Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
The Enduring Endearingness of The African Queen
In the end, Rosie and Charlie avoid being hanged because the African Queen, the boat they jury-rigged to deliver ginned-up torpedoes to a German ship, resurfaced after being sunk in a storm and the German ship, Louisa, ran into the torpedoes and then sank, slowly enough that Rosie and Charlie could get out of the nooses settled on their necks by the German boat captain shortly after he pronounced them man and wife, the marriage ceremony being Charlie’s last request and causing Rosie to straighten her hair and tear up slightly at Charlie’s thoughtfulness, adding to her deep, deep love for him manifest best by her having gotten into the shallow muck of a river to hack at the vegetation so Charlie could continue to pull the African Queen to deeper water despite his intense fear of leeches of which he had many stuck to his back and arms just moments prior which she’d helped him remove by pouring salt on them, that being just one of their many sweaty, awful, terrifying travails interspersed with Rosie pouring out all of Charlie’s gin and then drinking endless cups of tea, sweetened by two spoonfuls of sugar and their bashful surprise at their great luck in finding each other.
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Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
I’ve never liked a remake better than the original — EXCEPT Little Women where I really like the early 90s version with Winona Ryder. Otherwise, surely there are enough stories available. They could get crazy and try something new. Now there’s an exciting concept!
I haven’t watched this film in forever, it’s about time –
You know, weird coincidence, but we watched that movie last night. But instead of the DVD, we watched it on 8mm film. My son has taken to collecting movies — 8 mm complete movies — on film (I didn’t know there WERE full movies on 8mm). And that’s what we watched last night. There’s a huge backstory that goes with this movie, too.
Marilyn, I really enjoyed watching “The African Queen” on Owen’s 8MM film projector last night. It was almost like a movie theater experience. This film shows the chemistry between Bogie and Katherine Hepburn. The legendary Bogie-Huston off set imbibing adds to enjoyment of this flick. In my long ago tea and empathy chat with Ms. Hepburn, she lent a rueful smile when discussing the “Queen” shoot.
Jan, have you ever seen the TV movie remake of “The African Queen”? Glynis Johns and James Coburn were the leads. Fine actors and nice work but they were not Hepburn and Bogie.
When the original is that good, it’s pretty hard to make a remake that’s its equal, much less better.
Exactly!
No. But right off the bat – ugh! Some movies just stand alone.
Jan, I agree. All they need do is remaster the original to preserve the film.