Mogambo (1953)

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:

Jungle | Leopard | Infidelity | Elephant | Shot In The Arm

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Asa Etula	...	Young native girl (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford

Writing credits
Wilson Collison		(play)
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay)

Produced by
Sam Zimbalist	....	producer

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees		(director of photography)
Freddie Young		(director of photography) (as F.A. Young)

Film Editing by
Frank Clarke

Art Direction by
Alfred Junge

Makeup Department
Colin Garde	....	makeup artist
Maude Onslow	....	hairdresser (as Maud Onslow)

Production Management
Roy Parkinson	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cecil F. Ford	....	assistant director (as Cecil Ford)
Wingate Smith	....	assistant director
John Pallatt	....	assistant director: gorilla footage (uncredited)

Sound Department
Amy Fisher	....	sound recordist (as A.S. Fisher)
A.W. Watkins	....	recording director
Hugh Strain	....	sound assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tom Howard	....	special effects
Bert Monk	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bunny Allen	....	stunt double: Clark Gable (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cecil R. Cooney	....	camera operator (as Cecil Cooney)
Skeets Kelly	....	camera operator (as Graham Kelly)
Freddie Cooper	....	camera operator: gorilla footage (uncredited)
Stephen Dade	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Jackson Drury	....	camera operator: gorilla footage (uncredited)
Kelvin Pike	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Jack Whitehead	....	director of photography: gorilla footage (uncredited)
Doug Wolf	....	camera operator: gorilla footage (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Rose	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Joan Bridge	....	color consultant: Technicolor

Other crew
Angela Martelli	....	continuity
Bunny Allen	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Frank Allen	....	researcher (uncredited)
Frank Allen	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	....	director: gorilla footage (uncredited)
Eva Monley	....	production coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1980) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Bahaya Tribe of Tanganyika  group cast members
• Government Officials of Kenya Colony  grateful cooperation
• Government Officials of Tanganyika  grateful cooperation
• Government Officials of The Republic of French Equatorial Africa  grateful cooperation
• Government Officials of The Ugandan Protectorate  grateful cooperation
• M'Beti Tribe of French Equatorial Africa  group cast members
• Samburu Tribe of Kenya Colony  group cast members
• Wagenia Tribe of Belgian Congo  group cast members

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Congo

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The censors in Spain did not allow adultery to be shown on the screen. For that reason, MGM changed the relationship of the characters of Linda Nordley (Grace Kelly) and Donald Nordley (Donald Sinden) from wife and husband to sister and brother in the dubbed version released in Spain. However, they did not delete a scene in which both share a bed together.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: After Victor rescues Mrs Nordley when she wanders off, a sudden storm blows in. But only the trees and bushes near the actors are blown about by the 'storm', the trees visible a short distance behind them are completely calm.

Quotes:

Eloise Kelly: Well anyway, they both blew up in a million pieces somewhere over Berlin. But you know, Brownie, as short as it lasted, it was like being blessed for a lifetime.
John Brown-Pryce: So you hit the high spots and the gay beaches, trying to forget again.
Eloise Kelly: Yeah. Great strength of character.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Angela (1995)

Soundtrack:

COMIN' THROUGH THE RYE

Ava's greatest performance.

"Mogambo" is a remake of "Red Dust" (1932) and is not as good, nor as funny, but it's still not bad at all. Poor Clark Gable must choose between Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly. With both actresses at the height of their beauty this is a tough call - but I would have taken Ava any day. She is stunning in this film - sultry, sexy and warm - very different to the flighty sex kitten that Jean Harlow played so brilliantly in "Red Dust". And Ava is photographed lovingly, in gorgeous colour, by Robert Surtees and Freddie Young. She deserved her Oscar nomination.

Kelly is good too as the rather prissy wife of a very English scientist. But she's too nice - Ava is much more real. Gable was a bit old for the role here - after all it was 21 years after he first played it in "Red Dust" - but his performance is strong.

Great African scenery and animals too - "Mogambo" got out of the studio that confined "Red Dust". Who could forget Ava trying to feed a very hungry baby elephant and a baby rhino at the same time? The gorilla sequence was a little weak - in that the film stock used to film the gorillas was completely different to that used to film the actors - and the actors were obviously in a studio. But most of the work is on location and stunningly shot.

You'll have fun with this one.

PS In the canoe scene are they really talking about female circumcision?