KING SOLOMON’S MINES (1950)

THE FILM

FILM DIRECTOR: Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton

SCREENWRITER: Helen Deutsch

FILM STARS: Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger, Richard Carlson, Hugo Haas, Lowell Gilmore, Kimursi, Siriaque, Sekaryongo, Baziga, Munto Anampio, John Banner

COUNTRY: USA

THIS BOOK

AUTHOR: Jean Francis Webb

TYPE: Novelisation

PUBLISHER: Dell

THIS EDITION PUBLISHED: 1950

COUNTRY: USA

COVER: Paperback

THE ORIGINAL BOOK

ORIGINAL AUTHOR: H. Rider Haggard

YEAR FIRST PUBLISHED: 1885

ORIGINAL BOOK TITLE: The film title

NOTES

GENRE: Adventure

WORDS: H. Rider Haggard’s original novel may be (would be) criticized (by contemporary readers, if any) for its imperialism, colonialism, depiction of African natives and general disregard for the flora and fauna of the “unexplored” Africa where the book is set.

It was written in 1885.

Having said all that by 1885 standards the book is quite progressive. It’s protagonist, Allan Quatermain, is a private adventurer who chooses to live in Africa rather than visit and exploit it, so the colonialism and imperialism are muted. Likewise he is aware of his negative impact (as a hunter and trader) on the wild free places of Africa he loves so he is a primitive (very primitive) environmentalist. And Rider Haggard’s depiction of native African’s which vary from “barbarous” to “civilized” may not pass today’s tests but his standard for who is who isn’t the norm of the time. There are the usual “noble savages” but there are acknowledgements to their culture and, even, interracial romances.

It is one of the first English adventure novels set in Africa and is considered to be one of the first in the lost world literary genre (Rudyard Kipling’s The Man Who Would Be King (1888), Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912), Edgar Rice Burroughs’ The Land That Time Forgot (1918), James Hilton’s Lost Horizon (1933) etc ). There were enough unexplored parts of Africa (and South America and Asia) for literature to assume there were “lost worlds” where anything could exist … civilisations, dinosaurs, exotic flora and fauna.

It is what it is and is a fun read though I tended to “Tarzan” novels to get my African excitement as a kid.

The book was very popular and was a natural to be adapted into film (and many versions have been made). This 1950 version is the best known (and the best version). It is big budget (big MGM budget which means bigger than normal), in colour, filmed on location (in Africa with real African’s in roles, though also in New Mexico and in Hollywood naturally enough), with a script that ditches most of the asides and observations on whites and blacks in Africa and sticks to the adventure narrative. It also introduces a central female character, not in the book, for the romance amongst the flora and fauna. You have to make it palpable for 1950s audiences and they did. Amongst the modernisms in characters there are always, in these sorts of films at the time, animals getting in the way and getting killed. I was never sure why they just could go around them.

It’s not all that common to novelise a film that was based on a novel but there are enough differences for someone to think a novelisation is warranted which is here described as “fictionalised” by Jean Francis Webb on title page and inside as “H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines – retold version by Jean Francis Webb, 1950”. This version gets rid of the 19th century English prose, focusses on the action and throws in some local colour. In reads like a short, punchy 1950s action pulp, which is what it is. And, in it’s own way it is fascinating.

The film propelled English actor Stewart Granger to American stardom (he was already a star in England) and further encouraged (well he was also in North to Alaska (1960 )and Scaramouche (1953) which I had seen and loved) my search to find and watch all of his films. Stewart Granger (yes I have to mention it … his real name was James Stewart but he had to change it for obvious reasons) was born for these roles. He is the natural heir to Errol Flynn (who apparently turned down this role) though he had some Cary Grant in him and he also made some tough westerns (The Last Hunt (1956), Gun Glory (1957)). His time in the sun lasted till about 1960 and then he headed off to Europe to make action, war, and German westerns (as Old Surehand), quite a few in Yugoslavia, before winding down, but not stopping, his career in the 70s.

As the female lead Deborah Kerr does what is required … get into danger, though she more feisty than the normal woman is distress. She was, like Granger, already a star in England but was also quite well known in the US but this film, likewise, boosted her career.

Richard Carlson, now remembered for his leads in some great 50s sci fi films seems to play the other guy or third lead a lot in bigger films and does so here.

It’s a hoot of a film. Especially if you are a kid watching it on television on a weekend in the 70s. It’s an entertainment, and perhaps, a bit more thoughtful than most (its been a while since I saw it last). Not everything has to have an agenda and any agenda would probably get in the way of the entertainment to a teenaged boy. To this end MGM turned up the interest in some characters, downplayed others and never lost site of the action and adventure. It’s not rough around the edges. It’s gloss. Even the animals look like rehearsed Hollywood bit players. MGM knew what they were doing, and accordingly the film was that big a hit. it was the second highest grossing film of the year in the US (Samson and Delilah released in very late 1949 was the highest grossing film of 1950)

Trivia notes: the film was written by Helen Deutsch. Yes female screenwriters existed in old misogynist Hollywood. And, eagle eyes will spot John Banner as an extra. Banner later achieved fame to millions of kids around the world as Sergeant Schultz in Hogan’s Heroes (1965–1971).

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