The African Queen (1951)

Free Great Movies Review

  •  (3 out of 5 stars)

A fairly dull classic movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn cruising down a river in a boat called the African Queen through German East Africa in 1914. At the outset of World War I, their goal is to sink a large German gunboat down the river. They go over many river rapids and predictably fall in love. Bogart plays the tough steamboat captain Charlie Allnut and Katharine Hepburn plays the stern missionary Rose Sayer. The script and the music are hokey and the special effects are dated, but this adventure film directed by John Huston has been lauded as a classic. Most of the Technicolor cinematography by Jack Cardiff is impressive. It does build to a thrilling conclusion that makes up for the long silly melodrama down the river that preceded it. Based on the 1935 novel of the same name by C.S. Forester.

(Summary from Wikipedia)