Mogambo (1953) starring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly. Directed by John Ford. Gable, as Victor Marswell, captures wild animals in Africa for sale to zoos, circuses and trainers. Eloise Kelly (Gardner) shows up as an uninvited guest, expecting to go on safari, but her "date" stands her up; and at first she proves to be a nuisance. When Mrs. Nordley (Kelly) shows up, it is apparent that Marswell is drawn to her -- and Eloise Kelly is jealous. The result is an awkward sort of love triangle that may have been interesting in 1953, but in 2010 seems stilted and dated. The movies back then had to adhere to different rules, of course, and as an artifact of the '50s this one has its good points. The gorilla safari, however, isn't one of them. It's embarrassingly retro by today's standards. "Mogambo" was a remake of "Red Dust," a 1932 film in which Gable also starred. The subtitles are just barely adequate. Grade: C+
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