King Solomon's Mines (1950)
King Solomon's Mines (1950)
BDRip 1080p | MKV | 1920x1080 | x264 @ 5760 Kbps | 102 min | 4,27 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English (embedded in MKV)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance
BDRip 1080p | MKV | 1920x1080 | x264 @ 5760 Kbps | 102 min | 4,27 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English (embedded in MKV)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance
Directors: Andrew Marton, Compton Bennett
Starring: Deborah Kerr, Richard Carlson, Stewart Granger, Hugo Haas, Lowell Gilmore, Kimursi
Before there was Indiana Jones, there was Allan Quartermain, the stalwart hero of H. Rider Haggard's classic 1885 novel that's been filmed four times. Stewart Granger portrays Quartermain in this 1950 adaptation that was nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award and won Oscars for Color Cinematography and Film Editing. Deborah Kerr plays the prim Englishwoman who hires Quartermain to lead the hunt for her missing husband, even though no safari has ever returned from the uncharted regions their expedition must cross. Part adventure, part spectacle and filmed amid the awesome splendor and peril of untamed Africa, KING SOLOMON'S MINES is a film fan's treasure.
IMDB - Won 2 Oscars
I remember the movie played in our little town's premier theatre to considerable fanfare – See Darkest Africa As It Really Is in Dramatic Technicolor! – you know, that sort of thing. In fact it was a treat to see all the wild animals and fearsome natives, plus an exciting adventure story. I expect MGM made back its expenses and then some.
Of course, that was before TV brought the world into living rooms everywhere. The movie may have lost that long ago novelty, but it's still a good story set in what was then colonial Africa, with a first-rate cast, including the exotic Umbopa, the prince in exile. Then there's that thundering stampede whose mighty numbers still impress.
Like many reviewers, I cringe now at the elephant kill. I'm sure I didn't at the time, but then this ecological type change reflects a newer awareness, and one I think for the better. Actually, Quartermain (Stewart) is also bothered by big game kills, one reason he's ready to give up his hunting safaris.
Happily, Stewart's persuasive as the experienced white man, while Kerr does nicely as the British gentlewoman able to adapt her well-bred ways. (However, MGM, ever the glamour studio, refuses to de-glamorize her no matter how rough the going). I do feel a little sorry for tag-along John (Carlson) who, nevertheless, hangs in there. On the other hand, I'm still curious about the van Brun (Haas) role. Was that episode in the book or was it added to diversify and perhaps pad the storyline.
No, those old promotionals about Africa in Color wouldn't work now. But the movie's still an eyeful with a good adventure yarn and a fine cast, and those are film features that do endure.
(click to enlarge)
King Solomon's Mines (1950)
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