Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Spikeopath Safari is directed by Terence Young and adapted to screenplay by Robert Buckner from a story by Anthony Veiller. It stars Victor Mature, Janet Leigh, John Justin, Roland Culver, Earl Cameron and Juma. A Technicolor/CinemaScope production out of Columbia Pictures, music is scored by William Alwyn and cinematography by John Wilcox. Plot finds Mature as a hunter Ken Duffield, who returns home from a trip to his Kenyan homestead to find his son as been murdered by a Mau Mau general who was hiding in disguise as the Duffield's house servant. Initially stripped of his thirst for revenge by the local authorities, Duffield gets his chance when he is hired by wealthy and powerful Sir Vincent Brampton (Culver) and his trophy fiancée Linda Latham (Leigh)lead them on a jungle hunt to kill as lion.Be on your guard against Mau Mau terrorists.Colourful, entertaining and often picturesque in scope, Safari manages to rise above its standard plotting to reveal a decent jungle adventure. Shot on location in Kenya and using the Mau Mau uprising as a backdrop, film was daring back in the day, that the likes of Mature and Leigh were talked into making a picture in Kenya at this time is impressive since the Mau Mau uprising was still in effect. What transpires as the film unfolds sees the stars put through their paces by Terence Young, a future James Bond director and a dab hand at action scenes. There's some inevitable cheapness in the production, with back screen projections and the odd dummy flung about, but action rushes and human peril is within and Wilcox's scope photography of the Kenyan landscapes is most pleasing. 6.5/10

rogerblake-281-718819 A controversial film when first released in 1956 for using the Mau Mau uprising as a background for a Victor Mature adventure.Fifty six years later with the gift of hindsight the film can be viewed from a modern perspective.The Mau Mau,once considered terrorists,are now seen as freedom fighters.The truth is somewhere in the middle.Atrocities were committed by both sides.In disputes like this it is always the innocent who suffer.While Safari condemns the Mau Mau as cold blooded killers, in a slightly condescending way it emphasizes that most Kenyans are decent loyal citizens.The film should be viewed as a product of its time with the attitudes and sensibilities of the period.What is more controversial today is its glorification of big game hunting. Victor Mature plays big game hunter Ken Duffield who comes back from a safari to find that his family,including his son,have been massacred by the Mau Mau led by one of his house servants,a very harrowing scene.For his own safety his big game licence is revoked.Sitting in a bar in Nairobi drowning his sorrows he is approached by millionaire aristocrat Sir Vincent Brampton (Ronald Culver) who is accompanied by his dogsbody Brian Sinden (John Justin).Sir Vincent is obsessed with shooting a man eating lion called Hatari.He is an obnoxious money will buy anything type who gets Duffield's licence restored so he can lead the expedition. Duffield sees it as an opportunity to get his revenge on the Mau Mau.Also going along for the ride is Brampton's "fiance" Linda Latham,played by the delectable Janet Leigh. It is a long journey in which Duffield finds peace of mind and justice not vengeance is served.The successful outcome is due in no small part to the young native lad Adongo played by Juma, and the head boy Jerusalem played by Orlando Martins,a cheerful trumpet playing character,just the sort of bloke you want by your side in a fight. Victor Mature once stated that he was no actor and he had over seventy films to prove it.Come on Vic, in adventure and biblical films you had a certain monolythic grandeur and unlike Charlton Heston you never took yourself too seriously. Ronald Culver and John Justin are British thespians of the old school who have a look of slight bewilderment wondering what they are doing in this film but they are professionals and certainly don't let the side down. Juma and Orlando Martins are also a big asset and talking about big assets Janet Leigh is unbelievably glamorous,her wardrobe is certainly eye catching.Talk about the "Perils of Pauline",whatever her predicament she never looks less than immaculate.She takes the obligatory swim in the river,all in the best possible taste,and her bath scene would raise a few eyebrows.Never less than cheerful she is no shrinking violet always ready to roll her sleeves up and get on with it. A word of praise for Hatari the lion for the best performance in the film.He may have finished up in trophy cabinet but he gets his ten cents worth in first.He certainly makes Sir Vincent wish he had stayed at home. All filmed in glorious technicolor and on location the scenery and wildlife on view is a definite plus.Directed by Terence Young who knows his stuff it compares well with films such as "King Solomon's Mines" and "Mogambo".It is definitely superior to "Beyond Mombasa" which roughly deals with the same subject except the Mau Mau are called Leopard Men.It starred Cornel Wilde who ten years later made probably the greatest African adventure film of all "The Naked Prey".Considering the risqué scenes with Janet Leigh and the harrowing and explicit violence the Censors gave it a "U" certificate,surprisingly "The Naked Prey" got an "A" certificate,today they would be lucky to get a "12" rating. As a last thought John Justin played a character called Brian Sinden,in "Mogambo" Donald Sinden played a similar character.Possibly an "in" joke?

blitzebill a typical 1950s movie about the great white man conquering Africa and ignorant of the consequences.from bullets murdering elephants to ones viciously killing a child, you better be prepared for a film that lacks any sense of propriety and realism and fairness.sure there's revenge to take care of for that murdered child, but of course there's no understanding for the "natives" either.I see people all the time on this site complaining about "dated" films. Most of these complaints are silly and unfounded.But this safari stinks, and still does.

bkoganbing Though Safari is hardly in the same league with such location jungle dramas as The African Queen or King Solomon's Mines, it has one thing going for it that I find amazing. It was actually shot in Kenya colony before Kenya became a nation and the Mau Mau rebellion as part of the plot while it was going on.Director Terrance Young and his principal cast of mostly Caucasian players were taking their lives in their hands just being there. A year after Safari was released to theaters, Ghana became the first African nation granted independence from its European colonizers. That paved the way for about 40 regime changes in Africa. Kenya in fact was one of the last in that group to be granted independence, a lot having to do with the Mau Mau Rebellion.The story is a standard one, Victor Mature is an Safari guide who takes on a job to guide Roland Culver and his party which consists of among others Janet Leigh and John Justin. Culver is after a rogue lion and Mature wants an excuse to get into the country where the Mau Maus are operating so he can get the guy who killed his son. Culver's got both a drinking and jealousy problem.I think anyone who's seen a couple of these films knows exactly where this one is going. Safari is a standard routine story, not worthy of the location cinematography or the events of the time. Still give these people a medal for filming in Kenya at that time.