King Solomon's Mines (1950)

Why so much hype?

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

King Solomon's Mines is the second of the five film adaptations of the novel by Henry Rider Haggard.It stars Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger and Richard Carlson. Granger portrayed the fearless-explorer Alan Quartermaine, and Kerr was the spunky Irish lass who hires him on to locate her husband. Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton directed this 1950 film.This was definitely an expensive remake of the classic film when it was released many years ago.The African scenery was something to behold.It was also an exciting and slam bang action film from beginning to end.Added to that,this could also be enjoyed by the whole family if seen today.Overall,this is definitely an adventure classic and remains one of the best adaptation of the Haggard's novel.

First Off...Famed Adventure Novelist H.R. Haggard (the source material) was a Man's Man and the Book had NO Female Characters. So MGM in Their Typical Know it All Manner Hires a Woman to Write the Screenplay for this Manly Adventure Story. Sheesh.Secondly, although the Movie goes to Great Lengths and Spends a lot of Money going On Location to Africa and gets some Extraordinary Footage of the Wildlife and the Terrain, but then Assembles it into a Bland Romantic Story with an Ending that is Anti-Climatic. Sheesh.The Movie is Stilted with a Montage that is Clunky and Sophomoric and the Film Ends Up not much Better than a Tarzan Movie with its Positioning of the Dangers of the Dark Continent Paraded Out in Low-Budget Fashion Quickly and with Little Suspense. Sheesh.Look there is a Lion...Look there is a Snake...Look there is a Giraffe...Look there is an Crocodile and so on. These Things Happen so Quickly and without Setup that it is Nothing More than an Excuse. Sheesh.Overall the Native Africans and the Native Wildlife and the Native Landscape Steal the Show from the Adventure and the Romance. It is an Overrated Movie that is OK and Worth a Watch for some Travelogue Eye Candy. Don't Blink or You will miss King Solomon's Mine, but it isn't Missing Much because it isn't Much. Sheesh.

If you have seen the Indiana Jones films and expect rip roaring adventures then steer clear.Stewart Granger is in his element as a rather world weary game hunter who is offered a shed load of money from Deborah Kerr who wants to find her missing husband who went looking for treasure and has never returned.Although boasting extensive location footage that takes in the jungle, Savannah, desert and mountains not a lot happens but a lot of trekking some encounters with shifty white men, some shifty tribes and the usual wild animal and reptile escapades.There is a budding romantic subtext and maybe for the first time we see some authentic tribal music and dancing in a western mainstream film, although the choreography and editing of the final fight looks strange, as if the stunt coordinator seemed clueless as to stage manage a tribal fight scene.The film is credited with two directors because Granger fell out with the first one, but it certainly lacks action.

Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr are a good looking couple but she is a little cast against type ,being too cerebral,too intellectual to play this simplistic part .She ,however ,tries,to give her character substance,with her nightmares and when she talks about her husband .Granger and Kerr,as actors,would do ,IMHO,a much better job in 'the prisoner of Zenda" .The real star of the movie is Africa and the fact that the interest is sustained without a villain (or almost:the one baddie's presence do not exceed 10 minutes)makes "King Solomon's mines a good adventures movie.Predating the superior Cornell Wilde's "naked prey" ,the directors do not show the conventional country:they show all that fights and struggles for life .The action stops to allow Granger to give his companions a true mini-lecture on wildlife .