African
Cats: Drama|
” I never knew that a mere physical experience could be so exhilarating”. This sexually loaded exchange which happens at 40 minutes into the picture is one of the first between Rose Sayer (Katherine Hepurn) and Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart). She says it to him and she is referring to the white water rapids they just went through. It also begins one of the great screen romances as far as I am concerned ever put on film in all of motion picture history.This is one of those movies that we are left with that happened due to a series of beautiful accidents. At this point I think that I made it clear that I love the accidents. Originally offered to Bette Davis in 1938, the picture would have co-starred David Niven as Charlie. It was offered to Bette Davis again in 1947, this time with James Mason as Charlie but she had to pull out because she had become pregnant. At some point Sir John Mills was in line to play Charlie. In 1949, she tried again to make the film, but by that time plans were under way for Katherine Hepurn to play Rose. Bette Davis had to settle on making All About Eve instead. It would have, however, been an interesting picture with Bette Davis; both actresses were equally capable of playing Rose, both actresses were at points in there careers where they were not getting the glamorous leading young woman roles anymore, they were aging. Katherine Hepurn had returned to the stage and was doing a national tour of a Shakespeare play when she was approached by John Huston to play Rose.
Once John Huston was on board as director it was inevitable that Humphrey Bogart would end up playing Charlie Allnut. This was the fifth collaboration between these two men. They had met in 1940 or 1941 when Mr. Huston was still just writing at Warner Brothers. He had written the script for what many consider to be Mr. Bogart’s breakout performance, as Roy Earle in High Sierra, which was directed by Raoul Walsh. Mr. Huston was desperate to do a remake of The Maltese Falcon as he, and a great many others believed, that the Hammett book had not been properly made into a movie. Mr. Huston meet his Sam Spade when he met Mr. Bogart. He also met someone who would become one of his closest friends. Mr. Huston got the green light to remake The Maltese Falcon and so began a professional relationship that spanned six of the greatest pictures ever made and a personal relationship that lasted until Mr. Bogart’s death.
I read Katherine Hepurn’s book The Making Of The African Queen Or How I Went To Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston And Almost Lost My Mind. I came away from reading that book that it was difficult to find a clean bathroom, that although the water could be poisonus to drink it was very good for the hair and that John Huston would often say “it’s too nice to shoot today, let’s go hunting” (this is something that Robert Mitchum said also of Huston when they were making Heaven Knows Mister Allison except they went fishing). She also said that John Huston had been dissatisfied with Hepburn’s performance, finding it too serious-minded. However, he came to her hut one day and suggested that she model her performance on Eleanor Roosevelt - to put on her “society smile” in the face of all adversity. Huston left the hut, and Hepburn sat for a moment before deciding, “That is the best piece of direction I have ever heard.” She also got a Best Actress nomination.
Mr. Bogart is remembered as Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe but he is also remebered for his performance as Charlie Allnutt, the gin swilling riverboat captain / owner of the African Queen. This is the performance that won him his only Oscar and the whole performance shows that the Academy was absolutely correct. His uneasiness during the tea scene with Rose and her Reverend brother, especially when his stomach starts audibly acting up is so real and so beautifully played. His earnestness as he describes to the German officer how he was able to make it down an unnavigable river,how he made the torpedoes and his intention to blow up the Louisa is brilliant.
During this 105 minute journey we take we see an incredibly believable relationship develop from Charlie calling Rose a “psalm-singing, skinny old maid” to Mrs. Allnut. We watch these to people, seemingly unsuitable for each other, fall in love. And we want them to, we want the relationship to succeed.
This film is in every way appropriate for the whole family. It is exciting, the white water scenes are intense. John Huston did not forget for one moment that he was shooting on location in Africa, not a backlot. I saw this picture when I was quite young and did not get everything in the script that I do now but it did not effect my enjoyment of the film. I just like it on a different level at this point.
Turner Classic Movies on� Thursday� February 26th� at 8:00PM. This one is a keeper.
