The African Queen

The African Queen (1951) starring Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn. Directed by John Huston. An unlikely duo -- riverboat scamp (Bogart) and missionary woman (Hepburn) -- team up to take the boat African Queen down a river in Africa with plans to torpedo a German gunboat during World War I. It was the first time Bogart and Hepburn appeared in a movie together, and the chemistry is good. The trip down river lets them go through some difficult times together, and the ending of the film is a slam dunk. I had seen this movie once a long time ago and remembered it as being good, but I had forgotten how the ending was resolved. The film was shot in Africa, in beautiful Technicolor, and in 1951 that was quite a feat. Bogart won an Oscar for his performance. (Subtitles in English and closed captions are both available.) Grade: A-