Awash in cliches about black africans as savages, trader horn, directed by w. It was the first fictional featurelength adventure shot on location in africa. Deep in the heart of africa, famous hunter, explorer, aloysius horn known as trader horn due to his bartering skills, tells peru, the son of his best friend, that he was the first white man to set eyes on the river of which they are sailing. Van dyke, harry carey, edwina booth, duncan renaldo january 28, 2020 a veteran white trader in the darkest africa of the 1870s mentors a younger companion on the mysteries of the dark continent. The antihero image was stretched as far as it could go. Fourlegged trader hound, that fearless veteran of the jungle, and his companion, a young sheik in search of adventure, travel to africa for a safari and to rescue the beautiful white doggess, nina tbone, from a tribe of fierce savages. They decide to carry on her quest for her lost daughter nina. Van dyke on allmovie a major undertaking for mgm and the first. Trader horn is the first hollywood film ever shot in africa, as well as being one of the first talkies ever made. This is the film watched by bigger thomas and his friends at a segregated chicago movie theater in the opening scenes of richard wrights groundbreaking 1940 novel native son. A wildlife segment from mgm, as harry carey title character and his ingenue friend peru duncan renaldo make their way into the african interior, in trader horn, 1931.
In the earlier picture, explorers including trader horn who stumbled on a hostile tribe of africans have their lives saved by a white girl whom the tribe members regard as a goddess. Consultations, shop visits, and lessons by appointment. John thomas neville and dale van every wrote the adaption. She has been bedridden and confined to a dark room for two years, the result, she claims, of some tropical disease which she contracted while. A unit of trader horn some pickups were later shot to complete the film in.
Van dyke and starring harry carey and edwina booth, it is the first nondocumentary film shot on location in africa. Jay mars soooooo did that guy really get eaten by the crocodiles. Traders education of his young protege is much too didactic to bring any kind of life into any work of fiction, but we do get to see a lot of exotic animals, which in 1931 would have been more than enough point. After being caught by a hostile tribe they escape with a white young girl who was abducted when she was a baby, and both trader horn and peru fall in love with her. In promoting the film, taylor proposed that the public was ready for an oldfashioned, redblooded type of movie and hero. Gallery of 18 movie poster and cover images for trader horn 1931. While i have no doubt college film courses will given opportunity, dissect this. They discover that she is the daughter of some missing missionaries and take her back to europe with them. But the project was met with skepticism by some within the mgm production department who. Trader horn is a 1931 american precode adventure film directed by w. Trader horn 1931 and eskimo 1933 trader horn 1931 alfred. An adventure film from mgm, trader horn 1931 is a far cry from the typical musicals the studio was churning out at the time. The film eventually lost to rkos epic western cimarron.
Directed by 1 writing credits 6 cast 9 produced by 1 cinematography by 1 film editing by 1 makeup department 1 second unit director or assistant director 1 art department 1 sound department 4 camera and electrical department 7 costume and wardrobe department 1. Trader horn is a 1973 metrocolor film directed by reza badiyi and starring rod taylor as the african adventurer trader horn. A landmark film of sorts that chalked up several firsts. Overall, the said 1931 movie trader horn, was filmed in five different countries in eastern. Scenes from the 1931 movie trader horn filmed in kenya. The film based on his life, trader horn, had begun shooting as a silent in. Demille discussing the authenticity of the film with the books author, alfred a. Mayer and irving thalberg would snatch up the rights for mgm as a possible feature film. A valuable window into 1931 american cultural history and movie film making. Taking place in the heart of africa, this movie captures a lot of footage that was likely the first time viewers in 1931 america had the privilege to see the animals of africa in the wild. An experienced african trader overcomes tribal hostility.
It tells how an experienced trader and explorer, aloysius horn, goes in search of a white girl who has been raised by a hostile tribe, in the company of a young man whom horn initiates into the mysteries of the jungle. Edwina booth who thrilled cinemaddicts of 1931 as the blonde goddess of trader horn reemerged in last weeks news in strange contrast to the vigorous, vibrant creature the public remembered on the screen. Trader horn 1931, an epic mgm production starring harry carey and the first dramatic feature shot in africa, demands historicalcultural context. The film overall is brought down by harry careys strangely unsympathetic portrayal of trader. It is a remake of the 1931 film, also released by metrogoldwynmayer. Trader horn has a very high rotten tomatoes critics score of 100% and an average imdb audience rating of 6.
Van dykes early precode adventures shot in africa and the arctic make their digital media debuts thanks to the warner archive collection. Imdb says someone was actually killed by crocodiles during the filming, but it doesnt say they left in the footage. Trader horn is an experienced trader on the african savannas, and takes his young sidekick peru on an extended journey to show him the wildlife and the fauna of his home in the wild. I no longer have a copy, but it purports to be based on a true story. A veritable celebration of reallife white hunter alfred aloysius trader horn 18611931, an ivory and hides trader in central africa, and on whose book trader horn. The book also documents his efforts to free slaves, meet the founder of rhodesia, cecil rhodes, and liberate a princess from captivity. Edwina booth and duncan renaldo in trader horn 1931 harry carey and duncan renaldo in. Also benefiting from the exposure was veteran leading man harry carey, who actually had been a.
There are staged scenes some may consider objectionable. The film is based on the book of the same name by trader and adventurer alfred aloysius horn and tells of adventures on safari in africa. Trader horn was the book sensation of its day, so it was inevitable that louis b. According to wikipedia, trader horn was the first nondocumentary film shot on location in africa.
Trader horn 1973 rod taylor plays trader horn, the great white hunter, in this film based on a 1931 film of the same name. Trader horn 1931 and eskimo 1933 carensclassiccinema. Trader horn 1931 where to watch it streaming online reelgood. It is the first nondocumentary film shot on location in africa.
Trader horn horn, trader, 18611931 also found under. They find her as the queen of a particularly savage tribe, and try to bring her back to civilization. He wrote a book, trader horn, detailing his journeys into jungles teeming with buffalo, gorillas, maneating leopards, serpents and savages. Trader horn was nominated for the academy award for best picture in. Next came trader horn, which was even more of an event, requiring seven months of arduous onlocation filming in the jungles of africa and another year of postproduction to make sense of the immense amount of footage van dyke had shot. This is an opportunity to spend one on one time with me steve dillard at horntrader. The artist has become the fifth silent film and first since 1929 to be nominated for best picture. Best known for her 1931 film trader horn which won an academy award for best film. The first time hollywood brought its cameras to the dark continent was for this adventure film that was. Pedagogical topics ranging from making your first sound, improving your playing, jazz improvisation, and performance tips. Trader horn horn, trader, 18611931 the online books page. Trader horn souvenir program ocr abbyy finereader 11. Two white traders in the darkest africa of the 1870s find a missionarys daughter, who was captured as a.
Van dyke and starring harry carey and edwina booth. Alfred aloysius trader horn born alfred aloysius smith. An amazing foray into adventurous early talkie cinema, this film shouldnt bore fans of. By todays standards its outrageously politically incorrect. Horn, alfred aloysius an online book about this author is available, as is a wikipedia article horn, trader, 18611931. This film is notorious for mgms avoidance of us animal cruelty laws. Van dyke, is not a movie for the politically correct. While on safari in an unexplored area of africa, trader horn and peru find missionary edith trent killed by natives. Horn drifts through his picaresque life in equatorial africa in the pages of this memoir. Being the life and works of alfred aloysius horn single volume. Trader horn being the life and works of alfred aloysius horn.