The African Queen
An English spinster, Rose (Katharine Hepburn), is the sister of a missionary, Rev. Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley). The two Christian missionaries are in a remote African village with grass huts and a li…
The African Queen
An English spinster, Rose (Katharine Hepburn), is the sister of a missionary, Rev. Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley). The two Christian missionaries are in a remote African village with grass huts and a little wooden church, which is located somewhere deep in a German African colony during WWI near the Ulanga River. The German war machine appears to brutally burn the little straw hut village, killing the native women and children while kidnapping the African men, and just as quickly the German terror vanishes. When the smoke clears from the burning village, all is in ruin. The meek and fragile Rev. Samuel Sayer is so distraught by what he has just witnessed he kills himself. Rose is left all alone to fend for herself; she is lost in despair. There is no safety here, and the German threat is all around. There is no way out except to travel south down the dangerous and unforgiving Ulanga River. The river leads to Lake Victoria and possible freedom, except for the last danger, the Königin Luise - a German gunship that patrols the Tanganyika shore of the lake up to the southern mouth of the river and referred to as the Louisa. The Ulanga is filled with dangerous animals, rocks, white water rapids, and a German outpost. It has only been successfully navigated once by a map maker named Spangler a hundred years ago and no one since has repeated the feat. Rose is straggling about the burnt village in shock and despair from her brother's suicide when a Mr. Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) shows up out of nowhere to save her. This scruffy old gin-swigging rummy is a boat captain who is unshaven and crusty. Mr. Allnut is there to deliver mail and supplies to the village. Mr. Allnut travels up and down the northern part of the Ulanga on a rusty old 30-foot boat called the African Queen. The boat barely runs, powered by a small antique steam engine on its last legs kept together and encouraged to run with a few well placed kicks and bangs from a hammer. Mr. Allnut buries Rev. Sayer and takes Rose to the African Queen for safety before the Germans come back. While on the African Queen Rose attempts to convince Mr. Allnut they should go south down the Ulanga and sink the Louisa. Mr. Allnut thinks the spinster is a crazy old maid and tells her so. And Rose thinks Mr. Allnut is washed-up rummy good for nothing coward unfit to be a captain. As impossible as it may seem Mr. Allnut decides to follow her suggestion because its the only way to avoid the Germans, and probably the only way to shut Rose up and stop her from nagging on and on about her crazy plan to fight the German navy. During the first few days aboard the African Queen navigating the Ulanga they annoy each other to the point of being disgusted. Rose reads her bible while Mr. Allnut drinks rum from a generous supply he has on board until he passes out every day. Rose decides to dump all of Mr. Allnuts bottles of gin into the river one morning while Mr. Allnut is still passed out. When Mr. Allnut awakes, he is emotionally destroyed by the thought of no more booze. How could you, Miss? Mr. Allnut asks over and over as the African Queen smokes and tugs along the Ulanga. Rose decides to stop talking to Mr. Allnut and gives him the silent treatment until he gives in to her plan to sink the Louisa. Mr. Allnut continues to talk to Rose even though Rose refuses to acknowledge his existence on the little boat. Mr. Allnut pretends he doesn't care even though the silence is slowing killing him. It is apparent they cannot stand each other. Finally Mr. Allnut can't take the silence anymore and agrees to Rose's impossible plan to sink the Louisa using home made torpedoes. Mr Allnut says he can make them from the supplies on the boat - explosives and two gas canisters used for welding. As the two strangers sail down Ulanga River determined to sink the Louisa, Rose is impressed by Mr. Allnut's abilities and admires his seamanship when they hit big white water and his skillful navigation past the dangerous rocks. They ride into some really rough white water that causes Rose to feel aroused by the thrill of the ride. Not understanding the experience she compares it to a thrilling sermon delivered by her brother when the Holy Ghost consumed him. The spiritual excitement overcomes her as she describes her excitement to Mr. Allnut. Rose and Mr. Allnut survive a second and more dangerous set of white water rapids, along with extra dangers from African guerrillas shooting at them from the banks of the river hoping to kill them and capture the African Queen. When they realize they have survived certain death again they start hugging and kissing. After they kiss, they realize they are in love. It's implied they are lovers that afternoon after much flirting and a quick nap. However, their troubles are not over as the African Queen breaks down and they work as a team to fix it. Mr. Allnut shaves, baths and listens to Rose read the good book. They make tea and find they adore each others company. They call each other dear and tell each other sweet nothings. Nevertheless there is still more danger ahead. The river divides into many channels which slowly dissipate into marshland. They push the boat with poles as long as they can until finally Mr. Allnut (which she now calls Charlie) is forced to get into the mucky river and pull the African Queen by hand. Blood sucking leeches, mosquitoes, and dangerous animals torment the couple's efforts. The African Queen comes to a complete stop, stuck dead in mucky swamp water and high weeds covering any sight of land or water ways. They are lost in the weeds and can't see anything. They are disheartened and beaten and accept their doomed fate as they hold each other in exhaustion waiting to die. Passed out on the African Queen they lie there defeated. However, it begins to storm heavily upstream, flooding the Ulanga and causing the African Queen to float again. It slowly drifts downstream to Lake Victoria, which was just a few hundred feet from where they were stuck. They soon spot the Louisa gunship for the first time as it makes a routine patrol, forcing them to navigate back behind cover. The two lovers are now alive again! With new hope and determination they are convinced they can now sink the Louisa. They wait out of sight for the Louisa to return on its routine patrol. They fabricate two homemade torpedoes from the two oxygen cylinders filled with gelignite. The torpedoes are placed to protrude through holes cut above the water line in the bow of the African Queen. The plan is to attack the Louisa under cover of darkness, jumping overboard to safety just before allowing the African Queen to ram it and cause an explosion adequate to sink it. Rose and Charlie lovingly argue about who will stay ashore while the other steers the boat into the Louisa. They both decide they would not want to live without the other so they will do it together. The Louisa returns that evening but the weather begins to worsen as they get underway. As they steam towards the Louisa the lake becomes rough, a rain storm squalls, and the African Queen begins to fill with water. A rogue wave causes the African Queen to capsize, tossing Rose and Charlie into the lake. They are separated by another huge wave and disappear. Have they drowned? Alas, the Louisa is not sunk and the African Queen appears to be lost along with the two star-crossed lovers. The sun appears after the storm and we see Charlie is alive. He was rescued and captured by the Germans. Charlie is now standing on the Louisa's deck in the captain's office. He is being interrogated by the Louisa's captain (Peter Bull). The captain is determined to have Charlie answer his questions. The German captain continually threatens the despondent Charlie with death. He answers each question and threat of death with a hopeless sigh of, who cares! He believes Rose has drowned and obviously has no concern with his own fate. Suddenly he hears Rose's voice coming from a life boat that has rescued her. Charlie, thrilled that Rose is alive, tries to deny he knows her in hopes of saving her from his fate, but the very English Rose not only argues with the captain but brags how she and Charlie sailed the African Queen down the Ulanga, and how Charlie made homemade torpedoes, and how they came within feet of sinking the Louisa by themselves and would have, but the storm saved the Louisa from their doom when the weather caused the African Queen to sink and a wave tossed them into the water. The Louisa's captain, thinking them both crazy, decides to hang them both. Rose and Charlie stand on the deck of the Louisa, holding hands and deeply in love, as they face the gallows. As the hangman fastens the ropes around their necks, Charlie asks the captain to marry them as a last request. Charlie says he really doesn't care about getting married but it would mean a lot to the Mrs. A teary-eyed Rose is thrilled by the suggestion. The Louisa's captain thinks they are both mad but reluctantly agrees to marry them. Just as he pronounces them man and wife the Louisa explodes. The Louisa has struck the bow of the capsized but still floating African Queen. The crew abandons the sinking ship as Rose and Charlie find themselves in the water as the Louisa sinks. They did it! A wooden plank with the name African Queen floats by and the two grab it as they swim to apparent safety. Swimming away, the two sing merrily, "There was an old fisherman..."
The African Queen
Adventure,Drama,Romance
Film Details
An English spinster, Rose (Katharine Hepburn), is the sister of a missionary, Rev. Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley). The two Christian missionaries are in a remote African village with grass huts and a little wooden church, which is located somewhere deep in a German African colony during WWI near the Ulanga River.
The German war machine appears to brutally burn the little straw hut village, killing the native women and children while kidnapping the African men, and just as quickly the German terror vanishes. When the smoke clears from the burning village, all is in ruin. The meek and fragile Rev.
Samuel Sayer is so distraught by what he has just witnessed he kills himself. Rose is left all alone to fend for herself; she is lost in despair. There is no safety here, and the German threat is all around.
There is no way out except to travel south down the dangerous and unforgiving Ulanga River. The river leads to Lake Victoria and possible freedom, except for the last danger, the Königin Luise - a German gunship that patrols the Tanganyika shore of the lake up to the southern mouth of the river and referred to as the Louisa. The Ulanga is filled with dangerous animals, rocks, white water rapids, and a German outpost.
It has only been successfully navigated once by a map maker named Spangler a hundred years ago and no one since has repeated the feat. Rose is straggling about the burnt village in shock and despair from her brother's suicide when a Mr. Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) shows up out of nowhere to save her.
This scruffy old gin-swigging rummy is a boat captain who is unshaven and crusty. Mr. Allnut is there to deliver mail and supplies to the village.
Mr. Allnut travels up and down the northern part of the Ulanga on a rusty old 30-foot boat called the African Queen. The boat barely runs, powered by a small antique steam engine on its last legs kept together and encouraged to run with a few well placed kicks and bangs from a hammer.
Mr. Allnut buries Rev. Sayer and takes Rose to the African Queen for safety before the Germans come back.
While on the African Queen Rose attempts to convince Mr. Allnut they should go south down the Ulanga and sink the Louisa. Mr.
Allnut thinks the spinster is a crazy old maid and tells her so. And Rose thinks Mr. Allnut is washed-up rummy good for nothing coward unfit to be a captain.
As impossible as it may seem Mr. Allnut decides to follow her suggestion because its the only way to avoid the Germans, and probably the only way to shut Rose up and stop her from nagging on and on about her crazy plan to fight the German navy. During the first few days aboard the African Queen navigating the Ulanga they annoy each other to the point of being disgusted.
Rose reads her bible while Mr. Allnut drinks rum from a generous supply he has on board until he passes out every day. Rose decides to dump all of Mr.
Allnuts bottles of gin into the river one morning while Mr. Allnut is still passed out. When Mr.
Allnut awakes, he is emotionally destroyed by the thought of no more booze. How could you, Miss? Mr. Allnut asks over and over as the African Queen smokes and tugs along the Ulanga.
Rose decides to stop talking to Mr. Allnut and gives him the silent treatment until he gives in to her plan to sink the Louisa. Mr.
Allnut continues to talk to Rose even though Rose refuses to acknowledge his existence on the little boat. Mr. Allnut pretends he doesn't care even though the silence is slowing killing him.
It is apparent they cannot stand each other. Finally Mr. Allnut can't take the silence anymore and agrees to Rose's impossible plan to sink the Louisa using home made torpedoes.
Mr Allnut says he can make them from the supplies on the boat - explosives and two gas canisters used for welding. As the two strangers sail down Ulanga River determined to sink the Louisa, Rose is impressed by Mr. Allnut's abilities and admires his seamanship when they hit big white water and his skillful navigation past the dangerous rocks.
They ride into some really rough white water that causes Rose to feel aroused by the thrill of the ride. Not understanding the experience she compares it to a thrilling sermon delivered by her brother when the Holy Ghost consumed him. The spiritual excitement overcomes her as she describes her excitement to Mr.
Allnut. Rose and Mr. Allnut survive a second and more dangerous set of white water rapids, along with extra dangers from African guerrillas shooting at them from the banks of the river hoping to kill them and capture the African Queen.
When they realize they have survived certain death again they start hugging and kissing. After they kiss, they realize they are in love. It's implied they are lovers that afternoon after much flirting and a quick nap.
However, their troubles are not over as the African Queen breaks down and they work as a team to fix it. Mr. Allnut shaves, baths and listens to Rose read the good book.
They make tea and find they adore each others company. They call each other dear and tell each other sweet nothings. Nevertheless there is still more danger ahead.
The river divides into many channels which slowly dissipate into marshland. They push the boat with poles as long as they can until finally Mr. Allnut (which she now calls Charlie) is forced to get into the mucky river and pull the African Queen by hand.
Blood sucking leeches, mosquitoes, and dangerous animals torment the couple's efforts. The African Queen comes to a complete stop, stuck dead in mucky swamp water and high weeds covering any sight of land or water ways. They are lost in the weeds and can't see anything.
They are disheartened and beaten and accept their doomed fate as they hold each other in exhaustion waiting to die. Passed out on the African Queen they lie there defeated. However, it begins to storm heavily upstream, flooding the Ulanga and causing the African Queen to float again.
It slowly drifts downstream to Lake Victoria, which was just a few hundred feet from where they were stuck. They soon spot the Louisa gunship for the first time as it makes a routine patrol, forcing them to navigate back behind cover. The two lovers are now alive again! With new hope and determination they are convinced they can now sink the Louisa.
They wait out of sight for the Louisa to return on its routine patrol. They fabricate two homemade torpedoes from the two oxygen cylinders filled with gelignite. The torpedoes are placed to protrude through holes cut above the water line in the bow of the African Queen.
The plan is to attack the Louisa under cover of darkness, jumping overboard to safety just before allowing the African Queen to ram it and cause an explosion adequate to sink it. Rose and Charlie lovingly argue about who will stay ashore while the other steers the boat into the Louisa. They both decide they would not want to live without the other so they will do it together.
The Louisa returns that evening but the weather begins to worsen as they get underway. As they steam towards the Louisa the lake becomes rough, a rain storm squalls, and the African Queen begins to fill with water. A rogue wave causes the African Queen to capsize, tossing Rose and Charlie into the lake.
They are separated by another huge wave and disappear. Have they drowned? Alas, the Louisa is not sunk and the African Queen appears to be lost along with the two star-crossed lovers. The sun appears after the storm and we see Charlie is alive.
He was rescued and captured by the Germans. Charlie is now standing on the Louisa's deck in the captain's office. He is being interrogated by the Louisa's captain (Peter Bull).
The captain is determined to have Charlie answer his questions. The German captain continually threatens the despondent Charlie with death. He answers each question and threat of death with a hopeless sigh of, who cares! He believes Rose has drowned and obviously has no concern with his own fate.
Suddenly he hears Rose's voice coming from a life boat that has rescued her. Charlie, thrilled that Rose is alive, tries to deny he knows her in hopes of saving her from his fate, but the very English Rose not only argues with the captain but brags how she and Charlie sailed the African Queen down the Ulanga, and how Charlie made homemade torpedoes, and how they came within feet of sinking the Louisa by themselves and would have, but the storm saved the Louisa from their doom when the weather caused the African Queen to sink and a wave tossed them into the water. The Louisa's captain, thinking them both crazy, decides to hang them both.
Rose and Charlie stand on the deck of the Louisa, holding hands and deeply in love, as they face the gallows. As the hangman fastens the ropes around their necks, Charlie asks the captain to marry them as a last request. Charlie says he really doesn't care about getting married but it would mean a lot to the Mrs.
A teary-eyed Rose is thrilled by the suggestion. The Louisa's captain thinks they are both mad but reluctantly agrees to marry them. Just as he pronounces them man and wife the Louisa explodes.
The Louisa has struck the bow of the capsized but still floating African Queen. The crew abandons the sinking ship as Rose and Charlie find themselves in the water as the Louisa sinks. They did it! A wooden plank with the name African Queen floats by and the two grab it as they swim to apparent safety.
Swimming away, the two sing merrily, "There was an old fisherman...".