This poster is awesome. It makes the movie look much more dreamy and romantic than it actually is. Based on the 1935 book, this move stars Charlie (Humphrey Bogart) as the captain of the steam-powered hunk of junk The African Queen, which he pilots up and down the river in East Africa from a mine where he works as a machinist to a small village with two English missionaries. On his last trip, he warns the brother-sister duo that mail might be a bit scarce since the Germans moved in, seeing as how World War I was declared. The missionaries are affronted, even more so when said Germans come to their village, press-gang all the natives, and burn all the buildings to the ground. The brother (Robert Morley) is heart-broken and succumbs to fever, leaving sister Rose (Katherine Hepburn) alone. Charlie comes back after the mine has been emptied and offers her a ride to somewhere they can wait out the unpleasantness. Rose, however, has no intention of sitting out this round and comes up with a plan to sink the Louisa, the German boat that is protecting Lake Congo. To get to the lake, they must forge a hitherto uncharted course down the river contending with rapids, storms, leeches, and mosquitoes. It is insanely difficult and dangerous, plus there's an enemy ship with a six-pound gun waiting for them if they even make it.
The scenery is beautiful, actually having been filmed in Africa, and the entire film was restored in 2009 so it's as clear and bright as possible. It's even in color. It netted Humphrey Bogart an Oscar for Best Actor and was nominated for Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. My only criticism is that I would have liked some subtitles on the German speakers.
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