Trader Horn (1931)

In a time long before the internet, television stations such as the Discovery Channel, and before nature films were being shown in many schools and universities the general citizen would not have seen wild animals in there natural habitat. Sure there were zoos and circuses to visit showcasing lions, tigers, elephants, and so on, but but unless you were actively pursuing to see animals most would only see still images in text books or other illustrated educational literature. When Trader Horn was released in 1931 the film crew spent months in the wilds of Africa capturing the real live thing, even capturing shots of actors in frame with the wild beasts of the African jungles and savannas. Audiences would find it thrilling to see such creatures acting as they would normally do in the wild and to edit them together in this adventure film would surely make audiences excited. That is perhaps why the the film would be nominated for the Academy Award for best picture, by bringing something new and exciting to audiences across the world.

In Trader Horn you are litterally taken on a safari with the famed adventurer Alfred Aloysius "Trader" Horn. As your guide Horn (Harry Carey) points out much of the wildlife and native activities seen in undeveloped lands of Africa to the young gamesmen Peru (Duncan Renaldo), the character who we share the view point of the movie from. Along with Peru you see many things for the first time and have them explained to you by Horn. From wild animals to dangerous African tribes Horn and Peru travel across a great distance when they discover a "white goddess" (Edwina Booth), once a baby of a missionary captured by natives and raised as a leader of a tribe. Together the three, Horn, Peru, and white lady now named Nina, would be chased by angry natives until the reach civilization and Peru takes his new love Nina back to his homeland. They would part from Horn, for his home is always the wild adventurous land of Africa.

The picture is based on the real life adventures of the late 19th century ivory hunter in central Africa, "Trader" Horn. His stories would be written down and turned into a relatively well known book and later embelished by MGM to produce and large adventure picture. The film was shot very much like a documentary mixed in with the rather weak fictitious white goddess story. The cast and crew would spend a great deal of time actually filming on location in Africa. With the help of local governments and people director W.S. Van Dyke would capture raw footage of of very real animals and even African tribes carrying out native costumes. After the long shooting schedule was finished in Africa it was discovered that much of the recorded dialogue was useless from all the ambient jungle noise and much of the talking scenes had to be re-shot on the MGM lot in Hollywood. You can still find some on location scenes with the actors still in the film, our actors including traveling on a hippos filled river as character developing dialogue is shared, and even a scene at a waterfall where the dialogue is nearly inaudible. We can only imagine how bad the rest of the dialogue must have been that was thrown out. There would also be legend that the scenes with the lions that hunt and kill prey on screen was shot in Mexico with lions that they intentional starved to make them more hostile. It was shot in Mexico to get around the US animal cruelty laws.

The filming process was actually very dangerous for the entire cast and crew. It is said an African crew member fell into the river and was eaten in the crocodile infested waters. Insects were a big issue for the whole cast and crew. Much of the crew, cast members, and even the director contracted malaria. This was a huge issue with the scantily clad actress Edwina Booth. Wearing next to nothing through most of the production, Booth was forced to bare much naked skin to the African elements and incests. She too would contract malaria. It would be six years for her to fully recover for the disease ultimately ending her acting career, an issue she would sue MGM over. The two parties would settle out of court.

W.S. Van Dyke would be one of MGM's most reliable directors, producing films all the way up to WWII where he would shortly die from heart failure. Booth would completely withdraw from Hollywood after her failure to return to the movies, but would continue to receive fan mail for he small collections of work she had her part in. Duncan Renaldo would act mainly in B-movies until he landed the role of the title character in the television show The Cisco Kid. Harey Carey was aklready known for his silent work in western and with his fitting voice made a smooth transfer to sound pictures continuing with a long career in western until his death. He would be survived by his son also a well known actor, Harry Carey Jr.

The film was a critical success. Although not one of the years top grossing films the picture provided a unique look into region of the world that most everyone would never see. This would land the film a nomination for best picture. Today the picture is still a capsule of a time and place when the world was still big and mysterious. Today we can click around the internet and see the furthest corner of the globe in seconds. This film, though rather campy with its story, does freeze in time what adventuring in the African wilderness was like in a period when it was a stylish luxury to go on safari. Trader Horn is a picture worth looking at for its nature aspect and not for its story. (And neither for its costumes. Sorry Duncan Renaldo, but that hat they put on you was ridiculous to look at.)