The most Adventure and Romance Film In Africa - The African Queen

In The African Queen, you get Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, their little boat, and a very hokey—but very enjoyable—mismatched romance as they careen downriver toward a German gunship. World War I has broken out in Europe, and Hepburn’s spinster is determined to strike a blow for England. Bogart’s drunken river captain wants nothing to do with heroics—he’s like Casablanca’s Rick gone to seed (the part earned him an Oscar). But wouldn’t you know he gradually softens to Hepburn and embraces her cause? Director John Huston shot the 1951 Technicolor picture on location in Africa, where Hepburn got very sick while Huston and Bogart got very drunk.

One fascinating aspect is the ripples of war that have touched even the shores of Africa after the outbreak of World War One. The central premise of the plot - at least the part that will contain more action than character interplay - involves traveling the river into its mouth, a large African lake. Charlie has told Rose about a German warship, the Louisa, which has been carried overland in sections and assembled, and now with its big gun controls the region. Quickly Rose questions "Mr. Allnut" about the supplies aboard his own craft, and arrives at a scheme in which they will do their part for the crown, and sink the German gunboat! This serves as a singular goal for the plot, and assists in highlighting the development of the love story: after all, Charlie and Rose are alone for most of the film, going through their ups and downs. A reminder of the importance of the romance is the motivation it supplies to Charlie. Would he have straightened the shaft and rebuilt the propeller, had it not been for his love of "Rosie"? Would he have shot rapids and braved rifle fire?

Much has been written about the making of The African Queen, the seeming high adventure and romance of Huston and Bogart and Hepburn filming in Africa. The whole shooting smacks of the hyped atmosphere of a Hemingway safari. But judged purely by what we see on the film that's been passed down to us, the story holds up well and the acting holds up as almost flawless. Perhaps the far ending is a bit abrupt, but the climax has been reached, and the viewer has a good idea where the characters are headed. After watching Bogart and Hepburn, it is hard to disagree with the 1999 American Film Institute poll that placed them as the number one male and female actor in the first fifty years of film history.