Intrigue au Congo

This film will make you sweat. I have not seen this movie since 1957, and its memory persists. The scenes of swarming tse-tse flies and jungle conditions make it well worth looking for. Interesting cast, although movie guides often don't give it high ratings, I think it should be reconsidered ... esp. in comparison to "Outbreak", "12 monkeys"; and in comparison to some more modern movies on Africa.

"Congo Crossing" is a fine example of the Universal Studio ethos of the fifties. The powers that be at Universal decreed that films were all about look with content a whole lot less important. Audiences did not come to the cinema to be educated or enlightened, they came to be entranced by great looking charismatic leading actors, lit and costumed to perfection. The screenplay was simply to service the stars. It would take the genius of a Douglas Sirk to transfer Universal's mediocre screenplays into great cinema. Joseph Pevney, the director of "Congo Crossing", was not able to able to perform such a feat and clearly had no such aspiration, but he fared well with "Congo Crossing" and even better with Universal's "Foxfire" and "Female on the Beach".

The studio look included the often hand painted posters that accompanied the film, usually featuring the male lead clutching the female lead (check out the aforementioned films). The aesthetic of many Universal films was meticulously crafted by their superb art direction department headed by Alexander Golitzen and highly skilled cameramen such as Russell Metty. Actors George Nader and Virginia Mayo were blessed with captivating looks as were all the studio's leads, but when well-costumed, beautifully lit and filmed by Metty, you simply can't take your eyes off them. The entire film takes place in the heart of Africa yet Mayo's hair and make-up remain perfect and she appears in a whole range of eye-catching designs, from the shortest of shorts to slinky evening wear. How she managed to pack them all in her suitcase remains a mystery, but who cares. Nader is more appropriately dressed, but even his jungle wear is casually elegant and his hair of course virtually unruffled.

"Congo Crossing" has a totally absurd narrative but Universal works its usual magic and affords an entertaining 85 minutes.

Congotanga, a criminal colony on the western border of the then Belgian Congo, is a magnet for various fugitives from justice the world over. The law is nominally represented by Colonel Arragas (Peter Lorre) but the real power lies in the hands of shady types like Rittner (Tonio Selwart).

David Carr (George Nader), who has been hired to carry out a river survey on behalf of the Belgian mining concerns, sets off down the river accompanied by Louise Whitman (Virginia Mayo), a one time model running from a murder rap in France, and O'Connell (Michael Pate), a hitman - his target is Louise.

Beset by tsetse flies, crocodiles and the murderous attentions of Rittner's henchmen, the party has more than its share of hazards to navigate

Ravishing Virginia Mayo spices up this jungle adventure that passes the time adequately- she plays a woman of mystery, cold and sharp tongued, and of course, her relationship with George Nader's character comes off to a shaky start, then changes and they become lovers. Michael Pate plays the villain. It's adequately acted, there's some slow parts and some lively portion with some decent action.

Reading that Universal got Virginia Mayo's services for Congo Crossing in exchange for Rock Hudson going to Warner Brothers I was stunned and thinking in baseball terms. The biggest one sided deal I had ever heard of since the Mets parted with Nolan Ryan to the Angels for Jim Fregosi. The cast didn't even get the benefit of a nice African location shoot.

Shot in the Botanical Gardens of Los Angeles this routine action adventure film has Virginia Mayo as a socialite on the run and George Nader an engineer on a surveying mission.

They're both at a real sleazy town in the French Congo where Peter Lorre runs a rather loose enforcement policy. There's also Michael Pate who is a hit man contracted to get Mayo.

Nader's mission to survey the place as the Congo River boundaries have changed and find out whether Lorre's jurisdiction of Congotanga is in the French or Belgian Congo. The ambiguity of the situation causes concern for all and it's made Congotanga the wide open place it is. Everyone wants to know, but many don't want the knowledge to go public.

In this is a very nice portrayal from Rex Ingram of a black doctor running a hospital. Which colonial power he lives under is of little concern to him. He knows the white man will be gone soon enough, but while he's there he wants what he needs to run his hospital.

Congo Crossing is a below average action adventure film. Must George Nader ever have envied Rock Hudson.

Joseph Pevney the director is more or less dismissed by so called highbrow critics. I think they are wrong. He directed Joan Crawford in one of the rare films on male prostitution, ' Female on the Beach ' and many minor gems of entertaining films that deal with character as well as action. ' Congo Crossing ' is perfectly cast. George Nadar is the lead male role, and he has been underestimated as an actor. Rock Hudson is often compared to him, and Nadar comes out as being inferior. The truth I think is that given the right roles they were both fine actors and both were gay and faithful friends. One had to go given the ' morals ' of Hollywood and gracefully Nadar left and became a writer. In this film he is on top form trying to redraw the map of the Belgian Congo, as what should be part of it's territory has become a renegade state for criminals. Peter Lorre runs it in uniform and gives a delightful over the top performance. Virginia Mayo is at her best as a cold woman of mystery who is warm when she wants to and not when men want to profit from her in more ways than one. This is by no means a great film, but excellent on its own terms. I can imagine audiences of the mid-1950's enjoyed every minute of it. I believe it, and films like it, give pleasure and sometimes have a lot of artistic beauty into the bargain. A mistake to underestimate directors like Pevney who had a lot to give to the diversity of cinema.