History Film / TheAfricanQueen

''The African Queen'' is a 1951 romance/adventure film directed by Creator/JohnHuston, based on the 1935 novel by C.S. Forester, and starring Creator/KatharineHepburn and Creator/HumphreyBogart.

The TroubledProduction film made such an impression on Hepburn she later wrote a book about it, entitled ''The Making of'' The African Queen: ''or How I Went To Africa With Bogie, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind''. Screenwriter Peter Viertel also wrote a novel about the shoot that was later adapted by Creator/ClintEastwood as ''White Hunter Black Heart'' starring Eastwood as John Wilson (a Huston {{Expy}}). This film is notable for how damn long it took to come out on DVD despite widespread interest: it only came out in 2010, at least in the US. (An earlier British DVD was taken from a faded print. Later DVD and Blu-Ray releases are fully remastered.)

[[quoteright:245:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/TheAfricanQueen_2656.jpg]]

!!Tropes Associated With This Film Include:

''Film/RoosterCogburn'', the sequel to 1969's ''Film/TrueGrit'' starring John Wayne, co-starred Hepburn and was reputedly heavily inspired by this film (when it wasn't [[RecycledPremise rehashing the first film]].) It was even marketed as ''Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady)'' to show Hepburn in a manner reminiscent of this film

''Film/RoosterCogburn'', the sequel to 1969's ''Film/TrueGrit'' starring John Wayne, co-starred Hepburn and was reputedly heavily inspired by this film (when it wasn't [[RecycledPremise rehashing the first film]].) It was even marketed as "Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady)" to show Hepburn in a manner reminiscent of this film

''Film/RoosterCogburn'', the sequel to 1969's ''Film/TrueGrit'' starring John Wayne, co-starred Hepburn and was reputedly heavily inspired by this film (when it wasn't [[RecycledPremis rehashing the first film]].) It was even marketed as "Rooster Cogburn (...and the Lady)" to show Hepburn in a manner reminiscent of this film

It was later recycled as a Western under the title Film/RoosterClyburnAndTheLady with John Wayne as Charlie's expy.

It was later recycled as a Western under the title f [[/Rooster Clyburn & the Lady]] with John Wayne as Charlie's expy.

* AdaptationalVillainy: [[spoiler: The Captain of the "Louisa" condemning Charlie and Rose to hang. In the novel he rejects that notion as uncivilized and hands them over to the British under a flag of truce.]]

* OldMaid: Rose appears to be in her forties and is unmarried.

* DryCrusader: Rose is visibly upset when Charlie starts drinking gin, though she politely keeps her opinions to herself. Only after he gets drunk and rants at her does she dump all of his gin overboard while he's sleeping it off.

--> '''Charlie:''' I don't blame you for being scared, Miss, not one little bit. Ain't no person in their right mind ain't scared of white water.
--> '''Rose:''' I never dreamed that any mere physical experience could be so stimulating!
--> '''Charlie:''' How's that, Miss?
--> '''Rose:''' I've only known such excitement a few times before - a few times in my dear brother's sermons when the spirit was really upon him...I must say I'm filled with admiration for your skill, Mr. Allnut. Do you suppose I'll try practice steering a bit that someday I might try? I can hardly wait... Now that I've had a taste of it.

* SpiritedYoungLady: As with many Katharine Hepburn characters, Rose is very spirited and determined, though middle-aged.

* MoodWhiplash: Charlie clowns around making animal noises that send Rosie into fits of laughter. Then they both notice the huge waterfall ahead...
* NonNudeBathing: Rose and Charlie go bathing on opposite sides of the boat, for the sake of decency. Then Rose can't climb back in on her own; there are several {{Fanservice}}-y shots of her stretching her legs out to try, with no visible clothing. Finally she asks for Charlie's help, but insists that he avert his eyes... and when he pulls her up onto the boat, it turns out she was wearing a short shift the entire time, and just has the nudity taboos appropriate to the post-Edwardian missionary that she is.

* PetTheDog: After her initial shock at Charlie invading her sleeping space, she invites him back in out of the rain and sets an umbrella over his head when she sees that he's still too close to the edge.

* SpiritedYoungLady: As with many Katharine Hepburn characters, Rose is very spirited and determined.

** [[DefrostingIceQueen Rose learns to let go of her social inhibitions and get down and dirty for the sake of their goal.]]

* DefrostingIceQueen: In the beginning, Rose is a prudish, haughty spinster. Through the adventures she lives with Charlie, she falls deeply in love with him and her temper softens.

* DeusExMachina: When the ''African Queen'' is stuck and lost in a marsh, Rose prays for help. When she and Charlie go to sleep that night, a sudden rain-storm washes them into the lake where they were headed to.

* DryCrusader: Rose really doesn't like people drinking alcohol and demonstrates it by dumping out Charlie's gin.

* NonNudeBathing: Rose and Charlie go bathing on opposite sides of the boat, for the sake of decency. Then Rose can't climb back in on her own; there are several {{Fanservice}}-y shots of her stretching her legs out to try, with no visible clothing. Finally she asks for Charlie's help, but insists that he avert his eyes... and when he pulls her up onto the boat, it turns out she was wearing a short shift the entire time, and just has the nudity taboos appropriate to the post-Victorian missionary that she is.

** As noted above, Humphrey Bogart couldn't do the cockney accent that Charlie was written with. So he becomes a Canadian instead.

* SmallNameBigEgo: Rose's brother really looks down on Charlie and pointedly ignores him when they have tea together, despite her brother having to be a missionary because he failed his exams to be a higher level priest.

** Rose learns to let go of her social inhibitions and get down and dirty for the sake of their goal.

* DeusExMachina: When the ''African Queen'' is stuck and lost in a marsh, Rose prays for help. When she and Charlie go to sleep that night, a sudden rain-storm washes them into the lake where they were headed to.

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Subverted for the most part. Rose and Charlie certainly look like two people who have lived in Africa for a while - Charlie especially is very sun-tanned while Rose's complexion is explained by the hats she wears. Her clothes at least look as though she's had them for a while and they do rip after a while. Charlie seems to hang a lampshade on them not looking worse - by Rose being a Determinator who works hard to make an effort.

* TheDeterminator: Rose really will stop at nothing to make sure they get to their goal.

* OppositesAttract: Charlie is a slobby Canadian engineer, while Rose is a prim and proper missionary. They hit it off almost immediately.