''Odongo'' (also known as ''Odongo Adventure on the African Frontier'') is a 1956 British African adventure

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

John Gilling John Gilling (29 May 1912 – 22 November 1984) was an English film director and screenwriter, born in London. He was known for his horror film, horror movies, especially those he made for Hammer Films, for whom he directed ''The Shadow of the ...

and starring Rhonda Fleming,

Macdonald Carey Edward Macdonald Carey (March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC's soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. For almost three decades, he was the show's central cast membe ...

and Juma. It was written by Gilling from a story by Islin Auster and produced by

Warwick Films Warwick Films was a film company founded by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli in London in 1951. The name was taken from the Warwick New York Hotel, Warwick Hotel in New York City where Broccoli and his wife were staying at the ...

It concerns a white hunter who falls in love with a vet in

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Plot

Pamela, a veterinarian from

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, comes to Kenya to work on big-game hunter Steve Stratton's farm. He was expecting a man and doesn't want her there. The exotic animals Steve hunts and collects are precious to young native Odongo, who is employed by him. When another worker, Walla, is fired, he attacks Odongo, whose pet chimp comes to his rescue. Steve threatens to send the chimp to a zoo. Odongo misses on purpose during a safari when Steve orders him to shoot an impala. Steve also saves Pam from a charging rhino and hopes she will leave. But his attitude softens after Pam delivers a native's baby and is given a rare animal as a reward. The angry Walla frees all of the animals from their pens and starts a fire. Odongo is accused by Steve, then is taken hostage by Walla and pushed from a cliff into crocodile-filled waters. Steve jumps in to save him, while Walla fatally encounters one of Odongo's animals while trying to escape. Pamela agrees to stay.

Cast

* Rhonda Fleming as Pamela Muir *

as Steve Stratton * Juma as Odongo *

Eleanor Summerfield Eleanor Audrey Summerfield (7 March 1921 – 13 July 2001) was an English actress who appeared in many plays, films and television series. She is known for her roles in ''Laughter in Paradise'' (1951), '' Final Appointment'' (1954), '' Odongo'' ...

as Celia Watford *

Francis de Wolff Baron Francis-Marie Arist de Wolff (7 January 191318 April 1984) was an English character actor. Large, bearded, and beetle-browed, he was often cast as villains and foreigners in both film and television. Early life De Wolff was born in Essex ...

as George Watford *

Leonard Sachs Leonard Meyer Sachs (26 September 1909 – 15 June 1990) was a South African-born British actor. Life and career Sachs was born in the town of Roodepoort, in the then Transvaal Colony, present day South Africa. He was Jewish. He emigrated ...

as Game Warden * Earl Cameron as Hassan * Dan Jackson as Walla *

Michael Caridia Michael Caridia (born 2 August 1941) is a British former child actor. His prominent roles include Sir Reginald, an obnoxious boy, in the Norman Wisdom film '' Up in the World'' and Hugo Wendt in the 1956 horror-comedy '' The Gamma People''. In a ...

as Lester Watford * Errol John as Mr Bawa * Paul Hardtmuth as Mohammed * Bartholomew Sketch as Leni * Lionel Ngakane as Leni's brother

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "Some good animal photography fails to compensate for the stereotyped story, the course of which can be predicted after the first ten minutes, Rhonda Fleming seems a very improbable veterinary surgeon, although she looks quite decorative. Juma, the young African player, has an engaging personality and apparently a way with animals." ''

Kine Weekly ''Kinematograph Weekly'', popularly known as ''Kine Weekly'', was a trade paper catering to the British film industry between 1889 and 1971. Etymology The word Kinematograph was derived from the Greek ' Kinumai ', (to move, to be in motion, to ...

'' wrote: "The picture introduces all the old gimmicks – the heroine has many near squeaks and there is an inevitable stampede towards the finish – but realistic backgrounds and detail gives the overall an exciting look. Juma acts with considerable power and feeling for one so young and is an entertainment in himself as Odongo, Rhonda Fleming makes a ravishing Pamela and Macdonald Carey smoothly registers as Steve. Eleanor Summerfield grossly exaggerates as the twittering Celia, but happily. Ugly Puss, the chimpanzee, does its stuff. And finally a word for CinemaScope and Technicolor: they put essential gloss on unblushing '' Boys' Own Paper''." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote: "There is little new in this latest East African story, although the main events are set on an animal farm Instead of in a jungle. There is the dour white hunter, his faithful aldes personified in the form of a youthful African, and the cusfomary long shots of wild animal life, Hungry crocs, charging rhinos and trumpeting elephants provide the stereotyped hazards of the jungle. Besides Juma, the scene stealing colored boy, is a mischievous chimp, whose antics are surefire for laughs. The whole makes for good allround entertainment, although supplying few novelty angles."

References

External links

* {{John Gilling 1956 films British drama films 1956 drama films Films directed by John Gilling Films about hunting Films set in Kenya Films shot in Kenya CinemaScope films Films shot at MGM-British Studios 1950s English-language films 1950s British films Films scored by George Melachrino