Nagana

That's what the African title means.And the viewer might also develop that tropical disease cause the story is anything but absorbing.A group of crooks takes advantage of a rich old lady's naiveté : they pretend they are to sail to Africa to fight ...(well check the title).But in fact,they're only in it for the gold they would get by trading the precious metal for trinkets:the natives are so naive ;besides they speak "pidgin' French" ,which is always unintentionally funny.

With the exception of Gabrielle Dorziat (the wealthy dowager) ,the cast is uniformly bad ,particularly the female star Barbara Laage and her squeeze whose name I've forgotten.

The film was shot in color,which was rare for a French movie of the mid-fifties ;at least ,as it was filmed on location ,the African landscapes are beautiful.