African Queen

This great classic has everything you could ask for - two fine stars who could carry the show by themselves, and a story full of adventure, drama, humor, and romance. It's a lot of fun to watch, and it is also a film you can admire for the expert way it was put together.

Bogart and Hepburn not only give great performances, they are also wonderful together, and they make the on-screen relationship between their characters believable and interesting - it's great to watch as it develops. The adventures that they find are that much more entertaining for the way that you come to care about them. The story itself is exciting, too, with a lot of ups and downs for the heroes. Topping it off are the wonderful settings, with a lot of fine shots of wild animals and jungle scenery - there is always plenty to look at, and it also sets off the action nicely.

Any one of a number of things would make "The African Queen" worth watching, and as a whole it is a terrific movie. It's a must-see for any fan of classic movies, and one that you can also enjoy watching numerous times.

An amazing romance-adventure classic highlighted by the brilliant performances of Bogart and Hepburn. Oscar winner Bogart's Charlie is a broken man who finds true hope and happiness in Hepburn's Rose. Rose finds love and meaning from Charlie. It's adorable to see them call each other "Missus" and "Mr. Almont" even when we know that they love each other. Even when they have their "first quarrel" near the end of the picture, we know that their lives have changed forever as a result of the other person. It's a film about true love. This is also a very funny film, which was a shock to director Huston. Bogart's stomach growling scene early on in the film is a hoot. More humor commences as both stars play off of each other wonderfully. The scenary is beautiful. No film has captured the essence and importance of nature better than this classic. This is the film that sparked other romance adventures such as "Romancing the Stone" and "Six Days and Seven Nights." Before you view those newer installments, you better check out the one and true original classic.

John Huston directed this classic WWI romantic adventure that stars Humphrey Bogart as Riverboat Captain Charlie Allnut, an alcoholic and aging veteran of the river who is persuaded to lead pious Rose Sayer(played by Katharine Hepburn) by her missionary brother(played by Robert Morley) who is later beaten and left to die of fever by the German occupiers. Rose buries her brother, then sets out on the river journey, determined to avenge her brother's death(and do God's work) by tracking down and destroying a German submarine with a torpedo. Along the way, the mismatched couple connect and fall in love... Fine adventure with two perfectly cast stars at their best. Bogart won an overdue best actor Academy Award for his wonderful performance, with superb direction making this an authentic and memorable journey indeed, overcoming the predictable(yet believable) inevitability of the romance.

Charlie Allnut is the Captain of The Queen, quite dishevelled and bedraggled but he ain't mean, keeps two missionaries informed, of how the world has been transformed, it's not too long before just one will leave the scene. As they escape along the river plans are hatched, to send torpedoes to a gunboat and dispatch, on their journey gin is taken, buckled shafts are warmed then straightened, it's not long before they make the perfect match. A short sojourn into the reeds causes distraction, but not long after heavy rain causes abstraction, as the enemy is spotted, the pair remain fully besotted, just goes to show that opposites, create attraction.

Great performances, great dialogue, great film.

This is one of those films whose special effects and scenery must have been astounding at the time (1951), but which seem mediocre at best today. BUT, and that's a big 'but', this does not detract from the greatness of the movie overall. The scenery truly is beautiful, for one thing--and the direction and cinematography is great.

However, what truly makes this film a classic, and deservedly so, is the performances given by the lead actors. For their one film together, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn pull out all the stops. Bogart is crude, dirty and a low-life river-rat with a heart of gold. He gives the Oscar-winning performance of his lifetime. Hepburn is prim and prissy, but always manages to win us over with her radiance and vulnerability, as well as that core of steel and strength she lends to all her on-screen characters. He's charming, in his way; she's achingly beautiful in hers. You can't help but warm to Charlie and Rosie, and truly, genuinely root for them to get together.

The ending is predictable; all 'opposites-attract' romance adventure stories are. You know without a doubt that the sunset will be there for Charlie and Rosie to ride off (or swim) into together. But you still hurt when Charlie hurts; and you still smile like a fool when he sees Rose, and when he tries to explain her forthrightness away by jungle fever. You believe the love, and that's what the African Queen is all about.

Oh, and the gin and leech scenes, of course. Those are brilliant, as everyone else here has already mentioned! ;)