Mogambo (1953)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Wilson Collison (play)
John Lee Mahin (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 October 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

Actually filmed by M-G-M on safari...amid authentic scenes of unrivalled savagery and awe-inspiring splendor!

Plot:

Victor Marswell runs a big game trapping company in Kenya. Eloise Kelly is ditched there, and an immediate attraction happens between them...

Plot Keywords:

Safari | Gorilla | Anthropologist | Hunter | Kenya

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Victor Marswell
Ava Gardner	...	Honey Bear Kelly
Grace Kelly	...	Linda Nordley
Donald Sinden	...	Donald Nordley
Philip Stainton	...	John Brown-Pryce
Eric Pohlmann	...	Leon Boltchak
Laurence Naismith	...	Skipper
Denis O'Dea	...	Father Josef

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (PCA #16530) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Congo

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Clark Gable did not get along with director John Ford during filming, and at one point walked off the set in protest at Ford's treatment of Ava Gardner. Ford also made several remarks about Gable's age and weathered appearance.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Honeybear is having dinner with Marswell, Brown-Pryce and Koltchak on her first night, it is visibly dark outside as Marswell had earlier told her dinner would be at 9:00. But when the servant comes running in calling for the men, it is clearly broad daylight as seen through the doorway.

Quotes:

Linda Nordley: Doesn't a woman's reputation count for anything here?
Victor Marswell: Only if I'm pesonally interested.

Movie Connections:

References Dumbo (1941)

Soundtrack:

COMIN' THROUGH THE RYE

Chick flick 1950s style. Silly, but with real Africa footage

Clark Gable plays a rough wildlife hunter, who captures wild animals for zoos and takes frivolous wealthy scientists on safari. The improbable story involves a lot of hand-wringing scenes with chatty, emotional women in immaculately pressed, cute outfits throughout hot, dusty, steamy Africa. The supporting cast is mostly dull and the plot...thin at best. The whole scene serves as a scaffold off of which the studio tries to hang a cat fight between two fabulous, yet totally dissimilar women, over the marginally sexy Clark Gable. Save yourself some time and grief: scan forward to the last half hour of the film and you'll see the best performances,figure out the whole story, and watch the rapid wind-up. Ava Gardner looks the quintessential 50's good-time girl. Grace Kelley works the nice-girls-need-love too angle with aplomb. The one thing that makes the film worth a look is the many scenes of Africa and the real tribesmen in their beautiful and interesting native clothes and adornments. African singing throughout. Warning: Politically incorrect conversations about taking baby gorillas away for profit. And holy smokes! For fun, Count the number of cigarettes doled out and in this film!