Trader Horn *** (1931, Harry Carey Sr, Edwina Booth, Duncan Renaldo) – Classic Movie Review 9187

Director W S Van Dyke II’s 1931 adventure movie Trader Horn stars Harry Carey Sr as explorer Aloysius ‘Trader’ Horn, who meets danger and understandably hostile locals in the jungle of darkest Africa of the 1870s, in this once renowned adventure movie, which is now more interesting for its history than its hesitant entertainment value. It was Oscar nominated for Best Picture.

Though some of the footage is still impressive, it is often more laughable than exciting. MGM pioneered the sound location expedition, sending director Van Dyke off to the African jungle for seven months in 1929. When he brought back an unmanageable amount of film, it was boosted by a new shoot in Mexico in 1930 and studio filming to score a big hit.

‘Trader’ Horn meets a missionary and goes in search of her daughter Nina, abducted while young by natives who now regard her as a goddess.

Co-star Edwina Booth, playing Nina Trent the White Goddess, got jungle fever and won damages from the studio when she failed to make a complete recovery.

It was remade by MGM in 1973, with Rod Taylor, Anne Heywood and Jean Sorel.

The screenplay by Richard Schayer (screenplay), Dale Van Every (adaptation), John Thomas Neville (adaptation) and Cyril Hume (dialogue) is based on the book by Ethelreda Lewis and Alfred Aloysius Horn (uncredited).

Also in the cast are Duncan Renaldo, Mutia Omoolu, C Aubrey Smith, Olive Carey, and Riano Tindama.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9187

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