j-grover3 The African Queen (1951), John Huston, is the story of a Christian missionary (Katharine Hepburn) who falls for a riverboat captain ( Humphrey Bogart) who is fond of liquor. I thought The African Queen was a merely "okay" movie. I thought the acting was done well enough, Bogart does a fine job. The writing was serviceable, but seemed rather typical. However I found the cinematography to be quite lacking in any engagement or creativity and that severely dragged down my appreciation for this as a film. It seems that it is just a regular Romantic Comedy that tries to play with a exotic location as it's main draw. It just fell flat for me.

Ed-Shullivan 1. Humphrey Bogart who plays a gin-swigging steamboat captain named Charlie Allnut. *Need I also mention that Bogie won his one and only Oscar for best actor for his performance? 2. Katherine Hepburn as the stubborn and over the top straight-laced missionary named Rose Sayer who is given no choice but to have to rely on the drunkard captain Charlie Allnut for her passage on his steamboat appropriately named the African Queen. 3. Robert Morley has a brief but important role playing Rose's brother the righteous Reverend Samuel Sayer. Samuel is not only Rose's Missionary brother but also her rock of Gibraltar. When these two Missionaries are advised by Charlie (who is delivering them some supplies) to leave their post as war is upon them, they decide to stay on and preach rather than fear for their own lives as the Germans are evading Africa during World War 1. Sadly, Reverend Samuel Sayer quickly succumbs to a high fever and now Rose is on her own in the heart of Africa at the outbreak of war with no passage arranged for her return home. 4. This is a story that encompasses great adventure, plenty of action, a generous supply of wonderful comedy between Hepburn and Bogart, and of course a true romance blossoming on the African Queen. 5. Opposites do attract and this could not be truer than with the polar opposites of Missionary Rose Sayer, and steamboat captain, gin-swigging Charlie Allnut, who eventually find a way to not only become good friends, but who also bring out the best and worst in each other and eventually they fall in love. 6. The adventure takes place as the two sail down the Ulanga River with Rose persisting that Charlie fear not and use his precious African Queen steamboat as a torpedo to take out the German's artillery ship the Königin Luise. 7. Rose and Charlie are both feisty characters and a case of gin that Charlie has stashed on his boat brings out the best and the worst of their feistiness in both a comical and dramatic way for different reasons. I just loved the interactions between these two hard boiled characters who must find a way to get along if they actually want to survive their trip down the Ulanga River. 8. The action takes place as Rose and Charlie must not only get through the fierce rapids of the Ulanga river, not once, not twice, but three times, but they must also find a way to survive the attack of the Germans who are piercing Charlie's steamboat with bullets. 9. After surviving the drunkenness of Charlie's worst hangover, and the deliberate spillage by Rose of Charlie's most precious cargo (his gin), the Ulanga river rapids, the German's attack on their steamboat, the African Queen is left barely limping by the end of the film. Rose and Charlie are oh so close to not only surviving their ordeals, but succeeding in beating the Germans at their own game and they find themselves in an embarrassing but still loving embrace that will have most romantics letting out a big sigh of relief and wonderment. These are the scenes which epitomize the term "film classic".10. Although the majority of this film relies solely on the superb acting and great chemistry between Katherine Hepburn, and Oscar winner Humphrey Bogart, much praise has to also be extolled on to director John Huston who kept his two stars sympatico during the sweltering heat and bug infested waters of filming each day. The reward is there on the big screen for all to see, a classic film that will never fade from the top 100 classic films of all time. I just love this film and I hope anyone who has not seen it takes the time to enjoy one of the greatest films of all times.A Perfect 10 for 10 rating

SimonJack "The African Queen" is a wonderful story of adventure, drama and love set during World War I in Africa. The movie is based on a 1935 book of the same title, by British novelist C.S. Forester. It was adapted for the screen by American Pulitzer Prize winning writer, actor and producer James Agee. The film excels in all ways. Much of it was filmed in Africa, and the jungle and river scenes are spectacular. It has superb camera work and all production values. John Huston directed the film, and two of the biggest stars of the day are outstanding in their roles. Katherine Hepburn is Rose Sayer, bereaved sister of a British missionary who died after German troops destroyed his mission and beat him. Humphrey Bogart is Charlie Allnut, the captain of a small riverboat, The African Queen. He makes routine trips up and down river to deliver mail, goods and an occasional passenger. Rose now needs to leave the Congo, and The African Queen is the only transport out. The adventure begins with that, as does a nice romance and some heroics. For those who want to know more of the plot, other reviewers provide that. For those who want to enjoy the film and discover the story as it unfolds, these comments won't divulge any more. Rather, some more words about Humphrey Bogart's performance and well-earned Oscar. It was one of three that the film won in the 1951 Academy Awards, and Bogart surely deserved his award. He should have won an Oscar for his portrayal of Dobbs in the 1948 John Huston adventure drama, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." But he wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. That film won three Oscars, including Walter Huston for best supporting actor. The best actor award for 1948 went to Laurence Olivier for Hamlet. Olivier was certainly deserving, but no other nominees that year came close to his or Bogart's performances. Bogart's Dobbs, an easy going American looking for work in Mexico, is by far the best portrayal of a male actor who gradually becomes crazed with an obsession. The greed for gold slowly transforms this normal guy into a paranoid lunatic. I don't know what kind of politics may have been at work in Hollywood in 1948 (so often referred or alluded to), but Bogart won a deserved Oscar in 1951 for African Queen. And, he surprised many by beating out Marlon Brando for his equally exceptional performance that year in "A Streetcar Named Desire."But for one other performance in 1954, Bogart may have won a second Oscar that year for his role as Lt. Commander Queeg in "The Caine Mutiny." Marlon Brando's superb role as Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront" won the Oscar for best actor. That may have been payback for his 1951 loss to Bogart. Incidentally, the IMDb listings show various awards that movies and performers receive. Most actors who have lengthy careers with some leads or top supporting roles earn one recognition, if not others. That is having a star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Well, every years since 1960, new names of actors and directors from the silver screen, TV and radio are added to the walk. The recognition began on February 8, 1960, with the groundbreaking for the Walk of Fame. That year, 1,558 performers had their stars placed on the new walkway. Humphrey Bogart was one of them. Many others like him were posthumous. Here's a line I especially like from "The African Queen." On their journey down the river, Rose says to Charlie, "Don't be worried, Mr. Allnut." Charlie answers, "Oh, I ain't worried, miss. Gave myself up for dead back when we started."

Python Hyena The African Queen (1951): Dir: John Huston / Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull, Theodore Bikel: Stunning if not overrated adventure about overcoming extreme odds. Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn escape to the African Queen, a small cargo boat owned by the Bogart character. Setting is World War 1 with the Germans in pursuit. Some comic moments set in as when the leads struggle to adapt and tease viewers with sexual tension. Director John Huston does a superb job and is backed with effective suspense and action although the romantic elements are an ill timed formula that are unnecessarily distracting. Huston previously directed Bogart in Maltese Falcon and Key Largo. Bogart carries some sarcasm while Hepburn maintains a stern disposition especially after her brother is killed but viewers are well aware of what their journey is all about. And despite the romantic drivel the concluding union between the two is priceless. Outside the leading roles, the rest of the characters are waterlogged bores. Robert Morley plays Hepburn's brother who doesn't last very long, and Peter Bull appears in a flat supporting role. It stresses perseverance and equality of genders and a screenplay that doesn't deliver quite as effectively as its reputation boasts. It does delivers with adventure, thrills and the untimely arrival of a cargo boat. Score: 7 / 10