Movie 24 - "The African Queen"

"Anything you can do, I can do better!  I can do anything better than you!"  That song pops into my head every time I watch this movie and see Katharine Hepburn play the heroine, Rosie and Humphrey Bogart play the scruffy, gin-drinking riverboat captain, Charlie.  This 1951 John Huston movie is a whole bunch of great!  For a large part of the movie, these two are the only characters, other than "The African Queen", which is Charlie's boat and the river.  And we don't need anything else.  There is humor, adventure, danger, romance, good versus evil, conspiracy...all in about an hour and forty-five minutes.

During World War I, Rose Sayer is a missionary in Africa with her reverend brother until his death after a German attack on their village.  Left alone after his death, Rose gets assistance from Charlie Allnut, a river boat captain.  He buries Rose's brother and takes her on his boat until they come up with a plan.  Rose has a plan of her own formulating.  Rose wants to attack back at the Germans by destroying their main ship.  In order to do that, Rose and Charlie would have to navigate the dangerous river, with white water, German posts, wild animals, and each other...the most dangerous of all.  These two are like night and day...Charlie, drunk and gruff...Rose, God-fearing and prim.  They bicker beautifully!  At one point, after Charlie has offended Rose, she dumps out every drop of his gin.  Charlie does not want to carry out this plan, but he continues on at Rose's urging and guilt-tripping.  They make it through some difficult and exciting action, only to fall in love after their near-death experience.  Charlie shaves, Rose begins making tea and breakfast, and they each use "dear" and "sweetheart" liberally.  Once stuck in mud and reeds, the future looks bleak for the pair, until a thunderstorm frees them from their trap and puts them in perfect position to fulfill their goal.  The German ship is near.  Unfortunately, the African Queen wrecks and the two are captured and sentenced to death by hanging aboard the very ship they were trying to sink.  While in nooses, the two ask for a last request, for the ship captain to marry them.  After marriage and as the hanging ensues, the ship hits what is left of the African Queen and begins to explode!  As black smoke and fire fill the ship, Rose and Charlie make their getaway.  And the two live happily ever after!  Well...Charlie and Rosie happily ever after.

I love this movie.  The pairing of Bogey and Kate is perfection.  They are both strong, quirky, and hilarious!  And look out "Stand By Me!"  This is the original "make you cringe" leech scene.  Ewwwww!!!  It makes my stomach turn.  And the acting!  Kate Hepburn got dysentery because she only drank water instead of drinking scotch with Bogey and Huston.  The two boys were fine, thanks to their alcohol consumption.  Isn't that some stuff?!  The only time when drinking could have kept you healthier.    This movie shoot is also when Hepburn and Bacall, Bogey's wife, became buds.  Bacall had gone along for the fun of it.  The two were good friends after.  Everyone should see this movie at least once.  Watch it!