Grade: B+
Synopsis: During World War I, a spinster missionary (Katherine Hepburn) persuades a boozing riverboat captain (Humphrey Bogart) to use his boat in an attack on the Germans.
The African Queen is a well-produced, well-acted adventure from director John Huston.
The African locations serve the film well. You can feel the humidity and discomfort on the character’s faces. The beautiful jungle scenery carries with it an ever-present sense of claustrophobia and menace that lends an extra intensity to the story.
For their part, Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn are both believable and entertaining as the leads. Their chemistry is the heart of the film and their willingness to embrace such unglamorous roles is a refreshing change.
If The African Queen has any flaw its in the story itself. The best stories, such as Huston’s The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), resonate in a way The African Queen just doesn’t.
Still, this is a good story told very well, which is about all you can ask for.
Bottom Line: A great adventure. Recommended.
