Review of Safari

It opens with Baron de Courtland (Tullio Carminati, best known for THE BAT & ONE NIGHT OF LOVE) on board his luxury yacht phoning (from the game room) his lovely fiancée Linda Stewart (Madeleine Carroll) that they have arrived off the coast of Africa. Linda, recovering from the loss of her last boyfriend a flyer who died in the Spanish war discusses her need for security with her best friend Fay Thorne (Muriel Angelus, whose next and final film was as the secretary/wife of THE GREAT McGINTY.) Courtland has hired colorful Scotsman Jock McPhail (Lynne Overman, frequent Paramount sidekick/best friend in 49 of his 51 films) to arrange for "the best hunter and best guide in West Africa." McPhail recommends Jim Logan (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) who he plans to introduce later that evening at McPhail's birthday party. Next we see Jim Logan (the New York Times called him "bold and dashing") entering the village tavern to persuade bar-keep Billy Gilbert to creatively recreate a formal dinner for his best friend McPhail. We learn Logan is a great lover of liberty having fought for the underdogs in China he now has plans to join the efforts in Europe. But when the Baron's evening arrival interrupts the social balance in a very telling scene Logan resents the aristocrat's demands and turns down the job. But sophisticated arm candy Linda dares to entice the hunter with a toss of dice, he loses and acquiesces to take the party up river. We later learn that Linda, having hooked the Baron wants to land him using the macho hunter to make the Baron jealous. The Baron resents Linda's attentions toward Logan and stupidly endangers the innocent. Now the table is set and the traditional love triangle seems predictable but this is where movie star quality shines. Our leads exude charm and charisma as they traverse exotic locations and challenging events that will test character, but not without loss of life. The director Edward H. Griffith having started with Edison in 1915 went on to become Carroll's favorite working with her on six feature films. Screenwriter Delmer Daves (PETRIFIED FOREST, LOVE AFFAIR) later became a well respected director of action films, DESTINATION TOKYO & 3:10 TO YUMA. Photographed by Ted Tetzlaff (NOTORIOUS, MY MAN GODFREY) and costumes by Edith Head. Fans of Extras be sure to spot Darby Jones as native Admiral better known as the zombie in IWALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, and Disney fans will get a kick out of Dopey, Sleepy, Bashful, Doc, Sneezy, Happy & Grumpy!