King Solomon's Mines (1937 film)
| King Solomon's Mines | |
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 Film poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Stevenson |
| Written by | H. Rider Haggard (novel) Michael Hogan Roland Pertwee (dialogue) Charles Bennett (uncredited) A. R. Rawlinson (uncredited) Ralph Spence (uncredited) |
| Starring | Cedric Hardwicke Paul Robeson Roland Young Anna Lee |
| Music by | Mischa Spoliansky |
| Cinematography | Glen MacWilliams |
| Editing by | Michael Gordon |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
| Release date(s) | 17 June 1937 (UK) 26 July 1937 (US) |
| Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
King Solomon's Mines is a 1937 film, the first film adaptation of the 1885 novel by the same name by Henry Rider Haggard. It starred Paul Robeson, Cedric Hardwicke, Anna Lee, John Loder and Roland Young. The film was produced by the Gaumont British Picture Corporation and directed by Robert Stevenson.
The 1937 film follows the original novel faithfully, except for some musical interludes deliberately added to give Paul Robeson a chance to sing. In contrast to later adaptations, it follows the book in playing Allan Quatermain as a professorial type uninterested in romance.
[edit] Plot
In 1882, Irish dream chaser Patrick "Patsy" O'Brien (Arthur Sinclair) and his daughter Kathy (Anna Lee) have failed to strike it rich in the diamond mines of Kimberley, South Africa. They persuade a reluctant Allan Quatermain (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) to give them a lift to the coast in his wagon.
Along the way, they encounter another wagon carrying two men in bad shape. Umbopa (Paul Robeson) recovers, but Silvestra (Arthur Goullet) dies after boasting to Quatermain that he has found the way to the fabled mines of Solomon. Patsy finds the dead man's map. He sneaks off during the night, unwilling to risk his daughter's life. Kathy is unable to persuade Quatermain to follow him. Instead, they rendezvous with Quatermain's new clients, Sir Henry Curtis (John Loder) and retired navy Commander Good (Roland Young), out for a bit of big game hunting.
Kathy steals Quatermain's wagon to go after her father. When they catch up with her, she refuses to go back with them, so they and Umbopa accompany her across the desert and over the mountains, as shown on the map. During the arduous trek, Curtis and Kathy fall in love. On the other side of the mountains, they are surrounded by unfriendly natives and taken to the kraal of their chief, Twala (Robert Adams), to be questioned. Twala takes them to see the entrance of the mines, guarded by the feared witch doctor Gagool (an uncredited Sydney Fairbrother).
That night, Umbopa reveals that he is the son of the former chief, who was treacherously killed by the usurper Twala. He meets with dissidents, led by Infadoos (Ecce Homo Toto), who are fed up with Twala's cruel reign. Together, they plot an uprising for the next day, during the ceremony of the "smelling out of the evildoers". However, Umbopa needs Quatermain to come up with something that will counter (in the natives' minds) the magic of Gagool.
During the rite, Gagool chooses several natives, who are killed on the spot. Good notices in his diary that there will be a total solar eclipse that day. The quick-thinking Quatermain predicts it as Gagool approaches Umbopa. Umbopa reveals his true identity to the people during the height of the eclipse and the rebellion erupts. Both sides gather their forces; during the ensuing battle, Curtis kills Twala, ending the civil war.
In the fighting, Kathy slips away to the mine to look for her father. She finds him inside, immobilized by a broken leg, but clutching a pouch full of diamonds. Quatermain, Curtis and Good follow her, but Gagool sets off a rockfall to seal them in. Umbopa pursues Gagool back into the mine, where the witch doctor is crushed by falling rocks. The new chief manages to free his friends and gives them an escort to help them cross the desert.
[edit] Cast
- Paul Robeson as Umbopa
- Cedric Hardwicke as Allan Quatermain
- Roland Young as Commander John Good
- Anna Lee as Kathy O'Brien
- John Loder as Sir Henry Curtis
- Arthur Sinclair as Patsy O'Brien
- Robert Adams as Twala
- Arthur Goullet as Sylvestra Getto
- Ecce Homo Toto as Infadoos
- Makubalo Hlubi as Kapse
- Mjujwa as Scragga
[edit] External links
- King Solomon's Mines at the Internet Movie Database
- King Solomon's Mines is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
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