Stars: Harry Carey, Edwina Booth, Duncan Renaldo |
Best Quote: -There are cannibals?
-Aye. A God-fearing race they are. Except, as you say, in the matter of diet.
Background Based on the *somewhat* true story of : "Trader Horn; Being the Life and Works of Aloysius Horn, an "Old Visitor" ... the works written by himself at the age of seventy-three and the life, with such of his philosophy as is the gift of age and experience, taken down and here edited by Ethelreda Lewis"
originally published in 1927.
In 1929, MGM sent the first Hollywood film crew to Africa and came back with some great location shots of African Tribes and the African flora and fauna. It cost MGM a fortune, but Trader Horn was immensely popular and earned a AA for Best Picture. While filming in Africa, Booth was forced to wear a skimpy lion-skin, and caught malaria. She sued MGM for negligence - and won.
The Good: The African scenery and native tribes are great to look at - the first hour is almost a travelogue. The fictional story then kicks in gear. We get the usual cliches, the white goddess (stolen from Rider- Haggard's She), encounters with dangerous animals, the jungle drums, and the escape and rescue. It has an old school charm to it. Harry Cary is a good fit, and gives off a Will Rodgers vibe.
The Bad: Many of animal scenes look fake, because they are. The Lion attacks, for example, were filmed in Mexico. In 1930 sound equipment was primitive, so the sound is sometimes bad or is obviously dubbed. The acting is primitive too - with the three leads often reverting to "Silent movie" facial expressions. Booth looks good in a lion skin - but Renaldo is wooden, and has little charisma. You wonder why he was cast.
Summary: The location shots of 1929 Africa are great and its full of action. But the story is average and at 2 hours -its too long. But if you like movies about Africa - give it a whirl. Rating ***
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