Estrela do Sul

An American comedy adventure; An impoverished Yankee geologist searches for a priceless diamond in Senegal. When his partner and the diamond vanish, the geologist is blamed for the crime, and a hunt ensues. Paint-by-numbers direction, poor dialogue, gratuitous photography of African wildlife in cutaway shots, but the cast make the best of it. George Segal shines. Orson Welles plays it wearily and fey with an upper-class English-London accent. Ian Hendry is impressive as the nasty hunter and Ursula Andress is gorgeous in resourceful support. All in all, the photography is good but the plot is preposterously simplistic.

Say Jules Verne and one has memories of cannons shooting men to the moon, or a mad sea captain destroying British ships with his personal submarine, or a proper Englishman betting 20,000 lbs (half his fortune) that he can get around the world in 80 days. And the movies have been kind to Verne's best known films: George Melies immortalized FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON in an early film. Walt Disney did films on TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and THE CHILDREN OF CAPTAIN GRANT (the latter entitled IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS). Ray Harryhausen's special effects are one of the treats of MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. Mike Todd produced AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS. And James Mason did make that JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH. What is usually not realized is the lesser known titles that have gotten onto the screen - for Jules Verne wrote nearly 80 novels. MICHAEL STROGOFF was made into a film in Great Britain in the 1930s with Anton Walbrook. FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON was made into a comedy adventure (with Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Red Buttons) in the 1960s. A Mexican version of the long forgotten EIGHT HUNDRED LEAGUES OVER THE AMAZON was made in the 1950s. A French version of MATTHIAS SANDORF (Verne's attempt at an updated version of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO) was made starring Louis Jordan in the 1960s. And there was this little film, made in 1969.

What is frequently forgotten about Verne was that he was as preoccupied with politics as scientific developements. He usually was a liberal (one remarkable exception was his anti-Semitism, most markedly shown in his novel OFF ON A COMET - he also was convinced for years that Alfred Dreyfus was a traitor). In a late novel, THE DANUBE PILOT, he looks at the various warring nationalities in the Balkans and Austria Hungary. Another novel, THE SURVIVORS OF THE JONATHAN, dissects the various political philosophies of the day (Verne's hero is an anarchist). In the original THE SOUTHERN STAR Verne was taking a jaundiced eye at his particular bete noir - the British Empire in South Africa. The Boer - British rivalry there are a sounding board for looking at the society of South Africa. But one element is missing from the film. The villain is described as looking like Cecil Rhodes. But the villains in the film don't look like Rhodes.

Yet the film does get the relations of the three groups (native Africans, Boers, British) into some proportion. Ian Hendry is the real villain, having slowly made his way into a position of power over the career of his predecessor (and former patron) Welles, and hoping to take over Harry Andrews economic empire. Hendry romances Andrews niece, Andress, who is in love with Segal. As for Segal, he is friendly with Johnny Secca, who grew up with him. Andrews disapproves of this friendship, and Hendry detests the native Africans anyway. Andrews' diamond works has just produced the world's largest diamond - the "Southern Star". It is stolen and suspicion (fed by Hendry, and swallowed by Andrews) is that Secca stole it. Segal tries to help his friend (who is fleeing). Then Welles returns - he hopes to force Secca to give him the diamond, so he can regain his old position with Andrews.

The film is actually interesting enough to watch to its conclusion (and actually satisfactory even for Welles, as ambiguous a villain here as in some of his own films). It is not a great film by any stretch, but I would recommend seeing it.

Part of the Orson Welles Collection from Mill Creek DVD, this one opens with Dan (George Segal , the boss on "Just Shoot Me") sleeping on a cot, at a diamond mine; the book he was reading says "Geology for Beginners", so clearly he can't be trusted. The workers have found a giant diamond, and Dan arbitrarily decides that it is a genuine, valuable diamond. The beautiful Ursula Andress, famous for the James Bond films, and of course posing in Playboy, is in here. She is Erica, the daughter of the local rich man "Kramer", who has purchased or taken the diamond. Everybody is after the diamond, and wacky hyjinx follow. A hokey bar-room brawl. Ian Hendry seems to be the local deputy, but also seems to be involved in the shenanigans, as well as being Erica's ex. All rather confusing. Lots of old, faded, stock animal footage from old Africa, although it looks like some of the critters might be from Australia. or not. They end all up at the compound of "Plankett", a smaller role for Orson Welles. Good performance from Johnny Sekka.

Much female frontal nudity at the native dance scene. Jules Verne gets writing credit, but apparently it is a rewrite of an earlier novel. Directed by Sidney Hayers, who had worked on some films and whole lot of TV. A good watch... not anything spectacular, but it does have a comical flair to it. With the upbeat music, it's more of a madcap caper than a serious manhunt to the death.

The Southern Star is a very big diamond. Someone steals it. George Segal and Ursula Andress, pursued by Ian Hendry, all hampered by the dipsomaniac homosexual ex-Major Orson Welles, attempt to retrieve it, and have encounters with wildlife, humour and danger along the way.

Typically for a 60s Africa movie, the best things about it are the wildlife shots.

Ostriches cause amusing chaos, cobras are scary, hippos are much less frightening than they look, antelopes leap, lions are fierce - you know the sort of thing.

Orson Welles, as usual, steals every scene he's in, and Harry Andrews's obvious enthusiasm for tribal music is a fairly eye-popping sight. Naturally, we have a lengthy scene in which Ursula Andress swims around naked in the lake for the cheesecake shots.

The main action consists of Hendry and some henchmen tracking Segal and Andress through the jungle and is wholly unabsorbing.

There's nothing objectionable or offensive about this movie, but there's nothing much to recommend it either.

Yes, The Southern Star features a pretty forgettable title tune sung by that heavy set crooner Matt Monro. It pretty much establishes the tone for this bloated and rather dull feature, stunningly miscast with George Segal and Ursula Andress as an adventurous couple in search of a large diamond. Add in Harry Andrews (with a strange accent, no less) chasing an ostrich, tons of stock footage of wildlife, and poorly composed and dull photography by Raoul Coutard, and you end up with a thoroughly unexciting romp through the jungles of Senegal.