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The 1950 version of King Solomon's Mines shows what's missing from today's action/adventure movies: characters who interest you *as people* and not simply because they are being shot at, chased, suspended from great heights, etc. The two main characters here, Allan Quartermain (Stewart Granger) and Elizabeth Curtis (Deborah Kerr), develop during the course of the movie from romance-novel stereotypes into three-dimensional characters you believe in and care about. Sure, this isn't Shakespeare, but it's miles ahead of the soulless roller-coaster rides we seem to get so frequently today.Granger and Kerr are both perfect -- he as the world-weary yet principled guide & hunter, she as the imperious lady who insists on hiring him to find her lost husband. The supporting cast is also very good, especially the African actors who have small but often crucial roles in the film.Visually, the film is gorgeous. It is packed with great shots of the African country and wildlife. It also captures (or recreates) indigenous music and rituals that I would imagine have completely vanished in the subsequent 50 years. Viewers should be aware that, during the first few minutes of the film, two elephants are shot & killed on screen. I found that a bit shocking, since no one actually kills animals in movies anymore.A great movie, one where the human element is just as interesting as the adventure the characters are embarked upon.
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