Timbuctoo

This film is currently available for viewing at the BFI Southbank Meditheque.It stars the rather odd and unprepossessing Henry Kendall.He has a bust up with his family over his fiancé and decides that he is going to get as far away from them as he can by traveling to Timbucktoo.His fiancé,played by Margot Graham decides to travel there to get there before him.that in a nutshell is the story.Much of the film is a travelogue showing the journey en route with lots of very patronising shots of the local African population.I should warn any viewers who are distressed by cruelty to animals that this is not the film for them.There is one stomach turning sequence were a poor hippo is speared.It is shown threshing about in agony till it is shot and then butchered.It was really ghastly.This film shows up the double standards of the time.The censors had an absolute prohibition on nudity but this did not apply to African natives .There is virtually not a shot that does not feature semi naked African women.So it was okay to show a black breast but not a white breast.Despite all this the film received a U certificate.This is one of the strangest films you are ever likely to see.Also available to view is a short called "Cross The Sahara" chronicling the journey taken by cast and crew.