Review by bkoganbing

Handled with a bit more humor than in the Elia Kazan classic The Wild River, Mister Moses is the story of a Masai village in Kenya which is about to be drowned out with the construction of a new dam. But the tribe clings to the land despite Reverend Alexander Knox's best efforts to persuade them to settle somewhere else with government aid. The government in the person of Ian Bannen is prepared to use more forceful methods. He's got a problem though Bannen is also courting Carroll Baker who is Knox's daughter and the village nurse.

Along comes into everyone's lives comes Joe Moses as played by Robert Mitchum. His entrance is unusual so I won't reveal it. But the tribe who has absorbed the literal biblical truth of the Holy Scripture has decided that he is their Moses and they'll follow Mitchum and only Mitchum to their promised land.

Villain of the piece is Raymond St.Jacques, son of the former witch doctor and one exposed to western ways wants to take over real bad from the old chief Orlando Martins and kick out Baker and Knox. He's got the most interesting part in Mister Moses and really scores in his performance.

As for Mitchum this is his third film with a jungle setting, the first two were White Witch Doctor and Rampage and they were both a great deal more serious in theme. Mitchum looked like he was enjoying himself giving a rollicking performance as only Mitchum can. According to Lee Server's masterly biography on old rumple eyes he and Carroll Baker enjoyed each other's company a lot until Shirley MacLaine arrived for a visit.

And also Mitchum spent a lot of time with an elephant named Emily in the film and Emily almost got fired until they discovered she was a lesbian elephant. Until they sent for her partner Susie, Emily was a most temperamental elephant. This attested to by director Ronald Neame.

Mister Moses is not in the list of great Robert Mitchum parts, but it's one that suited him perfectly and will still be enjoyed by his still legion of fans.