''The Last Safari'' is a 1967 British

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

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Western (genre), Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven f ...

. It stars Kaz Garas and Stewart Granger. It was based on the 1962 novel, '' Gilligan's Last Elephant'' by Gerald Hanley.

Plot

Miles Gilchrist ( Stewart Granger) is a big game hunter in Africa. He goes on a safari to shoot an elephant who killed his friend. He is accompanied by Casey ( Kaz Garas), an American millionaire intrigued by Gilchrist's story, and Grant ( Gabriella Licudi), Casey's half-caste girlfriend. Miles feels he is to blame for his friend's death, and has to redeem himself. He sees hunter Alec Beaumont ( Liam Redmond) refusing to eat with Grant, an indication of how life is different in Africa. Casey and Miles help to save a group of white hunters ambushed in a Masai village. Later, Miles and Casey are nearly killed by a herd of charging elephants, led by a rogue elephant. Casey refuses to fire knowing Miles also won't shoot, but is not afraid. Casey bids Miles farewell and leaves Africa and Grant, who stays behind in the hopes of finding a new benefactor.

Cast

* Kaz Garas as Casey * Stewart Granger as Miles Gilchrist * Gabriella Licudi as Grant * Johnny Sekka as Jama * Liam Redmond as Alex Beaumont * Eugene Deckers as Refugee leader * David Munya as Chongu * John De Villiers as Rich * Wilfred Moore as Game warden * Jean Parnell as Mrs. Beaumont * Bill Grant as Commissioner * John Sutton as Harry * Kipkoske as Gavai * Labina as Village chief

Production

''The Last Safari'' was the first of a four-picture deal between Hathaway and Paramount. Kaz Garas was an actor under contract to Hal Wallis. The film involved five weeks location shooting in Kenya. The corporate jet used in the film was a Learjet 23 leased from Busy Bee. It was painted in zebra stripes for use in the film.

Reception

The ''Los Angeles Times'' called ''The Last Safari'', "... a most satisfying film of its kind".Thomas, K. "'The Last Safari' in multiple screenings." ''Los Angeles Times'', 10 November 1967. Stewart Granger later called this "my last real film... the worst film ever made in Africa!"MacFarlane 1997, p. 230.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* MacFarlane, Brian. ''An Autobiography of British Cinema''. London: Methuen, 1997. .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Last Safari 1967 films 1967 adventure films British adventure films 1960s English-language films Films based on British novels Films directed by Henry Hathaway Films about hunting Films set in Africa Films shot in Kenya Paramount Pictures films Films with screenplays by John Gay (screenwriter) Films scored by John Dankworth 1960s British films English-language adventure films