I'm surprised Belinda Lee isn't better known - she was beautiful, could act, had an exotic love life, died tragically young (in a car accident). Maybe she lacked a famous film on her resume - most of her time was spent under contract for the Rank Organisation in the 1950s, not highly regarded by film buffs.
This was one of her better known films, and she basically has the lead role, as an English girl who travels to South Africa to marry a game warden (Patrick McGoohan) only to fall for his brother (Michael Craig).
That's not a bad set up for a drama - it's very tried and true - although the execution leaves something to be desired. McGoohan and Craig aren't especially close; McGoohan barely knows Lee (they're pen pals more than anything) so it's not that much of a betrayal for Craig to hook up with her; it's annoying how there's a cute blonde pining for McGoohan in the wings. There's a subplot about poachers calling trouble and a fat South African corrupting locals, which is reminiscent of Where Eagles Fly, a big hit some years earlier.
But the film muffs the drama. There's no big confrontation between Craig and McGoohan over Lee - McGoohan just gives up. The poacher subplot barely involves Craig at all it's mostly McGoohan. At times it's like the two actors are in separate films. The action scenes seem randomly inserted and most involve McGoohan - he crashes his car, is chased by a lion, winds up a tree, gets in a fight. There's no narrative build. (It's not a very well constructed screenplay). There's another subplot about Lee being accused of killing an old lady but at the end that's just resolved with a phone call saying everything is okay.
There's some attractive location filming in South Africa. Michael Craig is okay in a role that really needed Stewart Granger (though you know they would've wanted Dirk Bogarde who wouldn't have been right - at least Craig is a convincing heterosexual). There's a hot scene where Craig and Lee kiss in the rain. Lee is quite sexy. The acting is decent. McGoohan probably should have played Craig's role.
I actually didn't mind this. It was entertaining, pretty, obviously expensive. The director was right - it's a hotch potch - but it's watchable.
Directed by Ken Annakin.
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