King Solomon's Mines
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Movie Reviews of King Solomon's Mines
Movie Review: Exploration and Romance in turn-of-the-century Africa
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the tale of a safari through unexplored Africa around the turn (19th->20th) of the century. The quarry though is not big game, but a man. Mrs. Elizabeth Curtis (played by the beautiful Deborah Kerr) and her brother have arrived in Africa in search of her husband who disappeared there several years. He was searching for the legendary King Solomon's Mines and vanished after sending a cryptic letter to his wife back in England. Stewart Granger plays the role of the hunter and guide Allan Quatermain. He agrees to take the pair into unexplored Africa on safari to help track down her husband. Along the way they encounter danger from natives, hostile hunters, animals, and the elements. It is also a tale of romance. This film is by far the best of several adaptations of H. Rider Haggard's novel (which I highly recommend as well if you like adventure novels) of the same name. The role of Allan Quatermain has been played by many other actors, including Patrick Swayze and Richard Chamberlain, none of whom can hold a candle to Stewart Granger's performance (probably the best of his career) in this film. There are some significant differences between the film and the novel, particularly the addition of the love interest (Deborah Kerr) in the film. The cinematography of this film is wonderful, in many ways this film is simply a vehicle to show video of the flora, fauna, and natives of Africa. It probably does not merit a 5-star rating, but I gave it one anyhow simply because I love it and can watch it over and over. The acting is a bit stiff in places, and the story drags in certain places but then (too) suddenly wraps up neatly in the end (the screenplay could probably have used one more round of editing), but these are minor quibbles. If you are looking for a classic and timeless adventure/romance tale before Hollywood became too PC, I would highly recommend this film to you.Movie Review: More Hollywood than Haggard, but still a terrific yarn
Summary: 5 Stars
Written as a bet that he couldn't come up with a better adventure story than Treasure Island, H. Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines has proved itself a hardy perennial over the years without ever getting a particularly faithful screen adaptation. MGM's 1950 version more or less keeps to the bare bones of the story, but changes the reason for the quest and those on it - not a pure treasure hunt but a search for Deborah Kerr's missing husband who may or may not have met his end searching for the fabled mines. Stewart Granger's fine as her reluctant guide Allan Quatermain (a role originally intended for Errol Flynn, who wasn't physically up to the rigors of difficult location shooting), going purely for the money but gradually thawing enough to start hoping that Kerr really is a widow.
Most of the novel's action is missing, though the climax is still present and correct, but it's still a surprisingly entertaining star vehicle that holds up much better than its reputation might lead you to believe. The film's big selling point is that it was actually shot on remote African locations, quite an achievement with the unwieldy Technicolor cameras of the day. As a result there's a travelogue feel to much of the film as it goes out of its way to stress that they're not on the backlot even though there is a fair bit of back-projection in the big stampede sequence. (MGM had enough footage left over for another three films, with Watusi, the dire 1959 Tarzan the Apeman and the 1973 remake of Trader Horn all making much use of it to keep their costs down.) It may perhaps be a little tame for those raised on Indiana Jones, but if you're not expecting a cliffhanger every reel you'll find a lot to enjoy.
The only extra is a trailer, which boasts a score by Miklos Rozsa (the film has no score at all beyond local African chants).
Movie Review: A Classical Adventure Story
Summary: 5 Stars
The film is an exceedingly romantic and thrilling quest through Africa in the late 19th century. Englishwoman Elizabeth Curtis (Deborah Kerr), hires reluctant professional hunter Allan Quatermain (Stewart Granger) to find her husband, missing for many months. Elizabeth is accompanied by her sympathetic brother (Richard Carlson). After tough negotiations, they set out on a special safari to find Curtis, who vanished after undertaking a safari of his own in search of an ancient treasure marked on a map of questionable origins. The expedition traverses stunning African terrain, at first dense jungle and later changing to grassy plains. Along the way the safari meets various tribes and exotic animals, some very dangerous. The group's bearers grow increasingly restive as they leave known territory and walk deeper into unknown lands. They find little trace of Curtis, and Quatermain is all for calling it quits and returning to civilization, but Elizabeth is adamant to find her husband. Gradually, a bond of respect and affection forms between Elizabeth and Alan. The bearers desert them and they are forced to carry their own gear. From a particularly sinister tribe that practices cannibalism they learn that Curtis had passed through the area, intent on his treasure quest. Elizabeth realizes she has fallen in love with Alan, but is determined to continue the search for her husband. They press on bravely through the desert, joined by an African, tall, thin and aloof, who wishes to travel in the same direction. Their struggle is a study in nobility and heroism. The small group travels dangerously past the desert and mountains marked on Curtis' map, eventually finding a greater danger and a dazzling treasure. Based on the novel of the same name by H. Rider Haggard.Movie Review: Oh my stars! ACTUAL AFRICANS
Summary: 5 Stars
The 1950 version of "King Solomon's Mines" deserves a full 5 stars if only for one reason--it is one of the few movies even to this day which is set in Africa, filmed in Africa, and features actual Africans portraying Africans. In particular, the dance scene near the end almost has the quality of an ethnographic film, and is worth watching in itself because the lead dancer is one of the finest you will ever see.
While it is true that this movie is barely the same story as the H. Rider Haggard novel, that can only be a good thing, as the book is racist and unbelievably sexist even by 19th century standards. The plot is indeed full of adventure, but there were several points where the descriptions of game hunting (without even taking the trophies! for literally no reason!) made me nauseous. By all means, read it and get a taste of 19th century British attitudes toward their colonies. It ain't pretty, by today's standards.
Whether you love or hate the plot of the movie, this film is, in its way, a little piece of history. It's true the African actors aren't the main stars of the movie (though some of them are so charismatic they steal their scenes). But lest we forget, in 1932, only 18 years before, Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young, and Boris Karloff and Myrna Loy all played Chinese people (in "The Hatchet Man" and "The Mask of Fu Manchu" respectively) because God forbid Hollywood would actually cast Chinese actors. It would be a long time before an African or African-American actor would be considered a big enough star to draw mainly white audiences, but "KSM" was a step in the right direction and it's a lot more engrossing movie because of it.
Movie Review: This lost-civilization adventure continues to be a favorite among those who love a thrilling tale...,
Summary: 5 Stars
There are many reasons why people like classic movies, but often those reasons are quite sentimental in their nature... Perhaps the reason for its enduring appeal is that it intends nostalgic trip to the past, where such films spawned juvenile imagination with breathtaking locations, exotic hidden societies, and characters with strange powers...
Like all trips into the African wild, "King Solomon's Mines" proceeds through all kinds of land-forests, swamps, desert sands, lush meadows and rugged mountains... The film is filled with exciting scenes, and some rather effective looks at human motivations in the face of impossible odds...
The color photography of Robert Surtees, greatly increases the visual impact of the outdoor scenes and almost overpowers the plot drama at times... Surtees' landscapes are gorgeous--vista after vista of jungles, dunes, high peaks, river rapids and waterfalls...
Stewart Granger was talented enough in playing the dashing romantic leading man... He created a human hero who is the ideal concept of the white hunter--suave, tough, courageous, and strongly British...
Deborah Kerr, the 'lady with the flaming hair,' had a charming weakness that was strong and feminine at the same time...
This lost-civilization adventure continues to be a favorite among those who love a thrilling tale... "King Solomon's Mines" is a well-cast version filled with qualities close to the human heart: thrilling, adventurous, and amusing...