King Solomon's Mines (1950 film)

King Solomon's Mines is a film based on the novel King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard. In 1950 it won the Oscars for best editing and best photography, and was also nominated for best film.

Synopsis

In Africa, hunter and guide Allan Quatermain (Stewart Granger) accepts a commission from young lady Elizabeth (Deborah Kerr) to accompany her into little-known territory in order to find her husband. On their way they will have to face a tribe of hostile natives. There is a strong attraction between them.

When they arrive in the region of the mines, many members of the local tribe recognize as their leader Umbopa, Quatermain's assistant, who sets out to end the tyranny of the tribal king and his adviser, a devious sorcerer who leads the protagonists to the mines where they find the skeleton of Elizabeth's husband. The witch locks them in the mines, but they manage to escape and join Umbopa, who fights to the death for the leadership of his tribe and despite the bad guys cheating, he wins and stays there while Elizabeth and Allan get back together.

Cast

Production

It was Africa specialist Eva Monley's first job in Hollywood. Monley received her first film job as script supervisor and assistant during the production of King Solomon's Mines. In this version the sex is changed to a character, who in the novel is male, and the importance of the character of Umbopa (in general of all Africans) is reduced. Deborah Kerr was chosen from the beginning, but for the role of Quatermain there was doubt between Errol Flynn or Stewart Granger, who in the end took it. For the direction they chose a British man, Compton Bennett.

It was shot in Africa itself: Murchison Falls in Uganda; Astrida, "the land of the giant Watusis"; Land of Volcanoes and Stanleyville in the Belgian Congo; Tanganyika; Rumuruti and Machakos in Kenya. The cave scene was shot in Slaughter Canyon Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, United States.

Reception

The film production was a great box office success at the time and is considered a classic of its genre.