Der König der Safari

Standard action film of the 1950's directed by future-to-be James Bond film director, Terrance Young. Victor Mature and Janet Leigh turn in solid performances in one of Mature's better action films during the 1950's. Mature is the great white hunter bent on revenge against the Mau Maus, and Leigh the love interest he takes on Safari. In her autobiography, actress Janet Leigh revealed the following story regarding her experience with actor Mature and Director Young. Director Terrance Young somehow talked both stars, Janet Leigh and Victor Mature, into doing the film. Apparently, the good natured Mature enjoyed playing golf and chasing women more than making movies, and he balked at the idea of going to Africa to shoot the film. Vic wanted to shoot the film on one of Hollywood's back lots while Director Terrence Young insisted on the realism and danger that only the jungle could afford. During the filming of "Safari" Vic was told that he had to run into a lake to rescue the heroine (Leigh). He immediately refused. Director Young demanded to know why he refused to do the scene. Vic told him that "There could be crocodiles in the water!" Young immediately called over the film's Great White Hunter film consultant to explain the situation to him. The Guide laughed and said, "Of course, there are crocodiles in the water....but you don't have to worry, Mr. Mature. I'll fire a couple shots off my rifle an hour or so before the scene, and all the crocks in the area will leave...in fact they will be miles away when we shoot the scene." Dumbfounded by the information, Vic asked, "Why would they leave the area when you fire your rifle?" The Hunter responded, "Because the crocks have sensitive ears...much more sensitive than we humans...and they will leave the area." Vic continued to refuse to shoot the scene. Frustrated, Director Young, demanded to know why Vic would not shoot the scene. Finally Vic responded by saying, "What if one of the crocodiles just happens to be deaf!" Eventually, a terrified Victor Mature gave in to Director Young's demands, and timidly entered the water while actress Janet Leigh nervously watched nearby.

"In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight." That was a rock 'n' roll hit in the late 1950s. Where did an American recording group get the idea to do such a single? From this movie, in which the African characters, while marching on safari, sing it - an authentic African folk song that easily translated to a rhythm 'n' blues beat. Here is a fine example of what they used to call a 'program picture' - not a B movie in the early-indie junk-movie sense, or an A studio production either. Just before TV ruled, the major studios used to make minor films (though not B movies, mind you - something beyond that but below a B feature) and called them programmers. That way, they could make use of the actors, writers, directors, etc. who were on a regular payroll, a concept that would die early during the next decade. After all, if you were going to pay all of those people a weekly salary, might as well knock out modest movies that, when you think about it, cost them little but the price of raw film stock. They could be marketed on double bills, then sent over to the Drive-Ins, and finally put into a package that went to local TV channels in those days before the networks got hooked on full-length films (fall of 61). So here were Victor Mature and Janet Leigh as an older man and younger woman who find themselves together on a safari that her father arranges. Mature has ulterior motives - his family was destroyed in a mau-mau attacks some years earlier and he wants revenge, thinking this may be the way to get it. The mau-mau attacks are very well staged by Terence Young, who would go on to do several Bond films. Crisp color and a strong soundtrack qualify this as precisely what it was meant to be - far from a memorable movie, but a time killer that doesn't leave you feeling that you've wasted you're time when it's over.

A real big-screen picture, but I can only imagine... Even on my ancient Beta videocassette taped circa 1983, the Technicolor treatment amazes! Yes, there is a lot of stock footage there, but what scenery! The chase scenes, including elephants, tribal Kikuyu warriors, and the entire main cast, are so well put together as to make the transitions transparent. Much of 'Safari' has the feel of a spaghetti western, but its authenticity is never in doubt.

My only complaint is that of historical inaccuracy, since the Mau-Mau revolt (and characterization) is only viewed from the side of the Brits. If you can get past that issue enough to treat this purely as an action film.

Though Safari is hardly in the same league with such location jungle dramas as The African Queen or King Solomon's Mines, it has one thing going for it that I find amazing. It was actually shot in Kenya colony before Kenya became a nation and the Mau Mau rebellion as part of the plot while it was going on.

Director Terrance Young and his principal cast of mostly Caucasian players were taking their lives in their hands just being there. A year after Safari was released to theaters, Ghana became the first African nation granted independence from its European colonizers. That paved the way for about 40 regime changes in Africa. Kenya in fact was one of the last in that group to be granted independence, a lot having to do with the Mau Mau Rebellion.

The story is a standard one, Victor Mature is an Safari guide who takes on a job to guide Roland Culver and his party which consists of among others Janet Leigh and John Justin. Culver is after a rogue lion and Mature wants an excuse to get into the country where the Mau Maus are operating so he can get the guy who killed his son. Culver's got both a drinking and jealousy problem.

I think anyone who's seen a couple of these films knows exactly where this one is going. Safari is a standard routine story, not worthy of the location cinematography or the events of the time. Still give these people a medal for filming in Kenya at that time.

Always enjoyed Victor Mature movies and he was great as usual.

I will never understand why with all the expense of making a movie they very rarely get even close to the firearm reality of what is necessary.

None of the big bore rifles even sounded close to being real. As in later movies like Anaconda they show bolt action rifles being fired repeatedly without the shooter cycling the weapon, reloading with the bolt action being used etc. There is poor sound and absolutely no recoil even being feigned. It is as if they are shooting Daisy air rifles.

When Victor Mature asks for his 900 grain bullets for his big bore express rifle, that was good as they used Holland AND Holland .500 and .600 nitro Express rifles back then, with side by side rifled barrels.

Yet when he shot it, there again was no recoil. All that expensive footage shot yet they show a river scene with a sound stage movie screen behind them, why use that at all? The dead lion dummy, drugged starving circus lion whatever they used looked to be hundreds of pounds lighter than a 500lb plus Atari.

Still very enjoyable movie.