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| Mogambo - 1953 |
Coming up next, we have 1953's "Mogambo", a remake of the 1932 film "Red Dust". This version takes place in Africa instead of Asia. Clark Gable plays the same type character in both films.
The film's cast includes Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Donald Sinden, Philip Stainton, Eric Pohlmann, Laurence Naismith, and Denis O'Dea.
In Africa, big game hunter Victor Marswell has just received an unwelcome surprise.
This surprise comes in the form of Ms. Eloise "Honey Bear" Kelly, who arrived in Africa to meet a maharajah friend. The friend never turned up, leaving her stranded. Victor and Honey Bear do not get along.
Victor makes his living by collecting big game animals and selling them to zoos all over the world. Honey Bear takes the opportunity to inspect the grounds. When she's growled at by virtually every wild cat, she says, "Everything snarls around this joint!"
Despite all their arguments, it doesn't take long for Victor and Honey Bear to become VERY friendly.
Their relationship comes to an end when Honey Bear has to catch a boat that will take her back to civilization. She's come to really like Victor and doesn't particularly want to leave.
The boat that takes Honey Bear away brings Donald and Linda Nordley, a married couple who are wanting to go on safari so they can make recordings of gorilla vocalizations. Mrs. Nordley is a very pretty lady, or so Honey Bear observes.
Honey Bear regretfully boards the boat and begins her journey home. However, fate has other plans. The boat runs aground and can go no further. Honey Bear returns to the safari camp.
Honey Bear and Linda find that they are very different personalities. Those personalities soon clash.
Donald Nordley is taken ill. He makes a full recovery, but requires rest in order to convalesce. Linda gets into an argument with Honey Bear and flees on foot into the wild. She gets quite an eyeful in regards to wildlife. And she has a close call with a black leopard. Victor's timely intervention saves Linda's life.
Victor and Linda grow closer. All the while, Donald is completely in the dark. Honey Bear makes goo-goo eyes at him.
Soon, Donald is well enough to make the safari trip to gorilla country. The group, which includes Honey Bear, begin their journey through the beautiful wilds of Africa.
It's during this safari that Victor and Linda's relationship becomes much more "complicated".
They make it to gorilla country and see some fascinating sights. Victor has to save Donald from a very angry gorilla. This frustrates Victor because he was hoping to trap a baby gorilla for his zoo trade. He is unable to do so.
Linda becomes more attached to Victor. While spending time with Donald, Victor comes to realize how much the man loves his wife.
He turns to Honey Bear for comfort. They spend the evening drinking and Victor devises a plan that he hopes will drive Linda back to her husband, who is still unaware of the entanglement between the two.
His plan includes cuddling with Honey Bear and being as nasty as he can be to Linda. Naturally, Linda is taken aback when she sees the two canoodling in a tent.
Victor's plan works a little too well. Linda is furious and grabs a gun. In her overwrought state, she shoots Victor in the arm. It's only a flesh wound and he is otherwise unharmed.
Honey Bear's quick thinking saves the situation. When Donald comes to find out what happened, Honey Bear says that Victor has been after Linda from the beginning and she shot him in self-defense. She was only protecting herself from the "Congo Casanova".
The next day, Donald and Linda return home with their arms wrapped around each other.
And Victor and Honey Bear embrace and embark upon their own romantic relationship.
Cast rundown:
Clark Gable..........................................Victor Marswell
Ava Gardner..........................................Eloise "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
And that's it for Mogambo. The movie was filmed on location in Kenya. Due to the Mau Mau Uprising, Clark Gable was given an armed guard. There were rumors that Gable would be assassinated by Mau Mau tribesmen. The director moved the location of the shoot. It was later discovered that two of the crew were Mau Mau. The torrential rains and the terrible state of the roads as a result caused accidents which killed three members of the crew, including the assistant director. Ava Gardner became ill with dysentery and had to be flown to England. She returned to Africa after her recovery.
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