The African Queen
Directed by John Huston. US/UK. 1951. NR. 106 min.
- Sun, May 17, 2:00 pm
"At the beginning of World War II, Charlie (Humphrey Bogart) is a gin-drinking, scruffy boat captain who ferries supplies to villages in East Africa. At one of his stops he learns that the local reverend has died, and that his last request was to get his sister, Rose (Katharine Hepburn), out of the jungle and back to civilization. Charlie reluctantly agrees to take this new cargo, but soon realizes he may have taken on too much, as the prim and proper Rose consistently reprimands him for his lifestyle. As their journey continues, Charlie starts to soften up to Rose’s company and takes on an almost gentlemanly attitude. Rose also lets her hair down as she accepts that there is an adventure to be had. The pair’s romance, which slowly blossoms as the two take on each other’s quirks, is interrupted when they float into Nazi territory. Bogart won his only Academy Award for his role here, in Huston’s classic adventure-romance that plays up the melodrama like a finely tuned instrument." (Ryan Miller, The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide)