The African Queen

The maiden voyage of the 1951 movie The African Queen on DVD proves an uneventful journey.

Though this wasn't the case during the making of the film, directed by the legendary John Huston: It was fraught with production problems from the outset. The casting was uncertain, with even Bette Davis considering the role of Rose, the indomitable Yankee missionary in Africa. Eventually Kate Hepburn assumed the role, and Humphrey Bogart was chosen to portray Charlie, captain of the rickety "African Queen," who gives Rose the greatest adventure, and romance of her life.

The production ran severely behind schedule, with the entire cast falling ill during the location shooting in Africa. Were it not for the perseverance of Huston, the project may have been totally abandoned. His faith in the venture was rewarded when the "...Queen" went on to become a huge success, and, ultimately, a perennial classic. Yet problems continued. After the film appeared on the VHS format, it all but disappeared. At long last, Paramount has released The African Queen in a respectable, but unremarkable DVD.

Improvement on earlier versions

The film was shot in Technicolor, yet the richly colored location shots could not be fully appreciated in the grainy, washed-out VHS edition. About 5 years ago, an Asian DVD of the movie was issued, available by mail order. This incarnation was certainly an improvement with respect to color and sharpness. With respect to the color, the new Paramount DVD is a significant improvement on both earlier versions. But the sharpness and contrast are strangely inconsistent. The shots with Bogey in the foreground are quite clear, but the close-ups of Hepburn are hazy and slightly out of focus. Huston may have softened the look of his leading lady with some Vaseline on the camera lens. However many of the long and medium, as well as landscape shots, are disappointingly blurred. John Ford's 1953 color film Mogambo, also set in Africa, fares better, and looks consistently stunning on DVD. The African Queen, being the superior film, these problems are indeed curious.

Likewise, the special features (or single feature, as it turns out,) are bare-boned. A documentary on the genesis of the film entitled "Embracing Chaos: The Making of 'The African Queen,'" is an in-depth, visual essay on the movie, with Martin Scorsese as well as some of the surviving members of the original production crew commenting on the film, and sharing anecdotes. Although this featurette is informative, it should have been one among many extras included in the DVD. These days, even mediocre flicks are packaged with a second disc of special features. There are no trailers, newsreels, shorts or other documentaries of any kind.

Certainly, anyone wishing to add The African Queen to their DVD collection will not be incensed by the passable quality of Paramount's new release. Yet, the lackluster presentation, and variable print quality do not do justice to this irresistible film. Although Paramount has made The African Queen available on a pricier Blueray edition, one would expect more from the DVD debut of such a legendary classic.