Mister Moses * (1965, Robert Mitchum, Carroll Baker, Ian Bannen, Alexander Knox, Raymond St Jacques) – Classic Movie Review 10,012

‘Joe Moses is his name… stealing Africa is his game!’

Director Ronald Neame’s badly dated 1965 adventure film Mister Moses is feeble if well-meaning Boys Own adventure stuff, with a quasi-Bible theme, reworking the story of Moses into a kind of version of The African Queen, and unfortunate racial overtones, in which white men lead an African tribe to the safety of pastures new when their land is going to be flooded by the construction of a new dam. It is set in a threatened Masai village in Kenya.

Even Robert Mitchum as crook Joe Moses, who is saved by Julie Anderson (Carroll Baker), the daughter of a missionary reverend, the Rev Anderson (Alexander Knox), in the bullrushes (!), can’t work miracles on this one, although the film is well made on a purely technical level, and you can’t fault Oswald Morris’s Technicolor cinematography, John Barry’s score and Syd Cain’s production designs.

Raymond St Jacques has a very poor, unsympathetic role as the villain Ubi, an American-educated African who opposes Joe Moses (Mitchum) and wants to take over from the old Chief (Orlando Martins).

Mister Moses is a misfire verging on an embarrassment.

On the plus side, Susie of Nairobi plays Emily the elephant. Mitchum spent a lot of time with the elephant, but she was most temperamental and almost got fired until they discovered she was a lesbian elephant and they sent for her partner Susie. The elephant is an Asian elephant with small ears and high forehead, not found in Africa and imported for the film.

Also in the cast are Ian Bannen, Reginald Beckwith, Raymond St Jacques, Orlando Martins.

The screenplay by Charles Beaumont and Monja Danischewsky is based on the novel by Max Catto. Catto’s book, his seventh sold to the movies, was published in 1961, when Frank Ross bought the film rights for $310,000, planning to make it for United Artists for $6.5 million.

It is shot on location in Kenya, at Lake Naivasha and the Amboseli National Park.

Mister Moses is directed by Ronald Neame, runs 115 minutes, is made by Belmont Productions, Frank Ross Productions and Talbot Productions, is released by United Artists, is written by Charles Beaumont and Monja Danischewsky, based on the novel by Max Catto, is shot in Technicolor by Oswald Morris, is produced by Frank Ross, is scored by John Barry and is designed by Syd Cain.

Allegedly, Mitchum and Carroll Baker were enjoying each other’s company until his old flame Shirley MacLaine arrived on location for a visit.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,012

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