This is an Edna Ferber like epic tale of a spoiled, rich Irish girl named Katie O'Neill (played by Susan Hayward) who meets a Dutch-South African gentleman, Paul van Riebeck (played by the very un-Dutch Tyrone Powers...and I can promise you because I have spent my entire life surrounded by Dutch men), when he comes to her father's estate to purchase horses. She, Katie, is reckless and selfish...and she just can't understand why Paul doesn't want to just drop everything to marry her and make her happy. Paul goes back to South Africa to lead a group of commanders (Boer's) to try to create a free-Dutch state in South Africa, which he explains to Katie is really important to him and his people.
When the Irish Potato famine comes, Katie drags her husband...the unsuspecting Shawn Kildare, of all places to South Africa to start anew. They could have gone to America or Canada or the Caribbean or South America...but she drags her husband and new baby to South Africa because she is still after Paul. Katie and her husband join a wagon train to get free land...on the trip she meets Kurt Hout, one of the leaders of the wagon train and a good friend of Paul's.
Why and for what reason I couldn't tell you, Kurt falls in love with Katie and does favors for her and her husband on the drive. When her husband is killed by attacking Zulus...Kurt assumes Katie will be his (even thought he has a young and gorgeous Rita Moreno throwing herself at him at every turn), and then back in walks Paul. Kurt explains that he fought at Katie's wagon, so Paul steps back...which is the honorable thing to do...but Jatie is having none of that because she wants Paul...she has always wanted Paul. This leads to Paul and Kurt fighting with bull whips and severing their friendship for good.
As you can probably already tell I loathe women like Katie! Those who use men and care nothing for anyone but themselves, putting their wants and desires above everyone else's leaving a swath of destruction in their wake. And for the life of me, I do not understand why men go for that sort of woman?!?!?! Katie is what I would call a Scarlet O'Hara personality type and that just destroyed this film for me.
Tyrone was dashing, there were some excellent shots of the South African countryside and the Dutch architecture was interesting...but Katie getting everything she wanted in the end seemed horribly unjust and just made me want to throw up!
I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone. I would love to see more of South Africa and it's history in film.
When the Irish Potato famine comes, Katie drags her husband...the unsuspecting Shawn Kildare, of all places to South Africa to start anew. They could have gone to America or Canada or the Caribbean or South America...but she drags her husband and new baby to South Africa because she is still after Paul. Katie and her husband join a wagon train to get free land...on the trip she meets Kurt Hout, one of the leaders of the wagon train and a good friend of Paul's.
Why and for what reason I couldn't tell you, Kurt falls in love with Katie and does favors for her and her husband on the drive. When her husband is killed by attacking Zulus...Kurt assumes Katie will be his (even thought he has a young and gorgeous Rita Moreno throwing herself at him at every turn), and then back in walks Paul. Kurt explains that he fought at Katie's wagon, so Paul steps back...which is the honorable thing to do...but Jatie is having none of that because she wants Paul...she has always wanted Paul. This leads to Paul and Kurt fighting with bull whips and severing their friendship for good.
As you can probably already tell I loathe women like Katie! Those who use men and care nothing for anyone but themselves, putting their wants and desires above everyone else's leaving a swath of destruction in their wake. And for the life of me, I do not understand why men go for that sort of woman?!?!?! Katie is what I would call a Scarlet O'Hara personality type and that just destroyed this film for me.
Tyrone was dashing, there were some excellent shots of the South African countryside and the Dutch architecture was interesting...but Katie getting everything she wanted in the end seemed horribly unjust and just made me want to throw up!
I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone. I would love to see more of South Africa and it's history in film.