King Solomon's Mines (1950)

“King Solomon’s Mines” (1950) is a splendid adventure film, as well as a beautiful travelogue of African sights and sounds. It was one of the most popular films of 1950 and it holds up well today.

The story is simple enough. Allan Quatermain (Stewart Granger), a hunter and safari guide in colonial Africa, is hired by Elizabeth Curtis (Deborah Kerr) to take her and her brother John (Richard Carlson) into an unexplored part of Africa to follow the trail of her husband, who was seeking the fabled diamond treasure of King Solomon. Quatermain initially refuses, but the promise of a 5,000 pound payment quickly changes his mind. The party treks across hundreds of miles of uncharted territory to come upon the treasure, and the fate of Elizabeth’s husband.

M-G-M spared no expense in bringing the famous tale to the screen. The entire cast and a Technicolor camera crew went on location to Africa to film the famous tale. The scenery is breathtaking, and gives a good account of the various types of geography that make up the Dark Continent. Every kind of animal is on display, as are various African tribes.

The story of “King Solomon’s Mines” emerged from the fervid imagination of British novelist H. Rider Haggard. It was one of the first of the “lost kingdom” adventure stories and was an instant success upon population in 1885. Haggard’s main character Allan Quatermain, a hunter and safari guide in Africa, proved one of his most popular characters, so much so that Haggard wrote more than a dozen other novels and stories featuring the character.

In junior high, I read quite a bit of Haggard, but “King Solomon’s Mines”, probably his most famous book, eluded me. In the 1940s my mom had given her brother a set of beautifully illustrated Haggard novels, but he didn’t want them, so she kept them. I read them and was quite enthralled. I loved “She” (the other great Haggard masterpiece), and “The People of the Mist.” I was amused to read in one of Ray Harryhausen’s autobiographies that he long wanted to do a film version of “People of the Mist” but he couldn’t find a copy of the book anywhere! He could have called me, I have a copy sitting on my shelf.

My favorite H. Rider Haggard novel was “Eric Brighteyes” a lusty Viking saga full of battles, romance and lots of supernatural elements. An absolutely marvelous read which would make a great movie if anyone had the foresight to film it. There are so many great books written through the years that would make good movies, instead of the rash of remakes and retreads of old TV shows we’re getting now.

Back to “King Solomon’s Mines.”

I was surprised at how modern the film is, in many ways. Atypically of so many films of the era, there is no musical score. Rather, native songs, chants and drumming make up the musical accompaniment. It’s interesting, but the film could have benefited from a full-blooded musical score. There are long stretches of film showing the safari hiking through Africa where music would have moved things along. M-G-M staff composers Miklos Rozsa or Bronislau Kaper could have added some marvelous musical color to the proceedings. In fact, Rozsa scored the “King Solomon’s Mines” trailer, and gives a good idea about what he could have brought to the film.

Also, Quatermain is respectful of the natives. He does not talk down or condescends to them. He respects them as equals. The final action scene is a duel between two warring chieftains, and though our sympathies are with the deposed king, Quatermain and his party do not interfere, but merely act as bystanders. No white man saving the black man here.

Quatermain is also an ecologist. He doesn’t kill for sport, but for survival. In an early scene showing his prowess as a hunter, he prevents one of his paying customers from needlessly shooting an elephant.

Kerr is marvelous of course, as she always is, and Granger is fine. In fact, it’s likely his Allan Quatermain is probably his best role under his M-G-M contract. But he was never one of my favorites. He lacks the warmth and zest that Flynn and Fairbanks brought to their adventure roles. I always found him too smug for my taste. He never looks like he’s enjoying himself. However, in the marvelous John Wayne western comedy “North to Alaska” (1960), he’s a lot more relaxed, and I wish he had bought some of that sense of fun to his 1950s swashbucklers. (Compare his “Prisoner of Zenda” to Ronald Colman’s and you’ll see what I mean).

Still, there’s so much to enjoy here, especially the scenery. I won’t soon forget the fleet of natives in their canoes carrying the safari upstream, the marvelously staged animal stampede sequence, or the simple loveliness of Deborah Kerr washing her hair in the African sunlight.

Rating for “King Solomon’s Mines”: Three and a half stars

North to Alaska

There are some evenings when I feel like just sitting back and watching the Duke. I don’t mean masterpieces like “Stagecoach” (1939), “Red River” (1948) or “The Searchers” (1956). As magnificent as those films are, sometimes one just wants to relax with one of his many star vehicles, marvelous entertainments like “The Comancheros” (1961), “The Sons of Katie Elder” (1965), “Big Jake” (1971) or “North to Alaska” (1960).

“North to Alaska” never won any great critical acclaim or awards, but it’s one of my favorites, containing equal parts action, comedy and romance. It’s long (121 minutes) and leisurely paced, but it’s a very agreeable pace, highlighting a group of very likeable characters in some very funny situations.

During the Yukon Gold Rush, Sam McCord (John Wayne) and partner George Pratt (Stewart Granger) have struck it rich. George has finally earned enough money to send away for his great love, a lovely French lass named Jenny currently living in Seattle. Because they need special mining equipment to work their lode, and Sam has more expertise in that field, George sends Sam to Seattle to purchase the equipment, pick up Jenny and bring her back to Alaska, where George has constructed a honeymoon cabin for the two of them.

Sam brings an armload of gifts to Jenny only to find her married. Disgusted with her (“I never yet met a woman that was half as reliable as a horse”) he gets drunk and meets Michelle (Capucine). He thinks she would make a fine replacement for Jenny and brings her with him to Alaska. Michelle has fallen in love with Sam, and he with her, but he feels honor bound to his partner.

In addition to that particular complication, the two partners have to fight off claim jumpers, while Michelle has to rebuke the amorous affections of George’s younger brother Billy (Fabian). Circling around all this activity is a con man named Frankie, played with enormous comic gusto by the great Ernie Kovacs.

The real fun comes in the scenes when George and Michelle try to make Sam jealous. Wayne’s reactions are priceless here. I think these scenes boast some of Wayne’s most accomplished comedic acting. Just thinking about some of his reactions makes me smile.

As you can see, there’s plenty of plot here to fill two hours. It’s never dull. There’s so much to recommend this movie I don’t even know where to start. Splendidly staged donnybrooks open and close the movie (the final one giving expert use of the town’s muddy streets). There’s a memorable outdoor picnic sequence in Seattle boasting nice comic turns by John Qualen and Kathleen Freeman. Kovacs is obnoxious but very funny; it’s a shame to realize he would be killed in an automobile accident only two years later. We lost a great talent, one sadly forgotten today. The scenery is gorgeous with crystal clear views of the great mountains and streams of the Pacific Northwest.

There’s also an infectious title song sung by Johnny Horton, and a sad reminder of how awful original songs for today’s movies are. Anyone who has suffered through the nominated Best Song performances for the last 10 years or so watching the Academy Awards knows what I’m talking about.

I realize I’ve used the terms “nice” and “pleasant” a lot in this review, but that’s what “North to Alaska” is. I even realized I was using the character’s first names in my synopsis, rather than their surnames as I usually do.

I like these characters, and I like this film. It’s a wonderful piece of escapism for all ages, the type Hollywood seems incapable of making anymore.

Rating for “North to Alaska”: Three-and-a-half stars.