Zanzíbar

This is an excellent movie! I just watched it as a blu ray dvd, it looks great! Made in 1964, it is one of those older films, where the viewer needs to have some patience as the story develops. The script is outstanding, it is by Peter Yeldham, who wrote many fine movies. All the cast are very good.

What makes this movie different than many films, is that it is about a 50/50 combination of adventure and mystery. That means there aren't as many big-action type scenes as in a pure adventure film. This is not an imitation James Bond type movie. There's very good character development. Steve Cochran is likeable as the world-weary American pilot who steps up when needed. Vivi Bach and Hildegard Knef are very classy. There's a 1960's feel, in a kind of different way than usual. I suspect some viewers don't "get" this movie, because they expected a cheesy Bond knock off. This is not that, at all. Highly recommended, especially on the new blu ray version.

I would not be surprised if the film Mozambique came about because of Great Britain throwing a little tourist trade and publicity to the Salazar government in Portugal at the time. The British had divested themselves of most of their African colonies at the time, but Portugal was holding on, in the end futilely to both Mozambique and Angola. I think this British film shot in part in Mozambique was to drum up a little tourist business for the place by shooting a nice action adventure film there. And of course an obligatory American lead for that huge market.

By 1964 you could never use studio back lot jungle sets any more. Even for a routine action adventure film realism was required. The best thing that Mozambique has going for it is the location shooting in a new and modernizing Africa. The climax chase scene at Victoria Falls is quite well done and offers the world a view of one of its great natural wonders. I can appreciate living as close as I do to Niagara Falls.

Steve Cochran like so many American players having trouble finding work probably took this film for an African tour and a paycheck. He's an American pilot who for a past accident is having trouble finding work. After a dust up in a bar in Lisbon Cochran gets an offer from the Portugese police to take a job in Mozambique or spend several months in their pokey.

Once in Mozambique Cochran is hired by casino owner Martin Benson as a pilot for some smuggling. After that it's all kind of intrigue until some unsolved homicides and a couple of new ones are cleared up by the Portuges cops.

One thing about this was the white slavery racket involving young and beautiful Vivi Bach who some Arab sheik wants to add to his harem. Cochran risks all to rescue her in a rather improbable sequence from the palace of this Snidely Whiplash Arab. Of course one look at her and you can see why both villain and hero are with hormones in overdrive.

Hildegarde Knef is the widow of Cochran's original employer and Paul Hubschmid plays the cop. Nothing but the great scenery and the final action climax however is worth looking at in Mozambique.

Of course there's Ms. Bach as well.

MOZAMBIQUE This movie plays like a Euro-Spy but it is actually a South African German movie. I first heard about it in the Dec. 1964 issue of CONTINENTAL FILM REVIEW magazine where they gave the title as BLONDE FREIGHT FOR ZANZIBAR. Good news...It is being released on Blu-Ray DVD. Enjoy it.

A merry yarn and predictably cheesy in all the right places. The fight scenes are particularly wanting and the dialogue is more than inadequate in places, but one is compelled to hang in there to let the plot unravel. The characters are implausible rather than larger-than-life, especially the Arab contingent, but this was 1965 and the swinging sixties seems an acceptable excuse. As usual, for movies of this period and genre, the hero is sadly old enough to be the father of the damsel in distress, leaving one to wonder: where were all the young, virile men before 1970? Perhaps it's also somewhat surprising that, being a British-made film, there is a distinct lack of black actors and extras, especially as this actually was filmed in Mozambique! Overall, it's not the worst way to kill an hour and a half, unless you have something better to do such as walk the dog.

British adventure film with Steve Cochran and Hildegard Knef

In the wake of the successful wave of adventure films, the British dirty film producer Harry Alan Towers (1920-2009) could not resist the temptation of what was supposed to be an easy box office success. Based on an uninspired script, he brought together a number of stars in front of an impressive natural backdrop, but unfortunately they didn't really know what they were supposed to be playing.

No matter, as always it's about murder, drugs, kidnapping and forced prostitution. A tough pilot (Steve Cochran) is hired for obscure air transport. A mysterious widow (Hildegard Knef) continues her late husband's illegal business with an administrator (Martin Benson). A beautiful singer (Vivi Bach) has to realize that sexual services are also part of her job profile. And a smart inspector (Paul Hubschmid) from Lisbon is already there to put the culprits behind bars.

In between there are vocal performances by La Neff Das geht beim ersten Mal vorbei / (It'll pass the first time) and the funny Vivi (Hey You). Maria Rohm (married to producer Harry Alan Towers since 1964) and Dietmar Schönherr (husband of Vivi Bach) can be seen in other roles. Everything stays in the family!

The shots from Mozambique are really nice to look at. However, the showdown takes place at Victoria Falls, which is located in Zambia. Well, it's also Africa! :-(

Hildegarde Neff, as she was known internationally, wears dresses by Pierre Balmain (1914-1982), who also dressed Marlene Dietrich (No Highway in the Sky, 1951) and Lilli Palmer (Adorable Julia, 1961). Otherwise, Hilde hardly has anything to do. In the meantime, she completely disappears from the scene until shortly before the end. Well, the main thing is that the fee was paid on time!

This film was to be the last for leading actor Steve Cochran (1917-1965), who so convincingly played a worker in crisis in "Il grido" (1957). In 1965 he died of natural causes on his yacht cruising off Guatemala. What was piquant was that he had three Mexican women on board who couldn't maneuver the ship and were left floating with the film star's body until they were found ten days later. The writer Paul Auster immortalized this incredible episode in his novel "Sunset Park" (2010). There are things!!!