Drums of Africa

Mariette Hartley deserved better than to be cast in this mistake of a movie which supposedly takes place in 1883. Frankie Avalon is groomed like a 1960s guy, talks like a 1960s guy ("Terrific!") and likewise deserved better. Torin Thatcher does a nice performance however, he was quite the trouper, and is very believable. Lloyd Bochner is right about where he belonged in this type of movie, but the entire leading and supporting cast members all seem to be embarrassed by what they know will be a terrible movie. The cuts to wildlife action are really poor, totally unrealistic and embarrassingly obviously faked. At the end of the opening credits, where the date of production appears in Roman numerals, they even got that wrong MCMXLIII which means 1943 it should have been MCMLXIII for 1963. I half-expected Frankie to all of a sudden appear driving a 1962 Thunderbird through the bush.

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.

With enough location footage shot from King Solomon's Mines to give Drums Of Africa a smidgen of authenticity MGM saved a lot of bucks not sending Frankie Avalon and the rest of the cast to East Africa for some real location shooting. No way was MGM going to spend a lot on what is clearly a B picture film.

Although Frankie Avalon is top billed he's in support of Lloyd Bochner, Mariette Hartley, and Torin Thatcher. Bochner plays an engineer commissioned to find a better route, part of that Cape to Cairo scheme the British had in those days. Avalon is the nephew of the owner and his American speech is explained as Frankie being Canadian. As is missionary Mariette Hartley. Torin Thatcher is the best known white hunter/guide in Africa spelled C-o-u-r-t-m-a-y-n lest we have to pay the estate of H. Rider Haggard.

Thatcher hates the railroad it will spoil his Africa. Hartley likes the idea of having her medical supplies delivered to her door without a big safari to get it and bring it back. She also likes Bochner.

Lloyd Bochner played mostly heels in his career and he's one here. But he's also called on to be a hero and someone like Tyrone Power made that a specialty, but it doesn't wear well on Lloyd Bochner.

Everybody however hates the slave traders and when they capture Hartley and some of her charges we go into action.

All that's left is a Frankie Avalon song, one of his most forgettable. This film is like eating leftovers.

What an amalgam of scenes from King Solomon's Mine, a North American Forest Fire , and terrible African Plain studio sets. The plot is all over the place, acting is weak, throw in Frankie Avalon who is supposed to be living in the later 1800's yet sings and speaks right out of the 1960's and you must ask yourself why did they make this to begin with. Rather than trying to take Avalon out of the beach movie boredon onto mainstream cinema they turned the man into a forever teen. His small body size and his dialogue scream boy.

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.