The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952 film)

Last updated

The Snows of Kilimanjaro
The Snows of Kilimanjaro.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Henry King
Screenplay by Casey Robinson
Based on"The Snows of Kilimanjaro"
1936 story in Esquire
by Ernest Hemingway
Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck
Starring
Cinematography Leon Shamroy
Edited by Barbara McLean
Music by Bernard Herrmann
Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox
Release dates
  • September 17, 1952 (1952-09-17)(New York) [1]
  • October 23, 1952 (1952-10-23)(Los Angeles)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million [2]
Box office$6.5–12.5 million [3] [4]
The Snows of Kilimanjaro

The Snows of Kilimanjaro is a 1952 American Technicolor romantic adventure film directed by Henry King from a screenplay by Casey Robinson, based on the 1936 short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. It stars Gregory Peck as Harry Street, Susan Hayward as Helen, and Ava Gardner as Cynthia Green (a character invented for the film). The film's ending does not mirror that of the short story. [5]

Contents

Considered by Hemingway to be one of his finest stories, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" was first published in Esquire magazine in 1936 and then republished in The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories (1938).

The Snows of Kilimanjaro was a critical and commercial success upon its release and became the third highest-grossing film of 1952. It was nominated for two Oscars at the 25th Academy Awards, for Best Cinematography, Color and Best Art Direction, Color (Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir, Thomas Little, Paul S. Fox).

The film has entered the public domain. [6]

Plot

Peck recalls his memories from what he thinks is his deathbed in Africa Thesnowsofkilimanjaro-Peck.jpg
Peck recalls his memories from what he thinks is his deathbed in Africa

The film begins with the opening words of Hemingway's story: "Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai 'Ngje Ngi,' the House of God. Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude." [5]

The story centers on the memories of a disillusioned writer, Harry Street, who is on safari in Africa. He has a severely infected wound from a thorn prick, and lies outside his tent awaiting a slow death, though in the film it is pointed out he may have acquired the infection from leaping into a muddy river to rescue one of the safari's porters from a hippo after he falls in the river. His female companion, Helen, nurses Harry and hunts game for the larder.

The loss of mobility brings self-reflection. In an often delirious state he remembers his past relationship with Cynthia Green, whom he met in Paris as members of the "Lost Generation." Upon the sale of Harry's first novel, rather than rent a nicer home, Harry wishes to go on safari to Africa. There he has his happiest moments, including bagging a rhino. Cynthia is pregnant, but worries about sharing this news with Harry, who is passionate about his travels and work as a journalist and author. Harry only learns about the pregnancy after her miscarriage. Suffering depression and sinking into alcoholism, she eventually leaves Harry for a flamenco dancer when she believes Harry is off for a job as a war correspondent.

Harry later becomes engaged to the wealthy and socially connected Countess Elizabeth, whom he meets on the Cote d'Azur; however, he still remains loyal to the memory of Cynthia. On the eve of their wedding, a jealous Elizabeth confronts Harry with a letter to Harry sent from Cynthia, who is now in Madrid. Elizabeth destroys the letter in front of Harry who stalks off to go to Spain. Unable to find Cynthia at the Madrid address on the envelope, he enlists to fight in the Spanish Civil War. During a battle he meets Cynthia, who is now an ambulance driver. Cynthia is mortally wounded, and Harry is shot and wounded when he deserts the battle to try to bring the dying Cynthia to a doctor.

Harry returns to Paris. While he is standing on a bridge watching the River Seine, he meets Helen, who reminds him of Cynthia. After the death of his beloved mentor Uncle Bill, Harry receives as a bequest a letter from his uncle that gives him the riddle of the leopard. Harry's bartender suggests that the leopard ended up there as he was on a false scent and became lost, but Harry takes Helen on a safari to Kenya to learn the answer of the riddle. He is injured and develops an infection. As Harry nears death, the protective Helen fights off a witch doctor. Following the directions in an emergency first aid manual, she opens Harry's wound to release the infection. At the dawn a medical party arrives by airplane. The vultures and hyena who have been awaiting Harry's death leave and never return. Harry realizes his love for Helen.

Cast

Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner meet Ava Gardner Snows.jpg
Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner meet

Uncredited actors

Production

Peck and Susan Hayward Snows kilimanjaro.jpg
Peck and Susan Hayward

Twentieth Century-Fox bought the rights to the story in June 1948, paying $125,000. [5]

Casting

Humphrey Bogart, Richard Conte and Marlon Brando were all reported to be under consideration for the male lead, as was Dale Robertson. [5]

Filming

The film was shot on location in Nairobi, Kenya, Cairo, Egypt, and the French Riviera, and studio work was done at Stage 14 in 20th Century Fox Studios. During production, on April 8, 1952, when Peck was carrying Gardner for a scene in the film, Peck wrenched his knee and production had to be postponed for 10 days while he recovered in his Pacific Palisades home, and Hildegard Knef came down with influenza in the studios. [4] [7] She was able though to sing two Cole Porter tunes in the film. [8] Jazz musician Benny Carter performs early on in the film. [9]

The bullfight sequences were archive footage, taken from Fox's 1941 film Blood and Sand . [5] Circus animal trainer Pat Anthony replaced Gregory Peck as his stand-in for the hyena attack scene.

Reception

On studio set "location" for Kenya Thesnowsofkilimanjaro19bd9.jpg
On studio set “location“ for Kenya

Helped by a star-studded cast, the film was one of the most successful films of the early 1950s and earned $12.5 million at the box office, very high for that period. [4] The film was much acclaimed by critics, although some vary in their opinion of it, ranging from "simply plodding" to "much-maligned". [10] [11] The cinematography was highly acclaimed in particular, and even the sophisticated interiors were praised. [12] [13] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times described the cinematography as "magnificent and exciting" and said that the "overall production in wonderful color is full of brilliant detail and surprise and the mood of nostalgia and wistful sadness that is built up in the story has its spell." [12] He praised Peck's character for his "burning temper and melancholy moods", although he said that Ava Gardner was "pliant and impulsive" in a role "as soggy and ambiguous as any in the film". [12] Variety praised the film as "an often engrossing dramatic mixture of high adventure, romance and symbolism," adding that "the color coating used to display the story's varied locales is beautiful," and "Miss Gardner has never been better." [14] Harrison's Reports called it "at once absorbing, exciting, and fascinating." [15] The Monthly Film Bulletin , however, wrote that Hemingway's dialogue sounded "stilted and a little dated" on the screen, and that "any real seriousness that the film might have retained is nullified by the ending. Letting Harry survive makes of the film a naive kind of spiritual success story with a conventional boy-meets-lots-of-girls plot." [16] Variety commented "the script broadens the short story considerably without losing the Hemingway penchant for the mysticism behind his virile characters and lusty situations. [17]

Craig Butler of AllMovie opines, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro has not aged well over the years...The screenplay (is) in a bit of a no man's land, not really Hemingway, but not quite the real world either. Visually, however, Kilimanjaro is a feast, with the camera capturing the full beauty of its often-stunning locations and also finding emotion in the 'character' scenes. The art direction is lovely...Gardner and Peck create the appropriate romantic chemistry...the direction is uneven...there's still enough here to engage most fans of romance movies." [18]

A more recent appraisal in Bowker's Directory described it as having "plenty of action & romance" and stated that it was "the popular 'celebrity film' of its time". [19] Hemingway, who disliked the typical Hollywood happy ending, accepted the money for the film, but he could not bring himself to view it, according to one report. [12] However, in a 1954 article for Look magazine, Hemingway said a hyena (voiced by Director King from behind the camera) [20] was the best performer in the picture, which the writer called The Snows of Zanuck. [21]

The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction (Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir, Thomas Little, Paul S. Fox). [22]

Home media

20th Century Fox released the film on DVD in March 2007, separately and as part of five-disc collection entitled "The Ernest Hemingway Film Collection", where it was packaged with Under My Skin , The Sun Also Rises , A Farewell to Arms , and Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man . [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ava Gardner</span> American actress (1922–1990)

Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her performance in Robert Siodmak's film noir The Killers. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in John Ford's Mogambo (1953), and for best actress for both a Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for her performance in John Huston's The Night of the Iguana (1964). She was a part of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory Peck</span> American actor (1916–2003)

Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Hayward</span> American actress (1917–1975)

Susan Hayward was an Academy Award-winning American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safari</span> Journey with the aim to hunt safari animals or to observe or photograph them

A safari is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in Southeast Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an important part of the safari market, both for wildlife viewing and big-game hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Snows of Kilimanjaro (short story)</span> Short story by Ernest Hemingway

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a short story by American author Ernest Hemingway first published in August 1936, in Esquire magazine. It was republished in The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories in 1938, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories in 1961, and is included in The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: The Finca Vigía Edition (1987).

"The Killers" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway, first published in Scribner's Magazine in 1927 and later republished in Men Without Women,Snows of Kilimanjaro, and The Nick Adams Stories. Set in 1920s Summit, Illinois, the story follows recurring Hemingway character Nick Adams as he has a run-in with a pair of hitmen, who are seeking to kill a boxer, in a local restaurant.

<i>True at First Light</i> Book by Ernest Hemingway

True at First Light is a book by American novelist Ernest Hemingway about his 1953–54 East African safari with his fourth wife Mary, released posthumously in his centennial year in 1999. The book received mostly negative or lukewarm reviews from the popular press and sparked a literary controversy regarding how, and whether, an author's work should be reworked and published after his death. Unlike critics in the popular press, Hemingway scholars generally consider True at First Light to be complex and a worthy addition to his canon of later fiction.

<i>The Gunfighter</i> 1950 film by Henry King

The Gunfighter is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewrite by writer and producer Nunnally Johnson, from a story by Bowers, Roger Corman, and screenwriter and director Andre de Toth. The film was the second of King's six collaborations with Peck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White hunter</span> Term used for professional big-game hunters

White hunter is a literary term used for professional big game hunters of European descent, from all over the world, who plied their trade in Africa, especially during the first half of the 20th century. The activity continues in the dozen African countries which still permit big-game hunting. White hunters derived their income from organizing and leading safaris for paying clients, or from the sale of ivory.

<i>David and Bathsheba</i> (film) 1951 film by Henry King

David and Bathsheba is a 1951 Technicolor epic film produced by 20th Century-Fox and starring Gregory Peck as King David. It was directed by Henry King and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, with a screenplay by Philip Dunne and cinematography by Leon Shamroy.

<i>Untamed</i> (1955 film) 1955 film by Henry King

Untamed is a 1955 American CinemaScope adventure western film directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power, Susan Hayward and Richard Egan, with Agnes Moorehead, Rita Moreno and Hope Emerson. It was made by Twentieth Century-Fox in DeLuxe Color. The screenplay was by William A. Bacher, Michael Blankfort, Frank Fenton and Talbot Jennings from a 1950 novel by Helga Moray. The music score was by Franz Waxman and the cinematography by Leo Tover.

<i>The Sun Also Rises</i> (1957 film) 1957 film by Henry King

The Sun Also Rises is a 1957 American drama film adaptation of the 1926 Ernest Hemingway novel of the same name directed by Henry King. The screenplay was written by Peter Viertel and it starred Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Mel Ferrer, and Errol Flynn. Much of it was filmed on location in France and Spain as well as Mexico in Cinemascope and color by Deluxe. A highlight of the film is the famous "running of the bulls" in Pamplona, Spain and two bullfights.

<i>Delhi Safari</i> 2012 Indian film

Delhi Safari is a 2012 Indian computer-animated musical comedy film written and directed by Nikkhil Advani. The film traces the journey of five animals from Mumbai to Delhi as they struggle against an oppressive regime. It has been produced by Krayon Pictures. Based on a story and concept by Advani, the film's Hindi-language version features the voices of Akshaye Khanna, Govinda, Suniel Shetty, Boman Irani and Urmila Matondkar. The screenplay of the film is written by Girish Dhamija and Suresh Nair. The music of the film is composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, while the lyrics are penned by Sameer. It is India's first stereoscopic 3D animation feature film. The film released in India on 19 October 2012. Delhi Safari has been granted exemption from entertainment tax in the states of Maharashtra and Delhi. At the 60th National Film Awards, it won the National Film Award for Best Animated Film. The English-language version of the film has voices by Tom Kenny, Carlos Alazraqui, Jason Alexander, Cary Elwes, Tara Strong, Christopher Lloyd, Jane Lynch, Vanessa Williams and Brad Garrett. The international sales of the film is being handled by Fantastic Films International. The film was released in the United States on 7 December 2012.

<i>The Macomber Affair</i> 1947 film by Zoltan Korda

The Macomber Affair is a 1947 American adventure drama film starring Gregory Peck, Joan Bennett, and Robert Preston. Directed by Zoltan Korda and distributed by United Artists, it portrays a fatal love triangle set in British East Africa between a frustrated wife, a weak husband, and the professional hunter who comes between them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Hemingway bibliography</span>

Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and sportsman. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction. Many of his works are considered classics of American literature.

<i>The Great Sinner</i> 1949 film by Robert Siodmak

The Great Sinner is a 1949 American film noir drama film directed by Robert Siodmak. Based on the 1866 short novel The Gambler written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the film stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Frank Morgan, Ethel Barrymore, Walter Huston, Agnes Moorehead and Melvyn Douglas.

Richard Mann Allan was an American actor. He was best known for his appearances with Susan Hayward in With a Song in My Heart (1952), Ava Gardner in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), and Marilyn Monroe in Niagara (1953).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Ker</span>

Donald Ker was a famous Kenyan white hunter, safari guide and conservationist of British descent. As a young man he teamed up with Sydney Downey to create Ker and Downey Safaris Ltd., one of the first guide companies to transition from hunting to photographic safaris. He is also known for leading two long expeditions with Edgar Monsanto Queeny for the American Museum of Natural History which resulted in the production of several nature documentaries and in Ker's own dedication to conservation.

Belmond Khwai River Lodge is a safari lodge situated in Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The lodge is one of three that comprise Belmond Safaris, the others being Belmond Eagle Island Lodge and Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge. All three are reached from Maun, Botswana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Hotel, Nairobi</span> Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya

The Stanley Hotel is a five-star hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the oldest hotel in the city, having been established in 1902 by English businesswoman Mayence Bent, when the city was a railway halt. It is named after Sir Henry Morton Stanley, a Welsh explorer who is best known for his explorations of central Africa and his successful search for missionary and explorer David Livingstone.

References

  1. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  2. Fishgall, Gary (2002). Gregory Peck: A Biography. p. 167. ISBN   9780684852904.
  3. "Top Grossers of 1952". Variety . Vol. 189, no. 5. January 7, 1953. p. 61.
  4. 1 2 3 Holston, Kim R. (July 11, 2015). Susan Hayward: Her Films and Life. McFarland. p. 91. ISBN   978-0-7864-8088-3.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Notes - The Snows of Kilimanjaro". AFI Catalog. Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Hicks, Chris (March 8, 2007). "DVD reviews: Oldies make their DVD debut". Deseret News . Retrieved June 16, 2013. The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952, color) has injured writer Gregory Peck going over his past to see if his life has meaning, with Ava Gardner and Susan Hayward. This one has been on many public-domain labels, but this is a pristine print and looks gorgeous.
  7. Molyneaux, Gerard (1995). Gregory Peck: A Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 113. ISBN   978-0-313-28668-1 . Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  8. Reimer, Robert C.; Reimer, Carol J. (April 1, 2010). The A to Z of German Cinema. Scarecrow Press. p. 176. ISBN   978-1-4617-3186-3 . Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  9. Cooke, Mervyn; Horn, David (January 9, 2003). The Cambridge Companion to Jazz. Cambridge Companions to Music. Cambridge University Press. p. 343. ISBN   978-0-521-66388-5 . Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  10. Irwin, John T (2006). Unless the Threat of Death is Behind Them: Hard-boiled Fiction and Film Noir. JHU Press. p. 205. ISBN   978-0-8018-8435-1 . Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  11. Films and Filming. Hansom Books. 1971. p. 44. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Crowther, Bosley (September 19, 1952). "THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; ' Snow of Kiliminjaro,' Based on Hemingway's Story, Is New Feature at Rivoli". The New York Times . Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  13. Whitlock, Cathy (February 5, 2013). Designs on Film: A Century of Hollywood Art Direction. HarperCollins. p. 149. ISBN   978-0-06-224160-3 . Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  14. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". Variety . September 24, 1952. p. 6.
  15. "'The Snows of Kilimanjaro' with Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward and Ava Gardner". Harrison's Reports . September 20, 1952. p. 151.
  16. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". The Monthly Film Bulletin . Vol. 19, no. 226. November 1952. p. 155.
  17. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". Variety. January 1, 1952.
  18. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) - Henry King | Review". AllMovie.
  19. Bowker's Complete Video Directory. R R Bowker Publishing. 1993. p. 1339. ISBN   9780835245692 . Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  20. Eduardo Moreno, The Films of Susan Hayward, Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ, 1979, p.178.
  21. Hemingway, Ernest, and White, William (ed.). By-Line: Ernest Hemingway. p. 429. Charles Scribner's Sons. New York, NY. 1967
  22. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2009. Archived from the original on August 6, 2009. Retrieved December 21, 2008.