The first proper version of the Maneaters of Tsavo was The Ghost in the Darkness but this was one of three unofficial versions made in the 1950s. It's one of Warwick Films' last efforts - their final action movie if I'm not mistaken, done as per their usual formula: American star and director, British crew, Commonwealth setting (in this case Africa).
It's late period Warwick so Anthony Newley and Anne Aubrey are on hand. Newley is a sort of comic relief company man who helps Robert Taylor build a train line and shoot at things. Taylor doesn't spend much time doing engineering. He mostly treks.
Anne Aubrey underwhelms as she tends to do in these films. It's not a very good movie. A lot of trudging. The lions and the train seem to get forgotten.
Location filming helps. Taylor and Newley are professional, even though neither feels comfortable cast. I just didn't care about this one. Plenty of bang bang it just seemed pointless.
No comments:
Post a Comment