Drums of Africa

Although "Drums of Africa" was bankrolled by a major Hollywood studio (Metro Goldwyn Mayer), it seems that the studio executives decided for this particular production to cut costs where possible. This can be seen with the "outdoor" scenes obviously filmed on indoor stages, outdoor locations that look suspiciously like southern California, but most of all with the use of stock footage - a TON of stock footage. In fact, I suspect that the screenwriter was shown this stock footage before starting on his typewriter and was told, "Write a story that uses all of this stock footage." It would explain why there is barely a plot on display. Most of the movie consists of the characters wandering around the jungle and African plains with little to nothing of consequence happening. In the end, this is far from Frankie's finest hour... that is, if he ever had a fine hour.

David Moore (Lloyd Bochner) is taking his employer's son Brian Ferrers (Frankie Avalon) to go to the railway construction site in Africa. It's Brian's first time outside of Canada. They have booked Jack Cuortemayn and his man-servant Kasongo as their guides but Jack rejects them for the destruction from the railway. Ruth Knight (Mariette Hartley) is a missionary born to the country.

This is the darkest uncivilized Africa adventure. They are dodging slave hunters. The film uses old footage from King Solomon's Mines (1950). It's a lot of wild animals in the recycled footage. This feels old and cheap even considering the 60's and its B-movie aspirations. It does have Avalon and Hartley. I'm more interested in Hartley. Avalon is playing the clueless brat. The animal footage is interesting. At least, it's more interesting than the story.

This film may have been a first feature shown before a main feature back in 1963. Warner Archive has just released this on DVD. I know the scenes of charging animals were intercut from "King Solomons Mines" (1950), however it is not as bad as one might think. Llyod Bochner does a good job as the engineer bent on getting his railroad built through the African Jungle. Frankie Avalon is there for comic relief and to sing a song. Yes the action is silly, and the dialog is sometimes laughable, but it is still a fun 91 minute time passer. Mariette Hartley is the love interest.

*** not so bad.

Lloyd Bochner's character lectures Frankie Avalon about women. He says there are ten thousand million women in the world. This is 1897. 10,000 million is 10 billion. Wow. They weren't even trying.

Singer Frankie Avalon, Mariette Hartley, and Lloyd Bochner star in this adventure trip in Africa. First down a river, then on land, where they meet Courtemayne, the guide (Torin Thatcher). He doesn't approve of the train that the foreigners want to bring in. The story is actually pretty good, with lots of stock animal footage thrown in. An early film role for both Avalon and Hartley. (Avalon made this one AND Beach Party in the same year! and then THREE MORE beach movies the year after. ) the usual challenges of safari in africa... fire, poachers, kidnapping, animal attacks. more stock footage. Still, it's not so bad. Bochner overacts most of the time. Certainly not the romance and suspense that Clark Gable brought. and a silly scene where the natives try to teach Avalon to sing a song. Director James Clark seems to have made many films about epic journeys to far-away places over his career. Pretty entertaining, even if it looks like most of the scenes were filmed on the football field of hollywood high!