Samuel LoveWhile to film nerds like ourselves it might seem obvious, a frequent pub quiz question – at least in my experience – is, for what film did Humphrey Bogart win his one and only Academy Award? Many would answer Casablanca, or perhaps one of Bogie’s iconic noir performances. But it was his work as Charlie in 1951’s The African Queen that won him the prize – a drunken, bad-mannered tramp steamer captain. This utterly delightful film has gone through many home entertainment releases, but StudioCanal’s 4K UHD release is on another level of quality. While it seems a missed opportunity to not give a film of this magnitude a much larger Limited Edition release akin to the label’s recent sets for The Third Man, The Conversation, and The Wicker Man, the film speaks for itself and looks magnificent on the 4K format. A wonderful set of special features – including a new audio commentary – are the icing on the cake.
Synopsis
Adapted from the novel by C.S. Forester, The African Queen directed by John Huston stars Humphrey Bogart in his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Charlie Allnut, the slovenly, gin-swilling captain of a tramp steamer called the African Queen, which ships supplies to small EastAfrican villages during World War I. Katharine Hepburn plays Rose Sayer, the maiden-lady sister of a prim British missionary (Robert Morley). When invading Germans kill the missionary and level the village, Allnut offers to take Rose back to civilization. She can’t tolerate his drinking or bad manners; he isn’t crazy about her imperious, judgmental attitude. However, it does not take long before their passionate dislike turns to love. Together the disparate duo work to ensure their survival on the treacherous waters and devise an ingenious way to destroy a German gunboat.
Special Features
- NEW Audio Commentary with Script Supervisor Angela Allen and Ian Christie
- Audio commentary by cinematographer Jack Cardiff
- Sir John Woolf on the Making of The African Queen
- Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen
- A video interview with co-screenwriter Peter Viertel
- 2010 NFT Q&A with Anjelica Huston and script supervisor Angela Allen
- 1981 NFT / Guardian interview with John Huston
- Video interview with critic Kim Newman
- Video interview with historian Neil Sinyard
- Lux Radio Theatre adaptation from1952 with Humphrey Bogart and Greer Garson
- Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery
- Original theatrical trailer
