In Mister Moses, Robert Mitchum shows audiences that he could have easily played the title role in Elmer Gantry. He's already proved he should have been Skye Masterson in Guys and Dolls and Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire; so the next step is to show off his con-man skills. He's a snake oil salesman in Kenya, and after he gets tossed out of one village, he washes ashore by another. This particular village is about to be evacuated by the government because of an impending flood, and their missionary, Alexander Knox, has been trying to teach them the story of Noah's Ark to get them to leave their town. They get their stories a little mixed up, though, and they believe Robert Mitchum, because his name is Moses and he washed up by the river, is a holy prophet there to save them.
In case this sounds stupid to you, keep reading. This movie is adorable! Robert Mitchum shines in a rare comedic role, and even though Carroll Baker isn't the most believable missionary's daughter in the world, it's cute to see her in the middle of a love triangle between Bob and her fiancé, Ian Bannen. The reason this movie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face is because of the elephant. Bob makes friends with a local elephant and he rides atop her in several scenes-how adorable is that? Extremely adorable, so you should check this movie out whenever you need a laugh. It's like Born Free meets The Sundowners meets Elmer Gantry, but with an elephant.
