"Charlie, you've lost your mind."
"I've lost my heart too."
Maybe one of the cutest movies ever made...funny and adventurous too. Last week Stagg said he landed up staying up late watching The African Queen one night on cable. He said he couldn't go to bed till he finished watching it and it had been a long time since I saw it so when I found it on tv one afternoon I had to watch it too. I've seen it many times but it's been a few years so what a treat to catch up with this movie again. Bogart got an Oscar for his role and some of his camp and some of his subtle facial movements in this role sure show why he got the award. I love the adventure in this movie with crocs jumping into the river and that director John Huston actually shot at least half of the film in Africa really pays off for the atmosphere of the movie. I am also in love with that boat. Again I was fascinated with how it worked, it's rudder, prop the crazy engine that Bogart had to keep kicking. I have a fantasy of having a sail boat and going from the Grand Banks to the Outer Banks one season...poor Stagg...
I'm somehwat tempted to read Katherine Hepburn's account of her trip to Africa...I can not believe how rough she looked at times in the movie...a few times her hair was just a mess. I really can't think of an actress right now, at the top of their game and glamour who would let themselves look such a mess. I was pretty impressed.
6 comments:
One of my alltime favourite movies. Bogart and Hepburn played beautifully off of each other. They just don't make movies (or movie stars) like they used to.
It's a great film. I haven't seen it in quite a few years now.
Even though Bogie is my all-time favorite actor, it's only been within the last few years that I've started to appreciate "The African Queen". I love Charlie's "crazy, psalm singing, skinny old maid" rant and when he mocks Rose ("Could you build a torpedo? Please do so Mr. Allnut.")
I did see a documentary on Bogart and he was saying how he hated shooting the movie on location (I think it was the heat and the bugs). I remember him saying that Katie (his nickname for Ms. Hepburn) thought being on location was "divine". :-)
Two of my favourite actors in one of my favorite films. I have it at home on old video tape format. I shall have to get it converted to dvd when I get home and watch it.
Hepburn is for me a very interesting lady, very ahead of her time attitude wise. Her biographies are well worth a read - of her growing up in a relatively priviledged home life, her relationships with Hughes, Tracey. I always loved her style of clothes.
If you haven't seen then do watch the last film she made, Love Affair with Warren Beatty and Annette Benning, a remake of Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr classic An Affair to Remember. Kate steals the show even though she is only on screen for a short period of time.
Captain Karen, oh they were really good together...I can recommend a few movies with the themes and energy of this one for you...."Duplicity", "Romancing The Stone" and "Something's Gotta Give". Sometimes we like our old movies so much we forget that there are still good writers and actors out there today. Check out those movies...they are actors and stories at the top of their game!
Mister anchovy, it had been ages since I had seen this movie and boy does it ever offer a lot for the re-visit. I had no memory of Bogart's character being a Canuck for example. It's worth a re-watch just for the damn boat!
Malcolm, you do a mean impression of Ms. Hepburn! Oh Bogart's rant was hilarious wasn't it? Some of the ways his face is working in the movie is really incredible...where he's going along with her , then just for a second he has this look of "we're screwed and gonna die" but he has to put on a good face for her.
shelia, I couldn't help thinking the other day watching this what an incredible role model Hepburn's character must have been for women in the 1950's. She matches all the work that bogart's character does. and when she has her epiphany about "extreme sports" she is magnificent...when she understands how wonderful nature is and how it might give us a transformative or "peak experience". When we see her walking through the grass and water full of leaches she is a heroine as Charlie says she is...just fantastic. I HAVE seen "Love Affair" many many times! I saw it in the movie theatre when it first was released! It was directed by the man who created the characters for the old tv show "Moonlighting" so he sure knew his themes of "battle of the sexes". I think the Beatty/Bening version is every bit as wonderful as the original Kerr/Grant version. Anette Bening is outstanding with her energy and charisma. I get very very choked up when I see that role of Hepburn...she was fantastic. i believe she was nominated yet again for an Oscar for that small role.
One of my all time favorite movies - I love this post! I love Hepburn too - what a woman! I saw her interview about her true love -Spencer Tracey - a crazy impossible situation, but full of passion and love and acceptance and emotion and fights and complications!
Post a Comment