Customer Reviews

Trader Horn [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

An experienced African trader overcomes tribal hostility. Deep in the heart of Africa, famous hunter, explorer, Aloysius Horn - known as Trader Horn due to his bartering skills, tells Peru, the son of his best friend, that he was the first white man to set eyes on the river of which they are sailing...An amazing foray into adventurous early talkie cinema, this film shouldn't bore fans of cultish films from the thirties. Filmed on location in Africa, based on the sensational 1927 best-selling novel by Alfred Aloysius Horn and Elthreda Lewis & photographed by the excellent Clyde de Vinna, this film is vintage fun! During the filming, director Van Dyke and some crew members contracted malaria and were treated with quinine. A native crew member was eaten alive by an alligator during the filming: tsetse flies, sunstrokes, flash floods & ant attacks all were endured by the crew members. Nominated for the best picture of the 1931-32 season. Van Dyke was awarded the Red Cross Medal by the Japanese Government for his expertly detailed direction. Thelma Todd was tested to play the role of Nina, Irving Thalberg once even considered Jeanette MacDonald for the part! Remade in 1972 (poorly) with Rod Taylor and Anne Heywood, there was a cute Disney short from 1932 entitled TRADER MICKEY. M-G-M did another short called TRADER HOUND in 1931.

Trader Horn is an adventure film like none that could be made today. The wilderness of Africa is no longer as wild as it was in the 1930s; too much has been civilized. The film concerns a man named Aloysius Horn (Harry Carey)and his handsome protégé Peru (Duncan Renaldo). The two travel in an expedition to trade with the natives for ivory, but when a Juju curse is put into effect, they have to abandon their intent and just try to survive. In the process, they meet up with a white woman, a missionary whose husband was killed by a tribe and whose daughter was stolen. Horn makes a promise to help her, and even when she dies, he continues on his quest to finding the daughter, by now a white savage.

What separates this film from other jungle movies like the Tarzan films is the extent of real footage from Africa that is used. This film could be used almost as a tour guide for Africa; it details information about many animals with real footage of them in the wild. Also, unlike the Tarzan films, this one shows real respect for the natives and for their lives.

This film brings out the child in its audience. Although the story isn't incredibly strong, it is hard not to get wrapped up in the fun of it all.

A triumph for its time, holds up well, especially visually. Natives and wildlife natural and fascinating. Obvious actual locations add to overall appeal.

...and you can see why this film caught the attention of the Academy at the time. For the same reasons that viewing live musical performances from 1970's TV don't excite in the age of the Ipod, anyone who views this from the perspective of someone who has 24/7 access to Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel won't get what the big deal is of seeing Africa's wildlife on film. From today's standards, the wildlife isn't even that clearly photographed. In 1931, though, most people had never seen such sights.

When I first saw the year this film was made and that it was a startling 123 minutes long for a film made in the early 30's, I somewhat suspected I was going to be subject to some preposterous maudlin melodrama in the MGM tradition that went on forever, but it is packed with action and has a very good story. The story involves seasoned African adventurer Aloysius "Trader" Horn (Harry Carey) taking Peru (Duncan Renaldo), 23 year-old son of an old friend, on his first big adventure into Africa. Along the way they run into a missionary, also a friend of Horn. She has been preaching among the natives and seeking the daughter that was stolen from her by the natives for twenty years. Soon thereafter, Horn and Peru are captured by a group of natives led by a young white woman - presumed to be the daughter of the missionary woman. Horn, Peru, and their native gun bearer are slated for a horrible execution by the natives unless the young white girl intercedes on their behalf. If she does will the other natives even listen? And if they do listen, how will our protagonists get back to the closest trading post without their guns, which have been confiscated by their captors? Some of the language tossed around, such as Trader Horn calling the African villagers "monkeys" will likely cause you to cringe, but - again - you must remember this dialog is a product of its time. The film did show a surprising and touching camaraderie between Horn and his native gun bearer, Rencharo.

Also note the precode element in this film. Native women are plainly shot unclothed from the waist up, which is probably very much based in reality. If this film had been made five years later that would not have happened. Of course, even in the precode era, this might be OK for the native "savages" but not for the grown white girl raised by them. She has a kind of make-shift fur top on that still shows a great deal, but not everything.

The film elements on this one are somewhat shaggy, the contrast is poor, and it cries out for restoration. In spite of all of this, I still recommend it to fans of this era of film-making as a unique cinematic experience.

I had been checking out a number of Oscar winners and nominees from the late 20's and early 30's; films I'd never seen before. There were some impressive film and some that didn't score well in the test of time. I watched "Trader Horn" last night and I have to admit that I was very impressed. There is a lot that is dated about the movie (in more ways than one). The opening credits let me know that there was going to be a lot of film from remote African locations. As I was absorbing more of the credits I was somewhat aghast for the credits of several "White Hunters". This film reminded me a lot of other films of the era that had phrases such as "Mighty White of you" and things of that sort. I was also reminded of the movie "Tabu" which led me to understand that female nudity was tolerated back then if it was "natural" (and non-white). In this day and age of political correctness it seems necessary for such disclaimers. However, "Trader Horn" give viewers a lot of things to enjoy despite the occassional red faces.

There is a lot of action of many varieties in "Trader Horn"; man vs. man, man vs. nature, nature vs. nature. There are a number of relationships that are fairly well developed. There is also a rather educational series of wild life scenes in which trader Horn describes some of the lesser known forms of African mammals. There are some other live action scenes that may appeal more to the hunters out there. One scene of a wounded and dying rhinocerus was way beyond the standard wildlife shots we usually see. There were a number of scenes of African tribes. I'm not sure of the background of these of these scenes but I was fairly satisfied that these actual tribal groups. The chanting and the drums were nearly hypnotic at times. It just seemed that there was so much more to "Trader Horn" than what we would normally see in a movie of this era.

Not many films of the "Great White Hunter" genre in Africa are as powerful as TRADER HORN. Made in 1931, director W. S. Van Dyke shows a view of Africa that has little to do with the megafauna popularized by Johnny Weismuller just a few years later. The actors had a miserable time filming nearly every scene. The weather was unbearably muggy, the mosquitoes ubiquitous, and the daily threat of disease and death from predatory animals was never far from the set. Harry Carey was a superlative choice for the lead as Trader Horn, a grizzled Great White Hunter type who agrees to lead an expedition to the Heart of Africa, which goes predictably disastrous when natives attack, killing many of his bearers. Duncan Renaldo, who would later achieve fame as television's Cisco Kid, is Peru, an inexperienced junior hunter who falls for the female lead played by Edwina Booth, who is the daughter of the woman Horn is sent to find. Horn and Peru find her and it is no surprise that, having grown up as a Great White Goddess, she shows no small reluctance to leave with them for the comforts of a far distant white culture.

TRADER HORN is a murky celebration of an Africa that is only hinted at in future jungle films. There is no bare-chested hero yodeling at frightened natives, though Miss Booth does precisely that on more than one occasion. Harry Carey's etched in stone face tells us all we need to know that an expedition to the jungles of darkest Africa is as dangerous as it looks. There are literally no moments of respite for the wayfarers until the very end. Hungry predator animals abound. Natives of various ethnic stripes are further menaces. It is too easy for PC audiences to grimace each time Trader Horn gives off a racially tinged comment, but such comments tell more about the milieu of Horn's society than it does about himself, especially after his reaction to his prized gun bearer who takes a spear meant for him. Horn is visibly moved by the sacrifice. Director Van Dyke unwisely tried to inject a plot complicating factor of jealousy between Horn and Peru over the revealingly clad form of Miss Booth, but Horn quickly enough accepts that the love of a young woman is reserved for a young man. TRADER HORN emerges as a sobering journey into the dark spot of a continent even as it does so for an equally sobering expedition into the collective psyche of an audience that looked for thrills of a jungle nature but settled for the disquieting realization that brutishness is not limited to geography.

I've seen this movie a number of times and just watched it again on TCM to analyze, as well as I can, one specific scene. Horn and his entourage are fleeing from angry natives and are starving. They decide that, despite the fact that Horn and his white comrade are armed only with clubs and his gunbearer armed only with a long spearlike stick, that they must manage to drive lions from a prey animal. Like I said, they are starving.

The scene involves a charging lion. The gunbearer, or his stunt double, throw the long 'stick' which seems to hit the lion squarely between the eyes. The lion runs off, shaking his head with the end of the 'stick' embedded in his head. The lion piles up and dies...but this scene occurs so fast that I'm not sure that the dying animal is still with 'stick.' Immediately afterwards, the gunbearer removes his stick from the lion's head.

My question is....Is this simply excellent editing for 1931 or is it [more-or-less] the real thing. Is the whole thing faked i.e. is a long stick attached to the head of a studio lion and filmed trying to shake it out....or....is the animal actually speared between the eyes by a very brave African? I opt for the first but still can't be sure.

Other than that, the film is dated but entertaining. In some ways it is reminiscent of a Martin and Ossa Johnson animal-Africa film of a few years earlier. The scenes of menacing dancing natives are quite good. Many of the animal scenes are certainly faked but it is, afterall, 1931. I'm rather amazed that they were able to produce such a film in a remote African location at this early time. I especially enjoyed the transition of the young white woman from an intractible, savage princess to a soft human being.

Ron Braithwaite, author of novels...'Skull Rack' and 'Hummingbird God'...on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

First viewed Trader Horn on TV when 10 years old (1963). Never had seen anything like it before or since. The scenes and "special effects" of the wild animals is awesome for its day. The story behind the movie provided by the TV moderator concerning the lead actress having her promising career end with this movie added to the mystique and danger portrayed on film. In early 2000, read the book "Trader Horn". It was more realistic and just as exciting an adventure as the 1930s movie. The real Horn survived due to his willingness to learn and become knowledgeable in the ways of the indigenous peoples. He noted every other European who were in his group upon his arrival in Africa had died due to disease or other peril. He had been nursed back to health by the natives using their medicines. Both movie and book are terrific stories. The movie & book provides a glimpse of Africa (1870s) when the wildlife seemed inexhaustable. Truly, a time gone by.

superfast delivery to the Netherlands, very good quality video, second hand but looks like new.

I just saw this movie and loved it. I just got back from New Orleans for Mardi Gras. A lot of the scenes reminded me of Mardi Gras. Some of the hair styles and the use of jewelry is very popular today. It was so interesting to see the woman pursue her lost daugther untiringly as she was "carried" around throughout her journey. I REALLY enjoyed it.