Reviews (10)

1952 Gregory Peck feature not a classic !
A colorized version of a b/w film shot in exotic European locations, three legendary Hollywood screen actors of the 40s and 50s (Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner), based on a story considered a classic of American literature. . .how could you go wrong? How, indeed? But something doesn't translate well here, sadly.

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a slow-moving film, a bit disjointed, told completely in flashbacks. I remember reading excerpts from Ernest Hemingway's story of the same name for an upper-level English composition course I took over 20 years ago from one of the long-haired hippie professors who were the bane of my existence back then. Problem with that particular prof was that he forced us to read dark, depresssing mediocre literature; I never liked anything he wanted us to model our own writing after--and still don't like the authors he held up as paragons of good writing.

SYNOPSIS: Successful American writer Harry Street (Peck) is forced to reflect on his past successes and failures and analyzes his life as he faces death at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He is camped on the slope of the famous African mountain with his second wife, Helen, who listens to him bemoan his lost (dead) first wife, Cynthia, as he drifts in and out of consciousness following an accident. The cause of his medical condition is not clear, as the couple can't agree whether he was scraped by a poisonous thorn or if he got injured while rescuing an African native from an angry hippopotamus, so this just added to my confusion. I'm not even sure if Helen is actually his wife; Susan Hayward is listed simply as "Helen" with no last name in all cast-lists I could find for this film. I missed something, what with all the flashbacks and cuts back to the camp-site where Street lay on his deathbed, surrounded by vultures in the trees and cackling hyenas at night.

The bright spot I found in this film was in Hildegard Knef's rather campy portrayal of "Countess Liz," to whom Street was affianced after divorcing Cynthia and before taking off to Africa with Helen. (Confused? So was I!) I don't think she meant to be funny, but I found her accent reminiscent of Madeline Kahn's character in "Young Frankenstein," which I found a hoot. Kahn may have used Knef as her role-model! I mean, I thought Harry and Liz were living in Paris, and I thought Liz was probably French. I researched Hildegard Knef a bit and found that she was born in Germany; she sounded like a German imitating a French accent, and I got a kick out of it.

One final detail that I might point out could help other viewers when they watch this film. At first I found it odd that two similar-looking brunette actresses (Hayward and Gardner) were cast as Harry Street's wives, but then I remembered something that the character says when he met Helen. Harry is giving a voice-over narrative during some of the flashbacks and is actually speaking to his dead wife Cynthia. He says, basically, "I'd follow any woman who reminded me of you in some way."

How very sad. Harry and Cynthia were happy together, but divorce because of a personal tragedy that happens between them, so Harry moves on to fabulously wealthy but overly-controlling Liz, only to realize at the last minute that he is still in love with his first wife. Harry goes to Spain, too late, to find Cynthia. I think he somehow thought he could replace Cynthia with a similar-looking woman, but it just couldn't be the same.

RECOMMENDATION: Get this if you're a big fan of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner (she gives a good performance), or Susan Hayward, but don't think you're getting a top-notch rendition of a piece of American Literature (consider the source; it's a work by Hemingway!). Another translation for high-school students: don't substitute viewing this film for reading the Cliff's-Notes!! You'll end up more confused than if you simply read the book.

Possibly hollywood's worst Hemingway adaptation
Ranks right down there with Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man. Stiff Peck at his honking woodenest, vapid Gardner, shrill Hayward, the adaptation like something out of a romance mag. Only Bernard Hermann's music which he later recycled for Vertigo was of professional quality.

Snows of Kilimanjaro
Bought the DVD in assembling a Gregory Peck collection. Version was the one with Ava Gardner on the cover of the pack. The film was complete, but there was annoying technical noise, and quite a bit of fluttering in the picture. I may at some point buy another version of this DVD, but I do not recommend the technical quality of this particular production.

HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH KILIMANJARO...
As he lay dying,

Peck pines for Ava whom he

loves, while Hayward waits.

An interesting Hemingway adaptation
Ernest Hemingway hated this adaptation of his work, and disparagingly referred to it as "The Snows of Zanuck." I think he was overestimating his own writing, and I think the film is no worse than the work upon which it was based. Methinks he doth protest too much. Hemingway was heard to grumble: "I sold Zanuck one short story, not my whole body of works." The Casey Robinson screenplay is witty and honest, with the right blend of cynicism and naivetee. Gregory Peck is a gruff, grumbly, handsome-as-a-devil Hemingway "hero," and Ava Gardner makes a memorable, heartbreakingly beautiful Cynthia. Susan Hayward makes the best of the film's most thankless role (she looks great in a pith helmut, too). The layers of flashbacks perfectly convey the sense of a man reevaluating his past as he faces imminent death. Much has been made of the ending, and the way it deviates from the original story. I don't see the sunny Hollywood ending purists have denounced, since we really don't know the status of the dying writer as the helicopter arrives. The soundtrack is a bit loopy and out-of-synch in places, and the special effects (especially the river crossing) look pretty bad by today's standards, but the acting adds a depth and humanity which is missing from Hemingway's original work. A fun piece of escapist safaridrama along the lines of the superior "King Solomon's Mines" or "Mogambo." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Spencer Tracy saves the Panama Canal from sabotage
In this spy story about an attempt to sabotage the Panama Canal, Spencer Tracy plays an American intelligence officer named Crawbett. Maria Galante (Ketti Gallian) is kidnapped by a drunken sea captain who then dumps her off at Yucatan. Maria manages to make her way to the Panama Canal Zone, where she starts earning money to get home by singing in a cafe. There she gets embroiled in a plot to sabotage the Canal. Crawbett believes her story about being kidnapped and ends up not only uncovering the plot and saving the Canal, but in falling in love with the girl as well. This is a minor effort for Tracy, who is clearly too good for this plot, which seems a bit forced given World War II is still a few years off. "Marie Galante" was clearly an attempt by Fox to make the French Gallian an American film star, but there is nothing special here and the actress ended up going back to France after a few years. This 1934 film, directed by Henry King, was based on a novel by Jacques Deval. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Spencer Tracy saves the Panama Canal from sabotage
In this spy story about an attempt to sabotage the Panama Canal, Spencer Tracy plays an American intelligence officer named Crawbett. Maria Galante (Ketti Gallian) is kidnapped by a drunken sea captain who then dumps her off at Yucatan. Maria manages to make her way to the Panama Canal Zone, where she starts earning money to get home by singing in a cafe. There she gets embroiled in a plot to sabotage the Canal. Crawbett believes her story about being kidnapped and ends up not only uncovering the plot and saving the Canal, but in falling in love with the girl as well. This is a minor effort for Tracy, who is clearly too good for this plot, which seems a bit forced given World War II is still a few years off. "Marie Galante" was clearly an attempt by Fox to make the French Gallian an American film star, but there is nothing special here and the actress ended up going back to France after a few years. This 1934 film, directed by Henry King, was based on a novel by Jacques Deval. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Western Noir
This could be the best western I have ever seen. Mostly because of its noir elements and absolutely standout performances, especially by Gregory Peck as the haunted gunfighter trying to leave his past behind, and by Millard Mitchell as his old partner-in-crime-turned-sheriff. I knew immediately upon watching this for the first time tonight that this was not your typical western. It quietly conveys doom almost from the beginning. I sensed a bleak outlook for Peck's character, Jimmy Ringo, from the start, and the movie conveys this mood very subtly throughout, building to the inevitable conclusion in understated and graceful tones.

That said, this movie has several very brief but very humorous moments that had me laughing outright because they caught me completely off guard. These humorous snippets will pass you by completely if you're not watching closely. And even if you are watching closely, they are so understated that you still could miss them. I'll give you a few of these scenes to watch for: When the old man comes in to talk to the sheriff (while the sheriff is talking to Ringo) to tell him someone set his house on fire (spot-on comedic timing by all concerned), when the kid who wants to gun down Ringo comes in for a haircut, makes boasts, then leaves. After he leaves, one of the men in the shop makes a comment (again, perfect timing). There's about three more that I noticed, but there could be more. As I said, it flies by so naturally, I'm guessing most people wouldn't notice it. Very subtle humor.

But this film is a strange sort of tragedy first and foremost, and the noirish element is definitely prominent throughout. It's amazing to me that all the actors' performances are toned down so far that they hardly move at times, and yet these performances are some of the most powerful I've ever seen. Director Henry King should have gotten an award for creating this masterpiece of understatement. If you're a fan of westerns or noir, you can't go wrong. A unique classic.

Great Peck Highlight
For a Western "The Gunfighter" is a little claustrophobic; it looks like a filmed stage play. But the performances and script are so great this drawback is turned into a virtue. Having just gunned another man in a barroom dispute, Gregory Peck is marooned in his friend marshall Millard Mitchell's village where Peck's estranged wife and son also live, perhaps under Mitchell's protection. The relatives of Peck's latest kill are also after him. It's a fascinating study of how reputation, good or bad, can trap a person in a life he may grow to detest. The climax is a little pat but the whole package is a great movie.

Old gunfighters can't just fade away
Gregory Peck in The Gunfighter, plays Jimmie Ringo, a lanky Texan acknowledged to be the fastest gun in the West. The trouble is that Peck has grown weary of having to prove his mettle time and time again. He is headed home to Cayenne to reunite with his wife and young son from whom he has been estranged for eight years.

Along the dusty trail, he stops to rest and quench his thirst at a saloon, where he is soon recognized by the locals. While minding his own business he is coaxed into a gun duel with a young, snotty and irksome Richard Jaeckel. Jaeckel unfortunately wins the silver medal in that battle. Word gets out and Peck is soon stalked by Jaeckel's three brothers.

Peck slows the brothers down by scaring off their horses on the route to Cayenne. This gives him a small window of opportunity to convince his wife to re-establish the family. He arrives in town and learns that the town marshall is none other than his old partner Mark Strett played by a sympathetic Millard Mitchell. Peck refuses to leave town until Mitchell brokers a deal to allow Peck to meet with his wife and son. The movie ends in the only way that these kind of movies could possibly end in 1950.

'BIG TOUGH GUNNEY'
THIS IS THE FILM THAT 'HIGH NOON' ASPIRED TO BE BUT FAILED.
AS MUCH AS I LOVE WESTERNS AND AS HIGHLY AS I REGARD GARY COOPER, 'NOON' JUST DIDNT CUT THE MUSTARD, BUT PECKS 'GUNFIGHTER' DID.

NO, BY TODAYS STANDARDS THIS CLASSIC PROBABLY IS PERCIEVED BY SOME AS SLOW, INDOORSY AND TRITE. BUT THIS IS ONE YOU HAVE TO WATCH WITH YOUR HEART.

PECK IS AN AGING GUNMAN WHO REGRETS HIS PAST AND IS PUSHING TOWARD A FUTURE THAT HE HOPES WILL INCLUDE HIS WIFE AND SON. HIS WIFE IS A SCHOOL MARM WHO GOES BY AN ALIAS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. AND THE BOY DOESNT KNOW THAT THE CELEBRATED OUTLAW IS DEAR OL, DAD. BUT AS PECKS CHARACTER ATTEMPTS TO ARRANGE A FAMILY REUNION, THE FAMILY OF A MAN PECK WAS FORCED TO KILL IS HOT ON HIS TRAIL. THEREIN LIES THE KIND OF SIMPLISTIC PLOT THAT GREAT WESTERNS ARE KNOWN FOR.

AUDIENCES IN 1950 DIDNT CARE FOR PECK'S MUSTASHE AND THE FILM WAS NOT OVER PATRONIZED.

THIS MOVIE IS FOR THE INTELLIGENT, THINKING VIEWER WHO IS MORE INTO THE CHARACTERS THAN THE ACTION.

THE CHARACTER OF MARSHAL MARK STRETT IS EFFECTIVELY PORTRAYED AND THE DIALOGUE IS QUALITY AND GENUINE.

THIS IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE OF THE OFFERINGS BY GREG PECK, AND GIVEN THE OVERALL QUALITY OF HIS WORK I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT.

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS ALSO PECKS FAVORITE SELF WORK AS WELL.

IN THE FINALLY PECK'S GUNMAN IS AMBUSHED BY A YOUNG PUNK LOOKING TO CASH IN ON THE VETERAN'S FAME. THE MARSHAL WANTS TO SEE THE BOY HANG BUT THE DYING GUNFIGHTERS LAST REQUEST IS TO LET THE KID GO ON BEING A "BIG TOUGH GUNNEY" SO THAT THE MISCREANT CAN LIVE A LIFE OF PAIN AND MISERY AWAITING HIS OWN UNTIMELY END.

THIS LITTLE FILM ADEQUATELY TELLS THE STORY THAT SO MANY OTHERS ATTEMPT TO BUT DONT QUITE GET IT DONE. AT ANY RATE 'THE GUNFIGHTER' IS AN ENTERTAINING PLAY THAT UNFORTUANTELY WAS FAR AHEAD OF ITS TIME.

A superlative Hollywood Western... highly recommended!
Wow. One of the best westerns I've ever seen, that's for sure. Everything about this film is spot-on perfect, from the cinematography and acting to the costuming, sound, blocking and general attention to detail... not to mention the script! Gregory Peck stars as Jimmy Ringo, the fastest gun in the West, now turning to middle age, and ready to give up the life of a violent roustabout. The trouble is, of course, that everywhere he goes, people know and fear him, and every would-be badman in the territory wants to knock him down a peg or two. It's an old story, repeated in numerous pulps, films, dime novels and comicbooks over the years, but probably never as tersely and tensely as here. Honestly, there's not a false or flat moment in this film; director Henry King delivers a mournful masterpiece, and Peck is stunning in his role as a weatherbeaten, tired old gunny who'd gladly chuck it all in, if it weren't for the burdensome reputation he'd spent his entire youth building. Fans of the "Lonesome Dove" series should recognize the imprint of Jimmy Ringo, and his erstwhile pal, now the town marshall, Mark Strett (played perfectly by Millard Mitchell), two old-timers who know that the hard life isn't really as glamourous as most folks think. Highly recommended. ... Read more