King Solomon's Mines
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Movie Reviews of King Solomon's Mines
Movie Review: Cinema for a Hot Summer Night!
Summary: 4 Stars
Despite the perfectly silly, not to mention offensive, trailer (which certainly would not fly today), "King Solomon's Mines" remains an excellent adventure film that ought to be digitally remastered (with original scenes restored), so we could see the splendid tribal dances and the magnificent footage of animals in the wild in the film's pristine color. I first saw this film on the big screen as a kid, and it spurred me on to read all the Allan Quatermaine adventure novels. The movie, which necessarily omits various characters and episodes, did not spoil my reading experience one whit. In fact, it allowed me to picture those incredibly beautiful landscapes of Kenya, Tanganyika (as it was then called), and the Congo as I read on to the end.
That said, I must now comment on some flaws. One can be attributed, perhaps, to loss of some of the footage: The Watusi dance was not only twice as long, but it was also the high point of the film. The lack of the original dance footage makes the ending seem abrupt. The other, in hindsight, can certainly be attributed to lack of judgment on the part of the Big Studio Moguls, for whom Big Names as well as Bucks meant more than continuity in casting and production values. These imperfections bothered me then, and they bother me now. The first point is a minor but nevertheless evident one: Richard Carlson's American accent. It is hard to believe that he is the brother of Deborah Kerr, whose English diction is so pure. Furthermore, Stewart Grainger's genuine English does not help make Carlson's character any more believable. The next point probably bothers no one but a persnickety purist such as myself, but when Deborah Kerr finally shears off her long Victorian locks, they are transformed into an elegant 1950s Audrey Hepburn-Roman-Holiday-like perm that remains bouncy no matter how humid the jungle, how dry the desert! Even though the directors do give verisimilitude a nod when she gets dunked into the underground stream, the "girl with the fire hair," as the film-trailer blared, emerges with every red-gold ringlet in tact (I wish I knew her secret----or her hairdresser!).
This film, which is recommended for the entire family, deserves to be re-issued in a remastered version. The movie contains none of the inappropriate nonsense of the trailer. In the meantime, following Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr----okay, even Richard Carlson!---vicariously on an 1897 Safari through the lush rainforests, the golden savannahs, the silver deserts and green hills of a good portion of Africa is an excellent way to spend a summer evening.
Movie Review: Before Indiana
Summary: 4 Stars
The novel, King Solomon's Mines, was written in 1885 by adventure writer H. Rider Haggard, and with more than 83 millions copies sold, it's still read widely today, ranking as one of the biggest best sellers of all time. Its hero, the dashing Alan Quatermain, was the inspiration for the character of Indiana Jones. There have been six attempts to date to capture this work on film,in 1937, 1950, 1985, 1986 for television, and 2004 as a TV miniseries. The version which I was lucky enough to catch on TV today is the 1950 production, starring a very young Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger, and Richard Carlson, and while some major changes were made to the original plot (in which there were no women), it remains a compelling tale. This film was a huge hit in its day, as audiences enticed with the new Technicolor technology flocked to the theaters. The acting is competent, but it's the spectacular East African scenery and wildlife that make this worth watching. It's also fascinating to watch the tribal sequences, with authentic music and dancing performed by actual natives. The cinematography (by Robert Surtees ) is nothing less than amazing, particularly during a truly spectacular stampede sequence; an Oscar was in the offing for that stellar work.
The plot is a relatively simple one. Quatermain, played by a somewhat inexpressive Stewart Granger, is hired by a beautiful young Englishwoman and her brother to locate her missing husband, who was searching for the legendary lost diamond mines of the biblical King Solomon. The mine is merely a device to set the safari in motion, and most of the movie plays out as a kind of travelogue. For it's time, it manages to avoid blatant sexism, although there is some winking among the men over Kerr's good looks. It maintains a relatively respectful attitude toward the hundreds of animals that contribute to the drama, with Quatermain refusing to kill unless overtly threatened. The tribesmen speak their own languages, with Quatermain translating, and the directors (Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton) refrained from belittling them as savages or primitives. There's an interesting subplot involving a deposed tribal king who hooks up with the safari with an eye toward vanquishing the usurpers once he arrives back in his kingdom. As for character development, there's not much to say, and the ending is devoid of real impact. But that stampede makes watching this production more than worthwhile. It's fun when something more than 50 years old can make you sit up in wonder.
Movie Review: King Solomon's Mines Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
Of all the versions made of this movie, this is the one that will give you the appreciation of it's classic status. All other versions available pale in comparison. Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger head up the big names and provide wonderful, clever and cryptic human interractions which the clever viewer will recognise during the course of the action. Sure......it's 50's mindsets, but imagine yourself transformed back to 1950.........just after WW2, and think about the fact that most people had never even heard of some of the movie locations !!!! Let alone seen them on the big screen ! It is a fabulous story and also has a good supporting cast. Get this version....or else you will be suitably disappointed with the other ones and wonder what all of the hype about this movie is.Movie Review: King Solomon's Mines
Summary: 4 Stars
This version of the classic story by H. Rider Haggard has always been my favorite. Stewart Granger WAS Allan Quatermain and filming in Africa extended the illusion that this was more 'authentic' then the other versions filmed. Still a fun film to watchMovie Review: Could have been better
Summary: 4 Stars
Deborah Kerr is beautiful as always and Stewart Granger is dashingly handsome. Unfortunately, story drags a bit for an adventure film and some parts of the storyline are forgettable. Pales in comparison to African Queen.