West of Zanzibar ** (1954, Anthony Steel, Sheila Sim, William Simons) – Classic Movie Review 9799

Director Harry Watt’s adequate but surprisingly humble and mundane 1954 Ealing Studios jungle adventure sequel West of Zanzibar is the follow-up to 1951’s more fetching Where No Vultures Fly.

This time, Anthony Steel and Sheila Sim star as Bob and Mary Payton, a National Park warden and his wife (Sim inherits Dinah Sheridan’s former part), in Africa who come up against ivory smugglers. It is again based on a story by Harry Watt.

The characters and action are strictly one-dimensional this time, though the animals are attractive and it is again eye-catching in Paul Beeson’s Technicolor cinematography (Beeson is promoted to main director of photography this time, having just done the wildlife photography before).

William Simons and Orlando Martins also return as as Tim Payton and M’Kwongwi.

Also in the cast are Martin Benson, Edric Connor, Peter Illing, Juma, Howard Marion-Crawford, Alan Webb and R Stuart Lindsell.

West of Zanzibar is directed by Harry Watt, runs 94 minutes, is made by Ealing Studios, is written by Max Catto and Jack Whittingham, based on a story by Harry Watt, is shot in Technicolor by Paul Beeson, is produced by Michael Balcon and Leslie Norman and is scored by Alan Rawsthorne, with Art Direction by Jim Morahan.

Sheila Sim took over from Dinah Sheridan, who had married Rank studio boss John Davis and retired. Sheila Sim also soon retired to enjoy her life as Lady Attenborough. She made only one other film, The Night My Number Came Up (1955), apart from an uncredited cameo in I’m All Right Jack (1959)

William Simons (1940-2019) played curmudgeonly PC Alf Ventress in all 18 seasons of TV’s Heartbeat (1992-2009) – 355 episodes. Child actor Simons was halted when he developed a severe skin disease in his teens.

It was shot in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and at Ealing Studios, London.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9799

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