Day 8--The African Queen (1951)

I've always known that this classic was out there but never watched it until now.  And I always knew that this movie had some big name actors in it. What I didn't know was the story.  My version of the story went like this-Young beautiful woman is stuck in Africa, perhaps part of some royal missionary trip or something.  While deep in the Serengeti the young woman is separated from her companions and is taken in by a local tribe.  The tribe takes to her and she is somehow elevated to queen status and then the rescue mission comes in and the dashing headstrong young man comes to save her.  But by this point she doesn't need any saving and while trying to resist being saved they fall in love with each other, get married, stay with the tribe as queen and king and have kids. The end.

What really happened was Old Maid Katherine Hepburn is a missionary along with her brother in some African town.  World War I has started and the Germans invade the African town which ultimately kills Hepburn's brother.  Humphrey Bogart is a good natured man but rather rude in his mannerisms.  Charlie (Bogart) runs The African Queen,  a boat, and somehow Rose (Hepburn) manages to make her way on it with a crazy plan to launch handmade torpedoes into the Queen Louisa (a German vessel). The rest of the movie is the adventure Rose and Charlie have getting out to the lake where they can launch the torpedoes.

Now this movie was more like it.  While Bogart and Hepburn were older in age they were pros and what they did.  Hepburn pulls off the spinster old maid role while Bogart plays the rough and tough captain well.  The scenes of politeness and modesty towards each other is amusing but when things get hot between the two well things get hot in a very modest 1950's type of way.  My favorite part was Charlie calling Rose "my old girl".  Now what lady would like to be called old girl!  The only thing missing was me crying like a baby. 


   ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ and a half