Schwarzes Elfenbein

Tight story well told. Features one of the first rhino versus truck on film. Unglamorous presentation of foundation of early game reserves in Africa.

Identity of the villain will be no surprise.

Anthony Steele plays a game warden who, fed up with animals being killed, seemingly by upper class Brits, sets up a game reserve. Supported by wife Dinah Sheridan he faces villager discontentment, bureaucracy and upper class British ivory hunters.

Whilst rather old fashioned and politically a little out of step by today's standards, this is an attractive and enjoyable enough jungle romp with Steele doing his best matinee idol bit and for a good cause, with Sheridan does a good typical fifties wifey. Every scene intercuts with an animal of some sort and the scenery is of course spectacular, all interlaced with a stuck up Brits being pompous and doomed to fail in the face of tough guy Steele. Pleasant enough matinee fare.

Ealing's first Technicolor tour of the Dark Continent has a sharper script - which extends to the title - and more interesting wildlife photography than it's follow-up 'West of Zanzibar' (including a truly hair-raising encounter with a lioness and her cub) and an indignation at rich foreigners with itchy trigger fingers laying waste to the local wildlife just for kicks that still resonates today.

Such was the nickname of Anthony Steel,who one could say was the English equivalent to Randolph Scott in terms of his imobile features.

Ealing Studios were great exponents of producing films in the Empire and colonies. Here they had the advantage of Technicolour which is used to its best advantages. Lots of shots of animal wildlife.

It highlighlights the concerns about animal wildlife existed when this film was madeToo many rich individuals thought it was sport to go and hunt wild game. John Huston did this whilst he was engaged on making The African Queen.

Anthony Steel gives his standard wooden performance as the game warden. Dinah Sheridan looks very fetching. She soon abandoned her career after marriage to Rank chief axeman John Davis.

The tagline, presented here on this site is a dated and threatening ' come on '. Only the rich could go animal hunting in Africa, and Anthony Steel, at perhaps his limited best, as a man who wants to find a reserve where the animals are safe. This is a well intentioned film, and it begins by clearly showing men ( and women ) just see animals as sport or trophy. I am not sure if animals were killed, and it looked realistic to me. Dinah Sheridan shows before ' Genevieve ' what a good actor she could be, and I regret that she gave up acting so soon. The film is made in colour and by the lack of reviews I can see few have bothered to watch it. It is available on DVD and Ealing Studios clearly thought animal lovers would want to see it. The intentions of killing off animals is clearly portrayed as an evil, and I hope viewers in 1951 did not just see it as entertainment. Given the nature of the human race to kill at any opportunity this maybe a too hopeful thought. Simply made on location it is action packed and no spoilers on what happens. A heart felt film which has dated but still sends out an important message. Quite simply do not kill animals for a spurious prestige or blood lust. Well directed.