Late last night I watched the 1951 movie The African Queen starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn and directed by John Huston. Bogart won the 1952 Oscar for best leading man; Hepburn and Huston were nominated for best leading lady and best director, respectively. Of course the underlying book by C.S. Forster also gave the movie a wonderful plot: "In Africa during WW1, a gin-swilling riverboat owner/captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship" in the heart of Africa. Leeches and crocodiles, sweat and grime, rapid running and romance, this movie has it all.

I saw the movie, don't remember when. I read that both Katherine and Humphrey were friends and you can sort of see that. The movie was well done I think, for Hollywood and the Hollywood of that time I suppose. But I really don't care for Hollywood that much nor the stuff that comes from it. And for some reason, though I like movies like Casa Blanca and The Maltese Falcon, I find it hard to really buy any of the works of Humphrey Bogart. Like Harrison Ford and Viggo Mortenson, Humphrey lived a priveleged and charmed life, in New York City I believe. He was kicked out of prestigious schools for being a lazy disruptive and womanizer sort of person. It is true that the wife he ditched after meeting Lauren Bacall was an alchoholic and gave him trouble and that is why he liked to go out on his boat. But I think he always tried too hard to be the bad guy sort of actor and it was a little too over the top, even in the African Queen. Good plot and acting though, I must admit. I felt nervy watching the lady missionary's brother crack and go insane due to the troubles and general atmosphere of the place. It bothered me for months after I saw it.