Untamed Africa

Untamed Africa (1933)

*** (out of 4)

This fifty-six minute documentary from Warner is actually a feature version of twelve two-reel shorts that the company made with the Hubbard family who visited Africa and filmed their adventures.

I haven't seen any of the short films on their own but I must say that this feature version is without question a very entertaining look at Africa, its people as well as the various bits of wild life that are there. Apparently the shorts were popular enough for Warner to go through the trouble of editing them together and I really hope that one day the shorts will be made available.

If you're a fan of documentaries then you'll certainly want to check this out and especially if you're interested in Africa and their wild life. Neeless to say, a majority of the running time is devoted to the various hunts that are done. Yes, there are some semi-graphic moments throughout but there's nothing too bad. You do get to look at a wide range of animals including some exciting bits with a lion hunt.

There's one sequence where a lion is caught in a net and seeing the people trying to get it under control was quite suspenseful to say the least. We also get some terrific shots of crocodiles, buffalo and various other animals. We also get to see some of the local tribes and get a great behind-the-scenes look at how they go about their daily lives.

UNTAMED AFRICA is certainly a very entertaining film and one that really needs to be seen if you're a fan of this type of thing.