Something of Value

It deals with two youngsters : Peter (Rock Hudson) and Kimani (Sidney Poitier) , both of whom grew up together , Kimani soon finds that both races are treated differently . After Kimani's dad is imprisoned for following tribal habits , Kimani joins a gang of revolutionaries (led by Joaquin Martinez and William Marshall) that wish all non-Kenyans out of their country. While Kimani believes in the cause , he does not agree with the indiscriminate killing of women, children, and those who will not join or agree with them . Along the way , the film reflects the way in which Mau Mau divided two communities , both African and British . Filmed Under Military Protection by M-G-M in Africa's Mau-Mau Country! Love in an Inferno .This is the real Mau-Mau Story! Today's reign of TERROR filmed in Africa! Their love defied primitive jungle laws! White Heat Explodes in Green Hell!

A strong and thoughtful drama for the historical-minded people , concerning the Mau Mau terror with nice mood , well-performed , and not for the squeamish . The tension , intrigue and suspense mantain a real grip across . In "Something of value" anyway , neither White Men , nor African people are necessarily the heroes , but both of them share the guilt of the distresses . In fact, the attitude of the colonials and the Africans are both very accurately portrayed . This is by far the best film about the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya along with ¨Simba¨by Brian Desmond Hurst with Dick Bogarde , Donald Sinden , Virginia McKenna , this was British forerunner of Richard Brook's work. The ambient of the country at the time is pretty well shown accompanied by an atmospheric cinematography in black and white by Russell Harlan , as well as thrilling musical score by Miklos Rozsa . Being shot on location in Nairobi National Park, and Nairobi , Kenya . Cast is frankly good as Rock Hudson playing Peter who still believes that there is a chance for peaceful co-existence and that he can stop most of the killing if he can reason with Kimani nicely performed by Sidney Poitier. Excellent support cast such as Robert Beatty , Juano Hernandez , William Marshall ,Walter Fitzgerald , Michael Pate, Ivan Dixon , and Wendy Hiller as a doomed wife. the motion picture was competently directed by Richard Brooks.

Based on historical events as the Mau Mau Uprising (1952-1960), also known as the Mau Mau Rebellion, the Kenya Emergency, and the Mau Mau Revolt, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920-1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as Mau Mau, and the British authorities.Dominated by the Kikuyu people, Meru people and Embu people, the KLFA also comprised units of Kamba and Maasai peoples who fought against the white European colonist-settlers in Kenya, the British Army, and the local Kenya Regiment (British colonists, local auxiliary militia, and pro-British Kikuyu people).The capture of rebel leader Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi on 21 October 1956 signalled the defeat of the Mau Mau.

Sidney Poitier is excellent in this study of Kenya's fight for independence and backlash against their former oppressors. William Marshall, Michael Pate and Wendy Hiller are superb in poignant supporting performances. But, Rock Hudson is terribly miscast, and his character too good, even beyond sainthood. And the focus on his character ultimately throws the movie off-balance. Still worth watching though, but it's a bit of a shame since the elements of greatness are all here, but the result is thought-provoking but unsatisfying. 7/10.

This film is an interesting memento of a period seemingly long ago, but actually in the recent past. It raises some of the same questions brought to mind in "The Battle of Algiers," specifically, what methods is it justifiable to use to further a just cause, especially the cause of an oppressed people. Another question, should all members of the oppressor class, in this case whites of British ancestry and citizenship, be regarded and treated as oppressors, even if they are sympathetic to the cause of the oppressed? To its credit, the film doesn't oversimplify. One character, Matson, is a cardboard villain, but the whites are generally portrayed sympathetically. And, although at the time this film was made Kenyan independence was only six years away, it is clear that, to almost all the whites, independence and black majority rule are still unthinkable. It is clear that many of the whites regard the land as just as much theirs as it is the blacks'; most of them were born there. The film doesn't make a case for independence, just for equality of treatment.

The film moves along and is never boring. It tells a good story and is generally well acted. It's too bad that Rock Hudson didn't, or couldn't, attempt a British accent. Although it's clear that all the whites in the film are British, Hudson just moves right along with his American accent, quite un-self conscious about it all. (Maybe it's just as well; he might have ended up sounding as ridiculous as Marlon Brando in "Mutiny on the Bounty.") This is in stark contrast to Sidney Poitier, who manages an African accent quite well. Poitier is actually superb in his role; this was well before he assumed the persona of the saintly characters so superior to everyone else that he played to excess in the 60s. This film appears not to be available on video, so you'll probably have to wait until it appears on Turner Classic Movies again. 8/10

Thoughtful people around the world have despaired for Africa, the most abused and exploited continent on our globe. The year that the film version of Robert Ruark's novel Something Of Value came out, the first colony of British Africa, the Gold Coast became the independent Republic of Ghana under Kwame Nkrumah. When we see film like Leonardo DiCpario's Blood Diamond come out fifty years later, you have to wonder whether Africa's many problems will ever be solved in the lifetime of most of us.

Rock Hudson and Sidney Poitier play childhood friends who grew up side by side in Kenya colony. But race and racial politics have driven them apart as Poitier has joined the nascent Mau Mau movement whose mission it was to kill all the white settlers and drive them from their part of the continent. Hudson who believes the races can peaceful exist together in the Kenya colony and soon to be independent country wants to reconcile with Poitier. The film concerns his attempts to do so.

Some very good supporting performances by Dana Wynter, Wendy Hiller, Ivan Dixon, and William Marshall are in Something Of Value. Best scene in the film other than the final confrontation with Hudson and Poitier is Hudson's father played by Robert Beatty successfully breaking down Mau Mau leader Juano Hernandez into giving up his cohorts. Beatty's knowledge of the Kikuyu tribe culture comes into play here.

The white racist attitudes are exemplified by Michael Pate whose Australian accent makes him sound the most authentically African or the closest to it among the white cast members.

Sad to say this most authentic of African stories is still very relevant today as seen by the critical and popular acclaim that Blood Diamond received in 2006. Hudson, Poitier, and the rest of the cast do some of their best work in Something Of Value.

Just watched this Rock Hudson-Sidney Poitier movie on YouTube. After casting him in The Blackboard Jungle which was a success, writer/director Richard Brooks then put Poitier in this drama about the uprising of a Kenyan revolutionary group called Mau-Mau of which Kimani Wa Karanja-Sidney's character-is forced to join after seeing his father (Ken Renard) uphold a custom that involves a murder resulting in his arrest by English colonialists. Hudson plays Peter McKenzie whose family had long settled in Africa and he himself had befriended Kimani when they were kids but that could be no more because of the unfair social rulings. I'll stop there and just say that this was quite intense and had plenty of moments where you wondered how certain things came to be and how some characters like a Joe Mattson (Michael Pate) came to hate someone much different from him. In a standout performance, Juano Hernandez is powerful as Njogu, who forces Poitier to take an oath that he himself never took. Others worth mentioning include: William Marshall as the Mau-Mau leader who's the one that gets Kimani to initially join, Ivan Dixon as Lathela-loyal gun bearer, Samadu Jackson as a witch doctor, Frederick O'Neal as another Mau-Mau leader named Adam Marenga who often wants to shoot first before any negotiations, and Barbara Foley as Wanju-wife of Kimani. Besides the players I've already cited, here are the other people of color in the cast and the parts they played: John Akar-Waithaka, Myrtle Anderson-Mwange wife, Carl Christian-cook, Kim Hamilton-Kipi's wife, Darby Jones-wine steward, Ike Jones-askari (a policeman), Anna Mabry-a midwife, Juanita Moore and Tommie Moore as tribal women, Paulene Myers-Kikuyu woman, Morgan Roberts-Chief Hinga, Madame Sul-Te-Wan-another midwife, and Paul Thompson-Kipi. Also featuring compelling supporting performances by Wendy Hiller as Peter's sister Elizabeth and Dana Wynter as Holly, Peter's wife. In summation, I highly recommend Something of Value.