Safari

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

Wealthy eccentric Sir Vincent Brampton (Roland Culver) , his fiancée Linda Latham and her brother (John Justin) hire the very expert professional hunter Ken Duffield (Victor Mature) . As he agrees to take Sir Vincent Brampton and his young sweetheart Linda Latham (Janet Leigh) on a safari. However , Duffield is actually looking for the murderers of his son who was killed by Kenyan Mau Mau rebels and one in particular , Jeroge , who used to work for him . But then things go wrong , as Vincent is really jealous to the growing affection between Duffield and his girlfriend Linda . Murderous Mau-Mau! Maddened Beasts! Mighty Jungle Love! Filmed Under Military Protectioin Africa's Mau-Mau Country! Love in an Inferno .This is the real Mau-Mau Story! Today's reign of TERROR filmed in Africa! Their love defied primitive jungle laws! White Heat Explodes in Green Hell!

A moving drama/adventure movie with nice mood , it is a rich , robust and colorful picture , a hell-for-leather stuff . However , being full of transparency with the animals out acting the cast . One of several lively , all-action , color de luxe adventures produced by Britain's Warwick films , in this production company usually played Robert Taylor and Victor Mature as stars in the late Fiifties . The plot is simple and light , wealthy hunters hire Mature to lead them on a jungle hunt : an enormous lion , while Victor seeking for vengeance and they continue up country closer and closer to rebel territory, they both get closer to achieving their aims . It also depicts Mau Mau terror , as the tension , intrigue and suspense mantain a real grip across . Along the way , the film reflects the way in which Mau Mau divided two communities , both African and British . In "Safari" anyway , neither White Men , nor African people are necessarily the heroes , but both of them share the guilt of the distresses . In fact, the attitude of the colonials and the Africans are both very partially portrayed , the reason for ¨Safari¨ is more an adventure/thriller movie than a historical film . There are other films about ¨Mau Mau¨ , such as ¨Something of value¨(1957) by Richard Brooks ,with Rock Hudson , Sidney Poitier , William Marshall , this is by far the best film about the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya along with ¨Simba¨by Brian Desmond Hurst with Dick Bogarde , Donald Sinden , Virginia McKenna , this was British forerunner of Richard Brook's work . The usually wooden Mature plays an obstinate hunter whose real goal is to locate the Mau Mau to exact a relentless vendetta . Mature became one of Hollywood's busiest and most popular actors after the war, though rarely was he given the critical respect he often deserved. His roles in John Ford's My darling Clementine (1946) and in Henry Hathaway's Kiss of the death (1947) were among his finest work, though he moved more and more frequently into more exotic roles in films like Samson y Delilah (1949) and Sinuhe, the Egyptian (1954). Never an energetic actor nor one of great artistic pretensions, he nevertheless continued as a Hollywood stalwart both in programme and in more prominent films like The Robe (1953). More interested in golf than acting, his appearances diminished through the 1960s, but he made a stunning comeback of sorts in a hilarious romp as a very Victor Mature-like actor in Neil Simon's Zorro (1966). He eventually took over his activities and, after a cameo as Samson's father in a TV remake of his own "Samson and Delilah" (Sansón y Dalila (1984) , he retired for good . He is well accompanied by the gorgeous Janet Leigh and excellent support cast such as : Roland Culver as a wealthy man whose only obsession: to shoot a famed lion that no one else has yet managed to track down and John Justin as the faithful brother . The ambient of the country at the time is pretty well shown accompanied by an atmospheric and brilliant cinematography by John Wilcox , as well as thrilling musical score by William Alwyn . Being shot on location in Nairobi National Park, and Nairobi , Kenya . Being produced by the notorious producers Irving Allen and the famous Albert R Broccoli who subsequently to finance the successful James Bond series . The motion picture was decently directed by Terence Young .

Based on historical events as the Mau Mau Uprising (1952-1960), also known as the Mau Mau Rebellion, the Kenya Emergency, and the Mau Mau Revolt, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920-1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as Mau Mau, and the British authorities. Executing indiscriminate killings of women, children, and those who will not join or agree with them . Dominated by the Kikuyu people, Meru people and Embu people, the KLFA also comprised units of Kamba and Maasai peoples who fought against the white European colonist-settlers in Kenya, the British Army, and the local Kenya Regiment (British colonists, local auxiliary militia, and pro-British Kikuyu people).The capture of rebel leader Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi on 21 October 1956 signed the defeat of the Mau Mau.

So much of this film leaves a bad taste in the mouth.What was a very complex situation is treated rather like a western with the cavalry coming to the rescue in the nick of time.Then there is the great white hunter slaughtering everything in his path.The film was dated when it was made and feels more embarrassingly so nowMature gives his usual wooden performance and Culver is surprisingly bad.

Standard action film of the 1950's directed by future-to-be James Bond film director, Terrance Young. Victor Mature and Janet Leigh turn in solid performances in one of Mature's better action films during the 1950's. Mature is the great white hunter bent on revenge against the Mau Maus, and Leigh the love interest he takes on Safari. In her autobiography, actress Janet Leigh revealed the following story regarding her experience with actor Mature and Director Young. Director Terrance Young somehow talked both stars, Janet Leigh and Victor Mature, into doing the film. Apparently, the good natured Mature enjoyed playing golf and chasing women more than making movies, and he balked at the idea of going to Africa to shoot the film. Vic wanted to shoot the film on one of Hollywood's back lots while Director Terrence Young insisted on the realism and danger that only the jungle could afford. During the filming of "Safari" Vic was told that he had to run into a lake to rescue the heroine (Leigh). He immediately refused. Director Young demanded to know why he refused to do the scene. Vic told him that "There could be crocodiles in the water!" Young immediately called over the film's Great White Hunter film consultant to explain the situation to him. The Guide laughed and said, "Of course, there are crocodiles in the water....but you don't have to worry, Mr. Mature. I'll fire a couple shots off my rifle an hour or so before the scene, and all the crocks in the area will leave...in fact they will be miles away when we shoot the scene." Dumbfounded by the information, Vic asked, "Why would they leave the area when you fire your rifle?" The Hunter responded, "Because the crocks have sensitive ears...much more sensitive than we humans...and they will leave the area." Vic continued to refuse to shoot the scene. Frustrated, Director Young, demanded to know why Vic would not shoot the scene. Finally Vic responded by saying, "What if one of the crocodiles just happens to be deaf!" Eventually, a terrified Victor Mature gave in to Director Young's demands, and timidly entered the water while actress Janet Leigh nervously watched nearby.

"In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight." That was a rock 'n' roll hit in the late 1950s. Where did an American recording group get the idea to do such a single? From this movie, in which the African characters, while marching on safari, sing it - an authentic African folk song that easily translated to a rhythm 'n' blues beat. Here is a fine example of what they used to call a 'program picture' - not a B movie in the early-indie junk-movie sense, or an A studio production either. Just before TV ruled, the major studios used to make minor films (though not B movies, mind you - something beyond that but below a B feature) and called them programmers. That way, they could make use of the actors, writers, directors, etc. who were on a regular payroll, a concept that would die early during the next decade. After all, if you were going to pay all of those people a weekly salary, might as well knock out modest movies that, when you think about it, cost them little but the price of raw film stock. They could be marketed on double bills, then sent over to the Drive-Ins, and finally put into a package that went to local TV channels in those days before the networks got hooked on full-length films (fall of 61). So here were Victor Mature and Janet Leigh as an older man and younger woman who find themselves together on a safari that her father arranges. Mature has ulterior motives - his family was destroyed in a mau-mau attacks some years earlier and he wants revenge, thinking this may be the way to get it. The mau-mau attacks are very well staged by Terence Young, who would go on to do several Bond films. Crisp color and a strong soundtrack qualify this as precisely what it was meant to be - far from a memorable movie, but a time killer that doesn't leave you feeling that you've wasted you're time when it's over.