An Ealing Studios-Schlesinger Production. London trade show: April 1954. New York opening: 17 January 1955 (at the World). U.S. release through Universal: January 1955. U.K. release through General Film Distributors: 19 April 1954. Australian release through British Empire Films: 17 June 1955. 8,506 feet. 94 minutes. Cut to 91 minutes in Australia.
SYNOPSIS: When Bob Payton discovers that the Galanas, a tribe he has long befriended, are being forced by soil erosion to move from the area which has been their home for many years, he urges their Chief Ushingo to lead them up into the hills. There, he says, they will find fresh and fertile soil which will give them their living and where they can continue to live their old lives in peace and happiness.
But the young men of the tribe favor the attractions of Mombasa which to them represent a new and exciting civilization and way of life. Payton knows that this would be fatal, that such a move would place these simple folk in the way of many irresistible temptations not the least of these being the activities of the large-scale ivory smugglers operating in Mombasa and the plausible offers of cheap city slickers who would quickly corrupt the new settlers.
A vote is taken and the decision made to go to Mombasa.
COMMENT: Bad dialogue and poor acting by the principals do not wholly impair one's interest in this semi-documentary, directed with his usual occasional felicity of visual image by Harry Watt. Photographed in Technicolor by Paul Beeson.
SYNOPSIS: When Bob Payton discovers that the Galanas, a tribe he has long befriended, are being forced by soil erosion to move from the area which has been their home for many years, he urges their Chief Ushingo to lead them up into the hills. There, he says, they will find fresh and fertile soil which will give them their living and where they can continue to live their old lives in peace and happiness.
But the young men of the tribe favor the attractions of Mombasa which to them represent a new and exciting civilization and way of life. Payton knows that this would be fatal, that such a move would place these simple folk in the way of many irresistible temptations not the least of these being the activities of the large-scale ivory smugglers operating in Mombasa and the plausible offers of cheap city slickers who would quickly corrupt the new settlers.
A vote is taken and the decision made to go to Mombasa.
COMMENT: Bad dialogue and poor acting by the principals do not wholly impair one's interest in this semi-documentary, directed with his usual occasional felicity of visual image by Harry Watt. Photographed in Technicolor by Paul Beeson.