Trader Horn (1931)
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100% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
45% of users liked it
(132 ratings)
A major undertaking for M-G-M and the first non-documentary production to be filmed in Africa, Trader Horn starred the veteran Harry Carey in the title-role, Aloysius "Trader" Horn, a white explorer in Darkest Africa. Travelling up a heretofore undiscovered river, Horn and his young… More A major undertaking for M-G-M and the first non-documentary production to be filmed in Africa, Trader Horn starred the veteran Harry Carey in the title-role, Aloysius "Trader" Horn, a white explorer in Darkest Africa. Travelling up a heretofore undiscovered river, Horn and his young companion Peru (Duncan Renaldo) experience strange and disturbing behavior from the native population. As Horn explains: "When the Masai and the Kukua Tribes get together, the devil is certainly involved." Along with their native tracker Renchero (Mutia Omoolo), Horn and Peru encounter Mrs. Edith Trent (Carey's wife Olive Golden), whom Horn calls "the bravest woman in all of Africa," and who is determined to trek above the perilous Opanga Falls in search of her missing daughter Nina, rumored to be the captive of the Isorgi tribe. Although refusing to let Horn and Peru accompany her -- because "the presence of white males with guns will only startle the warriors into violence" -- Mrs. Trent consents to let the men follow her at a distance. Horn discovers the elderly woman's slain body soon after and pledges to continue the search for her missing daughter. After encountering sundry ferocious wildlife fauna along their way, our heroes finally locate Nina (Edwina Booth), who instead of being kept prisoner turns out to be a sadistic white goddess ruling the tribe with an iron fist. Having immediately sentenced the intruders to the stake, Nina has a change of heart in the last moment and agrees instead to accompany them back to civilization. After braving a series of hair raising perils, during one of which Ranchero sacrifices his life to protect his charges, the group are shown to safety by a tribe of pygmies. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Directed By
- W.S. Van Dyke
- Written By
- E. Richard Schayer, Cyril Hume, Dale Van Every, John T. Neville
- Genres
- Classics, Action & Adventure
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- May 23, 1931 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Variety Staff, Variety
A good-looking animal picture.
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Mordaunt Hall, New York Times
This shrewdly fashioned jungle melodrama proved to be thoroughly exciting to the spectators last night and it seemed as though many of them were a bit nearer than they ever wanted to be to a big game hunt.
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Alexander Bakshy, The Nation
The picture is a magnificent record of wild life in Central Africa, abounding in thrilling episodes and in scenic splendors.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The first time Hollywood brought its cameras to the Dark Continent was for this adventure film that was probably more dangerous for the film crew than it was for the characters in the story.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
By today's standards, Van Dyke's jungle adventure contains both racist and sexist elements, but at the time it was a stirring picture due to on-location shooting.
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Cast
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Harry Carey
as Trader Horn
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Edwina Booth
as Nina Trend
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Duncan Renaldo
as Peru
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Mutia Omoolu
as Rencharo
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Olive Fuller Golden
as Edith Trend
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C. Aubrey Smith
as Trader
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Olive Carey
as Edith Trend
