Customer Reviews

Peter Capstick's Last Safari: The Leopard [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

THE LAST SAFARI tells the story of a disillusioned professional hunter's obession with taking down a massive elephant which trampled to death his friend, a photographer. The hunter, Miles Gilchrist (played by Stewart Granger), considers himself responsible for his friend's death as he failed to shoot the elephant in time. Depressed, Gilchrist decides to organize a foot safari into Kenya in search of the menacing elephant despite the objections of local authorities. At the same time, Gilchrist himself is being doggedly persued by former client Casey Ward (Kaz Garas), a brash, over-the-top playboy determined to be present when Gilchrist finally draws a bead on his quarry.

There's something about this film that captured my attention when I saw it for the first time on cable TV about ten years ago. It just has a "1967" look to it which I like. Despite a somewhat weak script and slow-moving plot, the location photography is stunning, with some great action sequences (especially near the film's finale). THE LAST SAFARI also boasts a fine musical score. Performed by John Dankworth, the title theme is reminiscent of the recordings of Bert Kaempfert. I never tire of listening to it!

One of this film's other assets is Kaz Garas' performance. He provides an entertaining gadfly in the form of Casey, whom Gilchrist sees as the embodiment of all that is wrong with the over-commercialization of the contemporary African safari industry (in 1967, no less). Gabriela Licudi makes a fine foil for Casey in the form of Grant, a girlfriend who grudgingly accompanies Casey as he continually chases after Gilchrist.

If you enjoy movies set in Africa, especially ones produced in the 1960s, I highly recommend THE LAST SAFARI. All in all, I think it offers a highly entertaining blend of action, scenery, music and performances. It is a highly underrated movie which ought to be released on DVD - in letterbox format (hopefully, someone at Paramount is reading this...). BTW, if you find this movie enjoyable, you might also want to check out 1964's RHINO!, which featured a young Robert Culp.

Miles Gilchrist (Stewart Granger) is a white hunter belonging to African Professional Hunters Association. He gets Casey (Kaz Garas) and Grant(Gabriella Licudi) as Safari Hunters who nearly get runover by a black rhino. Miles quits, but Casey wants him to be taken for foot safari and won't give up, and follows Miles around the Kenyan Countryside and Nairobi. Then Jama, a somali joins the group. Miles is haunted by the death of his friend while trying to photograph an elephant. 2 elephants charge and his friend dies. Miles wants to go back and take revenge against that bull elephant.
Then Miles rescues a white family from the Maasai and goes alone to hunt for this bull elephant into the northern frontier district(filmed actually near Magadi Soda and Tsavo East National Park, KENYA). Will Miles get his bull elephant? Will Casey stay back? What will happen to the wildlife of Kenya? The movie was made in 1967 and the VHS runs for 112 mts. Thankfully the VHS plays on my English VCR. Watch and enjoy the beautiful Kenyan countryside and listen to the good background music by John Darkworth. The director Henry Hathaway keeps the story moving well. The scenes of charging black rhinos and elephants are excellent.
The movie is based on the novel by Gerald Hanley "Gilligan's Last Elephant" (1962). Other VHS/DVD with similar African theme are:-
(1) King Solomon's Mines, Andrew Morton, 1950 DVD
(2) Hatari, Howard Hawks, 1962 DVD
(3) The Lion of Africa, Kevin Connar, 1988 VHS
(4) Mogambo, John Ford, 1957 DVD
(5) Killers of Kilimanjaro, Richard Thorpe, 1959 VHS
(6) Where no Vultures Fly, Harry Watt, 1951 DVD
(7) Simba, Dirk Bogarde, 1955 DVD
(8) The Ghost and The Darkness, Michael Douglas, 2001 DVD
(9) The White Maasai, Hermine Huntgeburth, 2005 DVD
(10)Out of Africa, Sydney Pollack, 1985 DVD
Having born in Kenya, I enjoyed watching this VHS.
Watch and ENJOY.

This 1967 movie is starring Stewart Granger as Miles Gilchrist and Kaz Garas as Casey Ward in what must be their best roles. It is about two extremely competitive, proud, self center, determine, hard men. Their rivalry goes so far that they are willing to walk them selves to death then to be beaten by the other. They complete in everything they do. Casey who is the devil advocate, play's a young rich American who is very good at everything and pushes Gilchrist over the edge. Gilchrist who is a old, beaten and suicidal professional hunter refuses to be bested by a man he hates. They hate each other because they are so much alike. Gilchrist no longer has the guts or desire to go after the elephant he hates, but Casey keeps pushing him. First by booking the elephant hunt and then by following him making sure he finally completes this dance he started with death years earlier.
So Gilchrist sells all his processions, then Casey beats him by giving away all his belongings and then going native. Something a proud white African like Gilchrist could not do. Gilchrist defends the wild game aganist poachers. Next Casey beats him again by defending the honor of his paided high yellow (mix race) companion Gabriela Licudi. Again something the proud Gilchrist can not do. Later Casey pays her off and releases her as they lose themselves in the wildnerness. First in the plains of Kenya then to the desolate of Somanli where she is from. Granger can not beat the younger Casey just as they are both beaten by the younger Somali Jama. Who himself is beaten by the Elephant. Who time is running out for.

This is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. Since I purchased the movie, I felt that I had to watch it but it was painful to do so. I fast forwarded much of it because it was so bad and unbelievable. Stewart Granger deserved a better fate than to be seen in such a movie. Thank goodness that it was not any longer.

I first experienced "The Last Safari" a number of years ago. I went through a phase where I gobbled up every movie set in Africa. "The Last Safari" proved to be a feature film of such mammoth ineptitude and unintentional hilarity that it has stayed with me ever since and, when I saw it for sale here at Amazon.com, I found myself purchasing a copy of it with surprisingly little trepidation. Upon viewing it again, I must say that it remains a very special picture. It simultaneously presents to the film-goer (1) the sad, sad presence of Stewart Granger, a great adventure star of 40s and 50s movies, obviously in agony as he goes through the motions in every scene; (2) Kaz Garas, an actor who fits snugly into his blindingly annoying character, Casey, with frightening ease; (3) Gabriella Ligudi, who, as Grant, makes Casey look like a wondeful bed-mate under a mosquito net; (4) a groovily hip, yet dated-by-1966 depiction of Africa and its native inhabitants; (5) scenes of excruciating length and purposelessness that make a bout of malaria look enticing; (6) a jaunty musical score from 60s movie hell; (7) scenes of random, shocking violence that are intended as light comedy; (8) Kaz Garas dancing with Africans; (9) did I mention Kaz Garas; and (10), a tear-inducing moral to the story - tears of joy due to the fact that the film is finally over and that Stewart Granger may have a chance to still eke out an iota of redemption in his twilight years. The film utterly and completely destroyed my platonic conception of the classic African safari, replacing it with a new, horrific image of "King Solomon's Mines" stock footage, African tribal chiefs in Nehru suits, and joyful elephant slaughter. In other words, I urge you to experience "The Last Safari"!