kingsol1950

There have been three versions of “King Solomon’s Mines” on film. Thirteen years after the
original 1937 “King Solomon’s Mines,” MGM tried their hand at it again. This time around, the
studio created a prestige picture unlike any other. The late 1940s and early 1950s was still an
early age for color films, with the Technicolor process being extremely expensive, the cameras
unwieldy. However, MGM was the most lavish studio of the day, known for its opulent musicals and
expansive epics. They spared no expense in 1939 on the Technicolor blockbusters, “Gone With
the Wind” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

By 1950, MGM was making a habit of movie magic, and in the postwar years, escapism and
spectacle was the demand of the audience. King Solomon’s Mines provided the perfect vehicle to
wow audiences, and the story was dusted off for another go. This time, MGM filmmakers and
writers took Haggard’s story for a different kind of ride. Instead of merely removing certain
elements to fit as much as possible into the film, the creators of this new version decided that the
book should be used as a reference. The intention was not to replicate the book, but to take the
characters and the essence of the story and place it on a canvas yet unseen by audiences.

The earliest silent movies were often literal travel journals designed to show people places and
locales they themselves could never reach, such as Egypt, Paris and China. As film became more
story-driven and dramatic, many filmmakers moved into the studios to harness the total control of
closed environments. With the breakthrough of Technicolor, there was a creative revival of
showing audiences the faraway and the exotic, with color adding an extra dimension of realism.

“King Solomon’s Mines” was one of many films that showcased expensive, on-location Technicolor
productions to bring exotic locales to the moviegoer. A slew of other color spectacles were to
follow, including “The Quiet Man,” shot almost completely in Ireland, and “Ivanhoe,” shot entirely in
England, both filmed in 1952.

The creators of “King Solomon’s Mines” saw an opportunity to take the audience to the wilds of
Africa like never before in cinema, and they used every tool at their disposal to do it. With units
shooting amazing footage of landscapes, African tribes, and wildlife, including herds of elephants,
racing lions, and a massive stampede, they maximized the use of the natural landscape with their
Technicolor cameras.

The filmmakers took a documentary-like opportunity to utilize actual African tribes in the film. Instead of the fictional Kukuanas guarding the mines, Quatermain
and his companions discover the mines protected by the tall tribesmen of the Watutsi. Two other actual African tribes are also featured in their journey, one
playing a helpful tribe and one depicting a cannibalistic one. This is a filmmaking opportunity that acts more like a National Geographic showcase interwoven
into the adventure, and it works beautifully. The addition of actual tribes, locations, and wildlife put this version on a level that has not been equaled.

At the same time, Quatermain is continually educating his companions on African wildlife and the dangers of the jungles and wilderness. The great white hunter
protects his party from deadly spiders, snakes, lions, rhinos, and a seemingly endless stampede. The film is half an adventure and half an anthropological and
biological showcase of the “Dark Continent.”

MGM snagged two of the biggest movie stars to lead the story. Stewart Granger plays Allan Quatermain as a tough character, but with professional discretion.
Actress Deborah Kerr plays Mrs. Curtis, a woman who seeks to hire Quatermain to help her find her husband, who disappeared into Africa searching for the
legendary diamond mines of King Solomon. Quatermain wants no part of the expedition to find the mines, which he believes is a myth. A large sum of money
changes his mind and the adventure begins.

“King Solomon’s Mines” earned two Oscars and a nomination for Best Picture. It is unique among the many versions for the most impressive on-location
cinematography, uniformly excellent performances, and a story as serious and epic as it is exciting and realistic. Granger completely sells his performance as
the hunter Quatermain and every element around him is wholly believable. Granger would go on to star in MGM’s 1952 Technicolor swashbuckling adventure,
“Scaramouche.”

No matter how you slice it, the 1950 version of “King Solomon’s Mines” is an awesome film and completely unique in the history of adventure cinema. I highly
recommend it.