Trader Horn (1931)

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Ethelreda Lewis (book) and
Dale Van Every (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

23 May 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

WHITE GODDESS OF THE PAGAN TRIBES. THE CRUELEST WOMAN IN ALL AFRICA !

Plot:

While on safari in an unexplored area of Africa, Trader Horn and Peru find missionary Edith Trent killed by natives...

Plot Keywords:

Trader | Africa | Missionary | Safari | Cannibalism

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Harry Carey	...	Aloysius 'Trader' Horn
Edwina Booth	...	Nina Trent, the White Godess
Duncan Renaldo	...	Peru
Mutia Omoolu	...	Rencharo, Horn's Gun Bearer
Olive Carey	...	Edith Trent (as Olive Golden)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Kortman	...	(scenes deleted)
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Edith Trent (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Swahili

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #1987-R, 23 January 1936 for re-release)

Filming Locations:

Africa

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

MGM secretly sent a second unit crew to Tecate, Mexico to avoid the American laws about ethical treatment of animals. Animals were shot fighting each other, and lions were reportedly starved to promote vicious attacks on hyenas, monkeys and deer.

Quotes:

Aloysius 'Trader' Horn: Aye, that's Africa for you. When you're not eating somebody you're trying to keep somebody else from eating you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Red-Headed Woman (1932)

Murky B&W wildlife footage and overlong safari story...

TRADER HORN is somewhat of an endurance test to watch. The first hour is a compilation of animal wildlife footage filmed entirely on "The Dark Continent", which looks even darker in the murky B&W cinematography on display here.

The plot doesn't pick up until the first hour is over, thanks to the entry of EDWINA BOOTH, a white woman who seems like a threat to both Trader Horn (HARRY CAREY) and his young hunter friend (DUNCAN RENALDO), a naive young fellow who is constantly being tutored and lectured by the grizzly older man who knows all about the jungle. But once the threat is over, she becomes a safari mate and the two men fight over protecting her as they make their way through some dangerous turf.

Most of the wildlife footage is seen at a distance and is the sort of footage that would later adorn the Johnny Weissmuller films at MGM whenever a Tarzan film needed some extra background shots. It's definitely not up to the standards that "Wild Kingdom" achieved in color film much later on.

Booth, a very beautiful woman, makes an interesting impression once she settles down to give a performance, and the men do the best they can with the material on hand. Carey seems not an ideal choice for the leading role and his character never has much warmth, but Duncan Renaldo does nicely as his sidekick, boyishly enthusiastic about every sort of adventure awaiting them.

It's an uneven film, hurt by its excessive length and the fact that there is very little plot development until the film is past the midway point--and even then, it ambles slowly toward a sluggish conclusion.

The crew deserves praise for putting up with six months of the shooting schedule in darkest Africa, but it's doubtful that today's viewers will be satisfied with the slow moving tale burdened by dark, murky looking photography.

As is often the case with movies from this era, there is no background music at all on the soundtrack except for the opening title credits.