Mogambo (1953)

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Mogambo (1953); Lions and Grace and Ava, oh my!
Topic Started: Dec 27 2005, 01:52 PM (248 Views)
Laughing Gravy	Dec 27 2005, 01:52 PM Post #1
Revered in the UK Posts: 11,062 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: August 31, 2005	John Ford's Mogambo (1953) is a remake of the 1932 film Red Dust, with Clark Gable reprising his role atop a romantic triangle against an exotic setting. This time, he’s Vic Marswell, who traps big game for hire in darkest Africa. An earthy showgirl named “Honeybear” Kelly (Ava Gardner at her loveliest) shows up at his doorstep; she’s been dumped by the Maharaja who was “chaperoning” her across the continent. She and Vic have a nice li’l fling in the jungle before she’s sent upriver on the next boat, the same boat that has just dropped off an anthropologist, a stuffy Brit studying gorillas. Said stuffy Brit has a gorgeous wife, Grace Kelly, and she is less interested in studying apes than she is in studying Clark Gable. When Miss Gardner’s boat is marooned and she returns to the hut, our triangle is complete and that’s not just monkey fur that’s flying. Talk about your Big Cat fights! In roughly descending order, here’s what I liked about the film: First, Ava Gardner is terrific, and it helps that she’s got all the best lines as a very reluctant Jungle Girl. “A month ago, I was buying a bra at Macy’s, and now I’m studying gorillas!” she wails. Despite that, it’s clear to her (and to us) that she’s a much better fit for Clark than Grace is, matching his earthiness, his way with animals, and his ability to pound down a bottle of hooch. Despite her beauty and her ill-chosen wardrobe, she is quite capable of rolling around in the mud while attempting to feed a baby rhino. The film’s most touching scene involves her visit with the safari to an upriver missionary settlement, where she gives confession. It’s a very nicely underplayed moment, and it’s no wonder that Ava copped an Oscar nomination (she lost to Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday). Second, the scenery is grand and much of the filming was actually done in equatorial Africa. The scenes of animals are impressive, and the footage of gorillas in the wild is even better. (Late in the film, when the principals are quite clearly on a Hollywood jungle set, the film takes a nosedive. It could’ve been worse though: the trailer clearly shows a guy in a gorilla suit, who thankfully was cut from the final print.) Third, Grace Kelly. Rather a thankless part, but since she’s one of the few actresses in Hollywood as beautiful (at least) as Miss Gardner, she holds her own (and received her own Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, losing to Donna Reed in From Here to Eternity). The film’s weaknesses include Clark Gable; while I could see Ava’s affection for him, Grace’s infatuation makes no sense in the context of the picture. Long, luxurious kisses atop a waterfall at sunset are supposed to be the end product of a romance, not the cause of one. (Plus, he’s too old for her.) Another weakness is Eric Pohlmann as Boltchak, a member of Gable’s safari who likes to beat and torture animals and drink too much; he’s set up to take a terrible fall, but other than using him as a plot device to set the final act in motion, the expected nasty ending to which he’s entitled never materializes. A waste of a perfectly good villain. All in all, this is a good solid film, if not spectacular. The DVD is also good and solid, with some restoration done but a few speckles here and there, and early on the soundtrack has a tendency to waver a bit. The trailer is included. Currently, the film is available in the U.S. on DVD only at Target stores. Also available is a much better Ford film, the 1948 classic 3 Godfathers. John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz, and Harry Carey, Jr. are three outlaws who meet up with a dying woman while on the lam. They rescue her infant son, whom they attempt to transport to a safe haven across the desert, posse hot in pursuit. Stunning location work and photography, a great turn by Ward Bond as the pursuing sheriff, and a script that is by turns funny and exciting make this one a must-see. The film looks great on DVD, Technicolor was rarely better used, and it’s highly recommended.



panzer the great & terrible	Dec 27 2005, 03:20 PM Post #2
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,324 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	I don't like it a whole lot. First time I tried to watch it I fell asleep, and I'm a HUGE John Ford fan (I don't much like anything Gable did in the 1950's). Kelly is miscast as an Englishwoman and she does look silly kissing Gable. The movie feels like a remake because it is. On the other hand, Gardner is always fun to watch and the baby elephant is a heap of cuteness. I give it three stars out of five. One of my least favorite Ford pictures.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


MovieLover12	Aug 12 2008, 04:27 PM Post #3
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 3,895 Group: Members Member #531 Joined: July 29, 2008	As a fan of John Ford, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and to some extent, Grace Kelly, I thought this one was rather good, considering I'm not keen on the safari - adventure genre, its still very watchable. Oh and Ava Gardner! I'm there!!


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