If you love classic cinema, you have undoubtedly heard of and probably seen The African Queen. Over the past 70 years, it has become a quintessential film in any cinema-buffs collection.
The African Queen was directed by John Huston, who at the time was a beloved director in Hollywood who worked on films such as Annie, The Maltese Falcon, and Moby Dick.
The screenplay was based on the 1935 novel of the same name; however, the story was slightly altered to fit the style and desires of the audience of the 50s.
When the film was cast, they secured two of the biggest names in the industry at the time: Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn, to play the lead roles of Charlie and Rose.
When the film debuted on December 26, 1951, at the Fox Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills, it experienced almost immediate success. While critics' reviews were mostly glowing, a few did not love the film.
That being said, the audiences were enthralled, and the film was the 11th most popular of the year 1952 in UK cinemas and made millions at box offices worldwide.
The film was such a big hit because the actors did a fantastic job, the scenes were colorful and fun, and the entire movie was action-packed. In short, it was exciting to watch and had a great storyline.
Some critics complained that the romance between Charlie and Rose, Bogart and Hepburn, was slightly unbelievable, but the audience didn't seem to mind.
In the film, Charlie, Rose, and Charlie's brother Sam are missionaries in German East Africa in 1914 during World War I. And when colonial troops come and burn down the village where they live, Rose's brother Sam protests the attack and is beaten in return.
In the following scenes, he sadly dies of infection, and Charlie and Rose decide to flee on the boat that previously brought them their supplies, The African Queen.
However, their wild adventure was only beginning. They realized that the British could not attack the Germans as they had a large gunboat stationed on the lake, the Königin Luise.
Rose decides that in order to help in the war effort, they should turn The African Queen into a torpedo boat and sink the gunboat.
What happens next no one could have expected, and in the end, Charlie and Rose finally realize they are in love and get married moments before their scheduled execution.
While some say the film was predictable, overall, it was beloved by all who watched it. And in fact, in 1994, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Today, The African Queen is considered an absolute classic and will certainly never be forgotten.
