Tanganjika

Very few Americans were in Kenya Colony in East Africa in 1903. So in casting the film Tanganyika Universal Studios cast not one of the major white roles in the film with anyone from the United Kingdom. It used to be that to explain an American presence and accent to say that they were Canadian. In fact Ruth Roman is mentioned as having taught school in Toronto. So I guess all the others Van Heflin, Howard Duff, and Jeff Morrow must have been Canadian too.

In a plot that could have been from an American western, colonist Van Heflin is leading a safari that is an unofficial posse going after Jeff Morrow an escaped murderer who's been stirring up the natives though we never really learn why. On the way he meets up with Ruth Roman who is fending off an attack and she comes along with her young niece and nephew Noreen Corocoran and Gregory Marshall. Heflin also finds Howard Duff along the trail with a spear in him. Another rescue and some mending by Duff and there all on the trail of Morrow. Both Duff and Roman just want to get to some city like Nairobi but Heflin won't deviate from his objective.

Just your average western set in Africa. One thing that intrigued me though. No mention is made of African location shooting. So if that was the case it was a remarkable job by Universal making it seem really in Africa.

Fans of the principal cast members will like Tanganyika.

It is obviously a film of its time, and if one accepts that it has excellent acting, an excellent director in Andre de Toth, and despite no doubt filmed in a studio for many scenes this Africa of a sort of mythical age of 1903 it has a lot to please viewers. Van Heflin rescues Howard Duff from an arrow shot, and Duff's brother played by Jeff Morrow is a murderer being hunted by Heflin. Ruth Roman is there for the ride and even the monkeys enjoy her company. Roman is always good in any film she is in, and this is no exception. No spoilers but due to Toth this is in my opinion a first rate adventure film. Not to my knowledge easily found it is certainly well worth looking for. The Technicolour adds to the pleasure.

An obscure jungle adventure that, while efficiently handled and good-looking enough to sustain interest throughout its trim running time, is let-down somewhat by a cliché-ridden script and lack of memorable incident. A second team cast – Van Heflin, Ruth Roman, Howard Duff and Jeff Morrow – does its best to liven up things in this story that seems partially inspired by Joseph Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness" – long after Orson Welles first abandoned his intention to film it and even longer before Francis Coppola made it his own in APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)! In fact, would-be lumber tycoon Heflin makes it his personal mission to rid the titular region of the nefarious Morrow who, taking it on the lam into the wild to beat a murder rap, eventually becomes the leader of a dreaded and bloodthirsty tribe of Africans that, among other things, are interfering with the smooth running of Heflin's operations. Along the way, the latter saves the lives of Duff (who is concealing a secret), Roman and her little charges and, true to formula, after the initial period of resentment, gets to befriend the first, fall in love with the second and risk his life to save the third when they go running after their runaway mule in the wild animal-infested jungle! The highlight of the film is the ingeniously explosive climax that is typically well-staged by seasoned action director De Toth.

A movie with many cute animals, crocodiles, hippos, elephants, monkeys, hyenas, a leopard, donkeys. It's some kind of Tarzan, without screams and leaps from liana to liana. A big mistake at 12:35 "Tigers smell these animals two leagues away". None of the filmmakers were good with geography and zoology, there have never been tigers in Africa, except maybe when they made the film, But, it was shot in Hollywood, so... Van Heflin was a decent actor in everything I saw, even here. But I've seen him in movies much better than this. Ruth Roman's best role was in Alfred Hitchcock's famous "Strangers on a Train" (1951).

Usual adventure movie set in British East Africa , Kenya, in 1903, it features a two-fisted white hunter called John Gale (Van Heflin) battling against a mercenary army in the forests and savannah , as he is leading a safari to bring in getaway outlaw Abel McCracken (Jeff Morrow) , wanted for murder . En route , while leading his expedition and through a chain of circumstances , he picks up four survivors of Nukumbi raids : tough colonist Dan Harder (Howard Duff) , previous teacher Peggy (lovely Ruth Roman) , and two likeable children who catalyze action when they are missing. However , Dan has hidden motives for coming along . Meantime , Abel McCracken , fleeing a murder charge , instigates the Nukumbi tribe to raid white settlements and endangering John's holdings in which he is keenly interested . Along the way Gale takes on a lot of dangers , even using dynamite , and while the Nukumbi are lying in wait . Kenia : Land of the hunter ... and the hunted ! .In Africa's savage city of outcasts they met in a rendezvous with terror!

One of the colourful , moving and action features that Universal International Pictures trotted out with polish , professionality and much regularity in the 50s . It bears resemblance to another Universal film titled Congo crossing (56) by Joseph Pevney with George Nader , Virginia Mayo and Peter Lorre . It's a quickie with lack luster and low budget but it manages to be at least an enjoyable adventure movie because of it contains noisy action, sensational outdoors and outlandish as well as risked situations abound . There's some fascinating in watching the dangerous aventures of the motley group , being surrounded by anger tribes and perilous animals , but using stocks originally shot since former films . We are seeing several African animals though the most turn out to be taken from an excessive utilization of stock-shots , such as : Elephants , Gnus, , Crocodiles, Hippo , lions , and a sympathetic chimpanzee . And a leopard attacking a donkey , too . Van Heflin gives a fine acting as John Gale who organizes a human hunt to capture an ominous enemy . His is about the only enthusiastic actor from a tired-looking cast , that also includes a few notorious secondaries . McCracken is well played by Jeff Morrow as a colonist who who is stirring up the Nukumbi . Ruth Roman plays the damsel in distress , while Howard Duff performs the good brother facing off the bad sibling .

This action and adventure movie set in an African country was professionally directed by Andre De Toth . At his beginnings De Toth entered the Hungarian film industry, obtaining work as a writer, editor , second unit director and actor before finally becoming a director. He directed a few films just before the outbreak of WW II, when he fled to England . Alexander Korda gave him a job there, and when De Toth emigrated to the US in 1942 , Korda got him a job as a second unit director on Jungle Book (1942) . Andre De Toth was a classical director , Western usual (Indian fighter, Man in the saddle , Ramrod , Last of Comanches , The stranger wore a gun), but also made Peplum (Gold for the Caesar) and adventure (The Mongols , Morgan the pirate , Tanganyika) . Probably his best known film is House of wax (1953) , a Vincent Price horror film shot in 3D . The picture obtained limited success , but it results to be enough agreeable. Rating : 5.5/10 . It's relentless routine , but also a good stuff for young people and exotic adventures lovers who enjoy enormously with the extraordinary danger in the lush jungle.