Moviecut—Congo Crossing

Same kind of intrigue as the Michael Curtiz's film, a mix up of exotic adventre and espionage yarn, intrigue, with good action scenes. It is full of charm of the fifties, and I thought about a Paramount film instead of Universal, because the Mountainl logo film company was more specialized in exotoc features, starring for instance John Payne and Rhonda Fleming or Arlene Dahl, directed by the likes of Lewis Foster or Edward Ludwig, than Universal, the science fiction and western oriented studio. Not my favourite from Jo Pevney who was a complete director: westerns, adventure - many with Jeff Chandler - crime; never any horror nor science fiction though. This one deserves to be seen at least once, for your knowledge.

Joseph Pevney the director is more or less dismissed by so called highbrow critics. I think they are wrong. He directed Joan Crawford in one of the rare films on male prostitution, ' Female on the Beach ' and many minor gems of entertaining films that deal with character as well as action. ' Congo Crossing ' is perfectly cast. George Nadar is the lead male role, and he has been underestimated as an actor. Rock Hudson is often compared to him, and Nadar comes out as being inferior. The truth I think is that given the right roles they were both fine actors and both were gay and faithful friends. One had to go given the ' morals ' of Hollywood and gracefully Nadar left and became a writer. In this film he is on top form trying to redraw the map of the Belgian Congo, as what should be part of it's territory has become a renegade state for criminals. Peter Lorre runs it in uniform and gives a delightful over the top performance. Virginia Mayo is at her best as a cold woman of mystery who is warm when she wants to and not when men want to profit from her in more ways than one. This is by no means a great film, but excellent on its own terms. I can imagine audiences of the mid-1950's enjoyed every minute of it. I believe it, and films like it, give pleasure and sometimes have a lot of artistic beauty into the bargain. A mistake to underestimate directors like Pevney who had a lot to give to the diversity of cinema.

OK, but not great, mid 50's jungle adventure. A bunch of disillusioned, sketchy, or downright villainous characters drift to a fictional African nation that has no extradition laws. In other words an unsafe haven since a lot of these folks are basically human beasts of prey. The only truly worthwhile individual is the doctor, played by the great Rex Ingram. Entertaining, but seems like a second feature. Found a fair quality DVD-R. I wish it would be released on a good quality DVD or Blu-Ray.

Every single cliché possible is utilized in this physically colorful but substantially empty action B flick that lays as flat as the mucky rivers they travel down. Blonde sexpot Virginia Mayo may still have a bit of the white heat, but emotionally, she's an empty vessel. Sexy George Nader had many voracious ladies (and many quiet men) panting for him in the mid '50s, a slightly younger version of Robert Taylor. Michael Pate plays a sleazy villain keeping an eye on Mayo, but not for any reason other than to keep her under his thumb, having enough information on her to certainly destroy her. The heat between Mayo and Nader only comes from the sun, dealing with this adventure yarn as a quick paycheck, for Nader because he was under contract to Universal, and for Mayo, because she no longer had a contract. After suffering from a knock on the noggin from an evil old woman with a high heel and a powerful right, Mayo must deal with tsetse flies and other jungle obstacles as she tries to escape from her past, finding romantic feelings for government surveyor Nader, not because they have "it", but because it's in the script. Peter Lorre is way beyond wasted and Rex Ingram is the African answer to "Lost Horizon's" high lama. Kathryn Givney seems more likely to throw a tea party than try to commit murder, but there she is doing just that in an absurd plot. I declare this as mainly a drinking game film, where you chug every time Mayo sticks out her chest, or Nader bares his. Otherwise, stick with "The African Queen".

Reading that Universal got Virginia Mayo's services for Congo Crossing in exchange for Rock Hudson going to Warner Brothers I was stunned and thinking in baseball terms. The biggest one sided deal I had ever heard of since the Mets parted with Nolan Ryan to the Angels for Jim Fregosi. The cast didn't even get the benefit of a nice African location shoot. Shot in the Botanical Gardens of Los Angeles this routine action adventure film has Virginia Mayo as a socialite on the run and George Nader an engineer on a surveying mission. They're both at a real sleazy town in the French Congo where Peter Lorre runs a rather loose enforcement policy. There's also Michael Pate who is a hit man contracted to get Mayo. Nader's mission to survey the place as the Congo River boundaries have changed and find out whether Lorre's jurisdiction of Congotanga is in the French or Belgian Congo. The ambiguity of the situation causes concern for all and it's made Congotanga the wide open place it is. Everyone wants to know, but many don't want the knowledge to go public. In this is a very nice portrayal from Rex Ingram of a black doctor running a hospital. Which colonial power he lives under is of little concern to him. He knows the white man will be gone soon enough, but while he's there he wants what he needs to run his hospital. Congo Crossing is a below average action adventure film. Must George Nader ever have envied Rock Hudson.

As an antidote to the sweetness of "The African Queen," try this raunchy little rough-and-ready tale in which a passel of sleazy bums from Europe and America sort out their differences in and around the Congo, while decent African citizens just try to get on with things. Peter Lorre is radiant as the chief bum, a combination Capt. Renault/Ugarte character in a natty gold braided uniform who rules by dint of outclassing everybody.

Since I refuse to dislike a movie featuring Virginia Mayo and Peter Lorre, I admit to be biased in judging "Congo crossing". Virginia Mayo at her sexiest takes the movie on her beautiful shoulders. She is perfect in the role of the gorgeous adventuress wrapped into a number of stunning dresses (not particularly suited to Africa, to be honest). Maybe a trite character, but so dear to us old-flicks-buffs. Peter Lorre, unwashed, sweat and shabby as ever, hangs about with his unclean uniform, covered by medals in the style of a South-American dictator. Needless to say, he makes a treat of his whole screen-time. The sleazy and physically scary Michael Pate is a great villain. George Nader is a nice handsome guy, unfortunately lacking of charisma. But that's not much important: Virginia has enough charisma for both. The story has some resemblance with "Casablanca". Only, here the refugees are replaced by crooks hidden in an imaginary little African state with no extradition laws. I don't know whether the movie was actually filmed in Africa. In any case, the locations are beautiful, the photography is accurate and the atmosphere is evocative. There are several old-style but well-made action scenes. In "Congo Crossing" there are also some flaws, typical of this kind of movies. A common one for that epoch: the villain is prisoner of the hero, and the hero never sleeps, until exhaustion, for fear to be attacked. Why doesn't he simply tie the bad guy overnight? Besides the intrinsic credit of Virginia's and Lorre's presence, "Congo crossing" is a pleasant, relaxing movie, especially suited to lovers of classic cinema.

Same kind of intrigue as the Michael Curtiz's film, a mix up of exotic adventre and espionage yarn, intrigue, with good action scenes. It is full of charm of the fifties, and I thought about a Paramount film instead of Universal, because the Mountainl logo film company was more specialized in exotoc features, starring for instance John Payne and Rhonda Fleming or Arlene Dahl, directed by the likes of Lewis Foster or Edward Ludwig, than Universal, the science fiction and western oriented studio. Not my favourite from Jo Pevney who was a complete director: westerns, adventure - many with Jeff Chandler - crime; never any horror nor science fiction though. This one deserves to be seen at least once, for your knowledge.

OK, but not great, mid 50's jungle adventure. A bunch of disillusioned, sketchy, or downright villainous characters drift to a fictional African nation that has no extradition laws. In other words an unsafe haven since a lot of these folks are basically human beasts of prey. The only truly worthwhile individual is the doctor, played by the great Rex Ingram. Entertaining, but seems like a second feature. Found a fair quality DVD-R. I wish it would be released on a good quality DVD or Blu-Ray.