If you’re someone who loves watching vintage movies with a classy star cast and an interesting storyline, then you are in for a treat! Because, in this article I’ll update you about the film The African Queen and also tell you where was The African Queen filmed. So, let’s get started!
Based on C.S. Forester’s 1935 novel of the same name, the thrilling-drama film projects an adventurous journey of a couple on the rivers of Africa, during World War I. What started as an adventure on the river side, soon turned tumultuous as the pair met with a great number of obstacles on their way and were captured by the German troops.
Director John Huston casted Katharine Hepburn for playing Rose Sayer, and Humphrey Bogart acting as Charlie Allnut. Bogart won the only Academy award of his career playing this role, which speaks for the sheer performance delivered on screen.
Alright, now that you have a loose idea about the movie, let’s discuss what are we here for, where was The African Queen filmed in detail along with the story of the movie.
Table of Contents
The Plot Of The African Queen | What’s It About
The American adventure film, set in German East Africa tries to capture the horrid events that took place during World War I. Charlie is shown to be an alcoholic, who happens to be the captain of a riverboat – The African Queen.
The protagonist comes across Rose, a British missionary stranded in the middle of nowhere, after she is made to leave the village forcefully. As a result of which she is left bereaved of Rev. Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley) a fellow clergyman, who loses his life trying to save Rose from the troops.
Charlie helps Rose to perform the final rites for her brother and asks her to come aboard on his boat. But soon enough the alcoholism and crude demeanor of the protagonist takes over, which completely abominates Rose. However, they persevere together through the rapids, and shortage of food along the way. Which in turn gives them time to understand each other better.
The African Queen, at last, reaches the mouth of the river to take down Louisa (German Warship), but the mission fails as the duo along with their boat get captured by the enemy. The couple deftly escape the warship, which is vividly portrayed in the action sequence.
This love story set in the times of war does reel you in, once you get started with the film. However, the filming locations are even more intriguing, as they are not confined to just one place. So without any longer, let’s find out about the different locations used for filming.
Where Was The African Queen Filmed? Various Locations Used In The Movie
Director John Huston and his production team decided to shoot at several different locations such as the UK, Belgian Congo, and Uganda. Initially the production did face difficulties in arranging the logistics but they found their way around it, and yes, the team worked efficiently. Allow me to introduce you to the aforementioned filming locations of the movie, with reference to the scenes they were used in.
United Kingdom
Even though The African Queen film is set in German East Africa. The production team decided to recreate the African fauna within the bounds of a studio located in southwest London. The scenes involving the portrayal of the African jungle were actually filmed at Worton Studios in Islesworth. The outer part of The First Methodist Church in the village of Kungdu was also recreated here, which did not prove to be difficult to manage.
The production team and the director of photography were successful in bringing the real feel to the audience about the location. The team aced in refurbishing the elements that almost made the audience believe the scenes were shot in Africa.
But now that you know that they were shot in the UK, it makes you want to appreciate the craftsmanship of the technicians and the photographers even more, considering the level of technology available at their disposal.
Belgian Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo, was referred to as the Belgian Congo back in the time. Few scenes involving Rose’s clergyman-brother Rev. Samuel Sayer’s burial were filmed here. It was the bank of the river Ruiki, which was named as Ulanga in the movie.
The scene where the couple encounters the German warship Louisa, was decided by the production team to film at Uganda and thus it was shot at Lake Albert at Murchison Falls, which holds the same name to this day! Changing the locations did seem a bit tiring for the production team at first, but what came out on the screen was not tiring at all. The progression of the story was gradual along with the characters developing with it side by side.
Other Locations
It is rumored that some of the scenes were also shot in Florida, USA but there are no facts present to back the claims. Most of the locations shot in African countries are quite accessible. Lake Albert and Murchison Falls still host many tourists from different parts of the world, as the scenes up there are absolutely breath-taking.
Final Words
Okay, so now that you’ve gone through the plot of the film and know where wasThe African Queen filmed, I hope you’d give this movie a shot if you haven’t watched it already. You can also read about out more about other Award winning films and find out where to watch them for free. To read more informative articles about filming location of other films and shows do visit Viebly. Until then, peace out!
