I'm no fan of 'Out of Africa' because I'm no fan of Redford's acting style. Also, I actually read three books, one of which is titled 'Out of Africa' by the Denison [probably not spelling it right] woman I also read a book written by her husband, Somebody Finch-Hatton and still another book [I do a lot of reading and some writing, too] by the movie's 'heavy', Broor von Blixen. Reading all three books you recognize that the movie--like many Hollywood movies--is based on some serious lies. It turns out that Finch-Hatton and von Blixen weren't enemies or even rivals. They were the best of friends--hunting and drinking buddies--and certainly no woman came between them. On the other hand, Denison did catch syphlis, [cured with Salverson 606 in Europe] probably from von Blixon but we'll never know because there is a suggestion that both men were pretty easy about their women.
In terms of lion charge, I think the charge in 'Trader Horn' should be examined closely. In it a very wild-looking African kills a charging lion with a thrown spear that strikes it directly between the eyes. I've seen it a number of times and it looks 'real' but I could be mistaken. If it is the real thing, it means that Hollywood codes--and respect for human life--were far different back in the mid 1930s. When the spear is thrown, the African can't be 20 feet from a lion in full attack. There would be little opportunity to stop the cat with a rifle before it hit the man.
Hi again Spoonieduck,
I totally agree that Redford's acting style is feeble.
Compared to some of his contemporaries, he is a "robotic / flatliner" (probably from drinking too much of the "Government Kool-Aid").
You'd think that for as much as Redford gets paid in his movies, he could have afforded a tip-top Language Coach for his role in "Out of Africa", who then would've taught him how to speak English with an educated / well-to-do, proper Danish Gentleman's accent, from around the time of WW-I.
Again we are in agreement that Hollywood movies generally do not much resemble the real story, if there was one to begin with, whatever it may have been.
In this case, there was a real story but I have not read the book.
I am not surprised if Hollywood might have shrugged off the parts they didn't like and wrote in whatever they did like.
Regarding Denys Finch-Hatton and Bror Von Blixen's friendship in real life, from what I have read, spousal swapping was popular sport among some but not all of the rich folks living in the Nairobi area, at the time depicted.
"Blix" as he was called was a notorious man-whore and maybe didn't mind sharing his wife with Finch-Hatten?
Who knows.
I just know that if I was rich (if a frog had wings) I would not be interested in such debauchery at all but, I would in fact have some very fine rifles indeed.
Regarding the treatment of animals and actors both in the movie "Trader Horn", nobody seemed to screech too loudly about such things in 1928 or 29 when it was released to theaters.
Pre-dating that movie was a silent movie called "Tarzan of The Apes", wherein the actor playing Tarzan actually stabbed to death a tame / possibly drugged lion as it was trying to climb through a hut window (pathetic).
Likewise, there is another scene in Trader Horn wherein the producers obviously placed some captive wild animals into a pit or fenced enclosure perhaps, that was gussied up to look like some open and wild part of the African Bush, and they fought savagely.
When I was a Deputy Sheriff in California, I used to enthusiastically put people in jail for doing that to animals,(roosters fighting roosters and dogs fighting dogs as well).
Well anyway, blah, blah, blah.
Out,
Velo Dog.
