Safari

I saw this as a kid and remember the initial mau mau attack as very frightening. Mature was adequate in the part. He was never one of my favorite actors, but the more I see of his old movies today, the more I begin to appreciate his films. Would love to see "Safari" again, especially now that I know Terence Young directed it.

Safari is directed by Terence Young and adapted to screenplay by Robert Buckner from a story by Anthony Veiller. It stars Victor Mature, Janet Leigh, John Justin, Roland Culver, Earl Cameron and Juma. A Technicolor/CinemaScope production out of Columbia Pictures, music is scored by William Alwyn and cinematography by John Wilcox. Plot finds Mature as a hunter Ken Duffield, who returns home from a trip to his Kenyan homestead to find his son as been murdered by a Mau Mau general who was hiding in disguise as the Duffield's house servant. Initially stripped of his thirst for revenge by the local authorities, Duffield gets his chance when he is hired by wealthy and powerful Sir Vincent Brampton (Culver) and his trophy fiancée Linda Latham (Leigh)lead them on a jungle hunt to kill as lion.

Be on your guard against Mau Mau terrorists.

Colourful, entertaining and often picturesque in scope, Safari manages to rise above its standard plotting to reveal a decent jungle adventure. Shot on location in Kenya and using the Mau Mau uprising as a backdrop, film was daring back in the day, that the likes of Mature and Leigh were talked into making a picture in Kenya at this time is impressive since the Mau Mau uprising was still in effect. What transpires as the film unfolds sees the stars put through their paces by Terence Young, a future James Bond director and a dab hand at action scenes. There's some inevitable cheapness in the production, with back screen projections and the odd dummy flung about, but action rushes and human peril is within and Wilcox's scope photography of the Kenyan landscapes is most pleasing. 6.5/10

A man who poses as a safari leader in order to seek revenge against the Mau Mau rebels who murdered his son. Hired to guide a jungle expedition by an eccentric millionaire, he finds himself drawn in to a romantic relationship with his client's beautiful fiancee.

Cecil B. DeMille called Mature "100% yellow - the greatest coward ever born," and even in this colourful action-adventure film he was reluctant to go into the water due to crocodiles, which is strange as filming in Kenya back then with a Mau Mau uprising was dangerous. He, along with other Sterling cast, were taking a risk.

Basking in Technicolor, Safari is a solid jungle film, the kind they don't make anymore. The action is quite gritty and exciting. There's some good tension and good characters like the one played by Ronald Culver, a cold-blooded rich man intent to notch a big lion kill as his trophy. But it's Victor Mature who really impresses as the safari leader with an modi operandi to lead an entourage in to an area where Mau Mau terrorists are around. The reason are explained in the first twenty minutes - far from wooden, Mature expresses anguish just by that look in his eyes. He was always better actor than he has been made out. There's a 007 connection as Terence Young directed it and Albert Broccolli co-produced.

at the first sigh, nothing different by many adventure films from the same period. the love story, the animals, the Manichean distinction between characters, all is well known. but the difference is made by a lot of details. one - Victor Mature , who did a good job in a role who seems be perfect for him. in same measure, Janet Leigh in a fragile, delicate and powerful young woman portrait. and, sure, Mau Mau attacks, Earl Cameron giving a splendid portrait of the general. in rest - animals and lovely characters and the portrait of Africa , seductive and full of childhood references for the generations behind smartphone era.

Always enjoyed Victor Mature movies and he was great as usual.

I will never understand why with all the expense of making a movie they very rarely get even close to the firearm reality of what is necessary.

None of the big bore rifles even sounded close to being real. As in later movies like Anaconda they show bolt action rifles being fired repeatedly without the shooter cycling the weapon, reloading with the bolt action being used etc. There is poor sound and absolutely no recoil even being feigned. It is as if they are shooting Daisy air rifles.

When Victor Mature asks for his 900 grain bullets for his big bore express rifle, that was good as they used Holland AND Holland .500 and .600 nitro Express rifles back then, with side by side rifled barrels.

Yet when he shot it, there again was no recoil. All that expensive footage shot yet they show a river scene with a sound stage movie screen behind them, why use that at all? The dead lion dummy, drugged starving circus lion whatever they used looked to be hundreds of pounds lighter than a 500lb plus Atari.

Still very enjoyable movie.