is taken under the wing of a unsuspecting Allnut. Her temperance ways and determination initially cause a conflict but Mr. Allnut is willing to mend his behavior; woman know they are perfect, man know they are not.

This delightful movie is full of life and director John Huston lets us enjoy every moment.