Simba *** (1955, Dirk Bogarde, Donald Sinden, Virginia McKenna, Earl Cameron, Basil Sydney) – Classic Movie Review 8820

Director Brian Desmond Hurst’s 1955 adventure drama Simba is a surprisingly effective, tough and well-made Rank studios film about a British family of settlers in East Africa besieged by Kenya’s Mau Mau terrorists.

The British studio stalwarts (Dirk Bogarde as young Englishman Allan Howard, Donald Sinden as police chief Inspector Tom Drummond and Virginia McKenna as Mary Crawford) are in fine fettle, thriving on weightier and more complex than usual fare.

The screenplay by John Baines and Robin Estridge (additional dialogue) is based on the novel by Anthony Perry.

Also in the cast are Basil Sydney, Marie Ney, Joseph Tomelty, Earl Cameron, Orlando Martins, Ben Johnson, Huntley Campbell, Slim Harris and John Chandos.

Simba was nominated for three BAFTA Film Awards: Best British Film, Best Film from any Source and Best British Screenplay (John Baines).

Simba is directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, runs 99 minutes, is made by Group Film Productions, is released by General Film Distributors (UK) and Lippert (US), is written by John Baines and Robin Estridge, based on the novel by Anthony Perry, is shot by Geoffrey Unsworth in Eastmancolor, is produced by Peter de Sarigny, is scored by Francis Chagrin and is designed by John Howell.

Earl Cameron was born on August 8, 1917 in Pembroke, Bermuda.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8820

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