Hatari!
Encyclopedia
Hatari! is a 1962 American
film directed by Howard Hawks
and starring John Wayne
. The title means "danger" in Swahili
, which was mentioned in the film as well. Portraying a group of hunters, the film includes dramatic wildlife chases and the magnificent backdrop scenery of Mount Meru, a dormant volcano.
Hatari! was filmed on location in Tanganyika
, (in what is now northern Tanzania).
The film gathers its several characters from different parts of the world: Sean Mercer (John Wayne
, USA), Pockets (Red Buttons, USA), Anna Maria 'Dallas' D'Allesandro (Elsa Martinelli
, Italy), Kurt Müller (Hardy Krüger
, Germany), Brandy De la Court (Michele Girardon, France), Charles 'Chips' Maurey (Gerard Blain
, France), Luis Francisco Garcia Lopez (Valentin de Vargas
, Mexico).
and selling them to zoos, led by Sean Mercer (John Wayne
).
At the outset, Little Wolf (Bruce Cabot
), aka "The Indian," is injured during a rhinoceros
chase. He is rushed to the hospital at Arusha, where he needs a blood transfusion. None of the team can provide the required rare blood type, but a young Frenchman, Charles "Chips" Maury (Gerard Blain
) can. Chips is hired as a replacement for The Indian as the international group tries to fill all its animal orders for the season.
A wildlife photographer, Anna Maria D'Allesandro (Elsa Martinelli
), arrives to take photos of the animals caught by Mercer's men for a zoo that will be buying the bulk of that season's captures. She is at first mistaken for a man because of the introduction letter she'd signed with only her initials. She soon acquires the nickname "Dallas."
During her stay, Dallas also becomes known as Mama Tembo (Mother of Elephants) for her efforts to save three baby elephants, culminating in a chase through the streets of Arusha
in Tanzania
. She also develops a crush on Mercer. There are romantic subplots between the other characters as well.
, after the group returned from Africa with the hunting scenes.
As the animals frequently refused to make noise 'on cue' (in particular, the baby elephants refused to trumpet inside populated areas), local Arusha game experts and zoo collectors were hired to do 'animal voice impersonations'.
Hawks stated in interviews that he had originally planned to star both Clark Gable
and Wayne in the film until Gable's death finally ruled that out.
Hatari! introduced the memorable Henry Mancini
tune "Baby Elephant Walk
". Other memorable musical moments involve a duet of Stephen Foster
's Old Folks at Home
(Swanee River) with Martinelli's character playing the piano, and Red Buttons' character playing the harmonica. Also, after 'the Indian' is left to recuperate in the hospital, the members of the group get drunk and sing a somewhat tragicomical song that features lyrics like "Oh whisky leave me alone, I'm tired and I want to go home".
According to director Howard Hawks, all the animal captures in the picture were performed by the actual actors; no stuntmen or animal handlers were substituted onscreen. The rhino really did escape, and the actors really did have to recapture it - and Hawks included the sequence for its realism. Much of the action sequence audio had to be re-dubbed due to John Wayne's cursing while wrestling with the animals.
The title of the film is the word "hatari," which means "danger" in Swahili.
There is much fan debate about the scene where Red Buttons' character Pockets steps on the cheetah's (named Sonya) tail. On the one hand, the reactions of the cast are so natural that they seem scripted. On the other, Sonya's reaction is so genuine that it seems completely real. The debate continues.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film directed by Howard Hawks
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...
and starring John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
. The title means "danger" in Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, which was mentioned in the film as well. Portraying a group of hunters, the film includes dramatic wildlife chases and the magnificent backdrop scenery of Mount Meru, a dormant volcano.
Hatari! was filmed on location in Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
, (in what is now northern Tanzania).
The film gathers its several characters from different parts of the world: Sean Mercer (John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, USA), Pockets (Red Buttons, USA), Anna Maria 'Dallas' D'Allesandro (Elsa Martinelli
Elsa Martinelli
Elsa Martinelli is an Italian actress and former fashion model.Born Elisa Tia in Grosseto, Tuscany, she moved to Rome with her family and in 1953 was discovered by Roberto Capucci who introduced her to the world of fashion. She became a model and began playing small roles in films...
, Italy), Kurt Müller (Hardy Krüger
Hardy Krüger
Hardy Krüger is a German actor. He is thought of as one of the greatest German actors of the 1960s. He was born in Wedding, Berlin, German Reich...
, Germany), Brandy De la Court (Michele Girardon, France), Charles 'Chips' Maurey (Gerard Blain
Gérard Blain
Gérard Blain was a French actor and film director. He appeared in 60 films between 1944 and 2000. He also directed nine films between 1971 and 2000.-Selected filmography:* Les Mistons...
, France), Luis Francisco Garcia Lopez (Valentin de Vargas
Valentin de Vargas
Valentin de Vargas is an actor, who is probably best known as Louis Francisco Garcia Lopez in Hatari!....
, Mexico).
Plot
The story involves a group of Western expatriates catching wild animals in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and selling them to zoos, led by Sean Mercer (John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
).
At the outset, Little Wolf (Bruce Cabot
Bruce Cabot
Bruce Cabot was an American film actor, best remembered as Jack Driscoll in King Kong . He is also known for his roles in films such as the sixth version of Last of the Mohicans, Fritz Lang's Fury and the western Dodge City.-Early life:Cabot was born Etienne Pelissier Jacques de Bujac in Carlsbad,...
), aka "The Indian," is injured during a rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
chase. He is rushed to the hospital at Arusha, where he needs a blood transfusion. None of the team can provide the required rare blood type, but a young Frenchman, Charles "Chips" Maury (Gerard Blain
Gérard Blain
Gérard Blain was a French actor and film director. He appeared in 60 films between 1944 and 2000. He also directed nine films between 1971 and 2000.-Selected filmography:* Les Mistons...
) can. Chips is hired as a replacement for The Indian as the international group tries to fill all its animal orders for the season.
A wildlife photographer, Anna Maria D'Allesandro (Elsa Martinelli
Elsa Martinelli
Elsa Martinelli is an Italian actress and former fashion model.Born Elisa Tia in Grosseto, Tuscany, she moved to Rome with her family and in 1953 was discovered by Roberto Capucci who introduced her to the world of fashion. She became a model and began playing small roles in films...
), arrives to take photos of the animals caught by Mercer's men for a zoo that will be buying the bulk of that season's captures. She is at first mistaken for a man because of the introduction letter she'd signed with only her initials. She soon acquires the nickname "Dallas."
During her stay, Dallas also becomes known as Mama Tembo (Mother of Elephants) for her efforts to save three baby elephants, culminating in a chase through the streets of Arusha
Arusha
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania. It is the capital of the Arusha Region, which claims a population of 1,288,088, including 281,608 for the Arusha District . Arusha is surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. She also develops a crush on Mercer. There are romantic subplots between the other characters as well.
Production
Hatari! has a very loose script and, like many other major works of Hawks, is principally structured on the relationships between the characters, though it is 'bookended' by the initial violent (and nearly fatal) encounter with a rhinoceros and the end-of-season determination to make such a capture to fulfill the team's quota. Much of the film revolves around scenes of chasing animals in jeeps and trucks across the African plains. The animals pursued are also all live, wild, and untrained, a procedure banned today over concerns of exhausting and killing the targeted animals. The script was written by Hawks' favorite writer, Leigh BrackettLeigh Brackett
Leigh Douglass Brackett was an American author, particularly of science fiction. She was also a screenwriter, known for her work on famous films such as The Big Sleep , Rio Bravo , The Long Goodbye and The Empire Strikes Back .-Life:Leigh Brackett was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California...
, after the group returned from Africa with the hunting scenes.
As the animals frequently refused to make noise 'on cue' (in particular, the baby elephants refused to trumpet inside populated areas), local Arusha game experts and zoo collectors were hired to do 'animal voice impersonations'.
Hawks stated in interviews that he had originally planned to star both Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
and Wayne in the film until Gable's death finally ruled that out.
Hatari! introduced the memorable Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
tune "Baby Elephant Walk
Baby Elephant Walk
"Baby Elephant Walk" is a piece of music written in 1961 by composer Henry Mancini, for the 1962 release of the movie Hatari! The composer combines brass instruments and woodwind elements to convey the sense of a toddler that is large and plodding, but nonetheless filled with the exuberance of...
". Other memorable musical moments involve a duet of Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
's Old Folks at Home
Old Folks at Home
"Old Folks at Home" is a minstrel song written by Stephen Foster in 1851. It was intended to be performed by the New York blackface troupe Christy's Minstrels. E. P. Christy, the troupe's leader, appears on early printings of the sheet music as the song's creator...
(Swanee River) with Martinelli's character playing the piano, and Red Buttons' character playing the harmonica. Also, after 'the Indian' is left to recuperate in the hospital, the members of the group get drunk and sing a somewhat tragicomical song that features lyrics like "Oh whisky leave me alone, I'm tired and I want to go home".
According to director Howard Hawks, all the animal captures in the picture were performed by the actual actors; no stuntmen or animal handlers were substituted onscreen. The rhino really did escape, and the actors really did have to recapture it - and Hawks included the sequence for its realism. Much of the action sequence audio had to be re-dubbed due to John Wayne's cursing while wrestling with the animals.
The title of the film is the word "hatari," which means "danger" in Swahili.
There is much fan debate about the scene where Red Buttons' character Pockets steps on the cheetah's (named Sonya) tail. On the one hand, the reactions of the cast are so natural that they seem scripted. On the other, Sonya's reaction is so genuine that it seems completely real. The debate continues.
Cast
- John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
as Sean Mercer - Hardy KrügerHardy KrügerHardy Krüger is a German actor. He is thought of as one of the greatest German actors of the 1960s. He was born in Wedding, Berlin, German Reich...
as Kurt Müller - Elsa MartinelliElsa MartinelliElsa Martinelli is an Italian actress and former fashion model.Born Elisa Tia in Grosseto, Tuscany, she moved to Rome with her family and in 1953 was discovered by Roberto Capucci who introduced her to the world of fashion. She became a model and began playing small roles in films...
as Anna Maria 'Dallas' D'Allesandro - Red Buttons as Pockets
- Gérard BlainGérard BlainGérard Blain was a French actor and film director. He appeared in 60 films between 1944 and 2000. He also directed nine films between 1971 and 2000.-Selected filmography:* Les Mistons...
as Charles 'Chips' Maurey - Bruce CabotBruce CabotBruce Cabot was an American film actor, best remembered as Jack Driscoll in King Kong . He is also known for his roles in films such as the sixth version of Last of the Mohicans, Fritz Lang's Fury and the western Dodge City.-Early life:Cabot was born Etienne Pelissier Jacques de Bujac in Carlsbad,...
as Little Wolf aka The Indian - Michèle Girardon as Brandy de la Court
- Valentin de VargasValentin de VargasValentin de Vargas is an actor, who is probably best known as Louis Francisco Garcia Lopez in Hatari!....
as Luis Francisco Garcia Lopez - Eduard FranzEduard FranzEduard Franz , born Eduard Franz Schmidt, was an American actor of theater, film, and television. Franz portrayed King Ahab in the 1953 biblical low-budget film Sins of Jezebel, Jethro in Cecil B...
as Dr. Sanderson - Queenie LeonardQueenie LeonardQueenie Leonard was a British character actress and singer.-Early life and career:She was born as Pearl Walker in London in 1905 and began her career on stage in 1921, and debuted on film in 1931. She had already amassed 20 years of stage and screen experience when, in 1941, she made the first of...
as Nurse (scenes deleted)