''Safari'' is a 1940 American

adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...

directed by

Edward H. Griffith Edward H. Griffith (August 23, 1888 – March 3, 1975) (also known as E H Griffith, Lieut. Edward H. Griffith, Edward Griffith, and E. H. Griffith) was an American film director, motion picture director, screenwriter, and producer. Biography ...

and starring

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr. (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer, and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best-known for starring in such films as '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), '' Gunga Din'' (1939), ...

Madeleine Carroll Marie-Madeleine Bernadette O'Carroll (26 February 1906 – 2 October 1987) was an English actress, popular both in Britain and in America in the 1930s and 1940s. At the peak of her success in 1938, she was the world's highest-paid actress. Ca ...

and

Tullio Carminati Tullio Carminati (September 21, 1894 – February 26, 1971) was a Dalmatian Italian actor. He rose to fame in Italy and the United States initially as a silent film actor, starring in such films as '' The Duchess of Buffalo'' (1926), '' Th ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Hans Dreier Hans Dreier (August 21, 1885 – October 24, 1966) was a German motion picture art director. He was Paramount Pictures' supervising art director from 1927 until his retirement in 1950, when he was succeeded by Hal Pereira. Hans Dreier was born ...

and Ernst Fegté.

Plot

Millionaire Baron de Courland arrives in West Africa in order to hunt for big game. He is accompanied by his girlfriend, Linda Stewart. De Courland hires Jim Logan to be his guide. During the safari, Linda falls for Jim, causing De Courland to be jealous.

Cast

as Jim Logan *

as Linda Stewart *

as Baron de Courtland *

Muriel Angelus Muriel Angelus ( Findlay; 10 March 1912 – 26 June 2004) was an English stage, musical theatre, and film actress. Early life The daughter of a chemist, young Muriel was educated at the Ursuline Convent in London. At age 12, she acted in a ...

as Fay Thorne *

Lynne Overman Lynne Overman (September 19, 1887 – February 19, 1943) was an American actor. In films he often played a sidekick. Early life and career Born in Maryville, Missouri,Aaker, Everett (2013). George Raft: The Films'. Jefferson, NC: McFarland ...

as Jock McPhail * Frederick Vogeding as Captain on Yacht * Clinton Rosemondas as Mike * Thomas Louden as Doctor Phillips * Fred Godoy as Steward * Jack Carr as Wemba *

Billy Gilbert William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects a ...

as Mondehare * Hans von Morhart as Head Quartermaster * Darby Jones as Admiral * Henry Rowland as Steersman

Production

Paramount bought the story in May 1938. In May 1939 they announced Madeleine Carroll would star under the direction of Edward Griffith. Her co-star was going to be

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he bec ...

who had just signed a two-year contract with Paramount. Another lead role was given to

Whitney Bourne Whitney Bourne (May 6, 1914 – December 24, 1988) was an American stage and film actress. She was a leading lady in several B films of the 1930s, with occasional appearances in more prestigious films such as the British musical '' Head over He ...

who Paramount were grooming for stardom. The film is based on the life of

Beryl Markham Beryl Markham (born Clutterbuck; 26 October 1902 – 3 August 1986) was a Kenyan aviator born in England (one of the first bush pilots), adventurer, racehorse trainer and author. She was the first person to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlant ...

. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. recalled that she was offered a part in the picture, and she found the process of filming “scarier than flying the Atlantic solo.” In July W. P. Lipscomb was reportedly working on the script. In August Carroll announced she would be getting the boat back from England to start making the film in October. By this stage Douglas Fairbanks Jr had replaced McCrea as her co star. Second unit footage was shot in Africa.

References

Bibliography

* Kenneth M. Cameron. ''Africa on Film: Beyond Black and White''. Continuum, 1994.

External links

*
''Safari''
at Letterbox DVD * {{Edward H. Griffith 1940 films American adventure films 1940 adventure films 1940s English-language films Films directed by Edward H. Griffith Films scored by Friedrich Hollaender Films set in Africa Paramount Pictures films American black-and-white films 1940s American films English-language adventure films