The Snows of Kilimanjaro (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Snows of Kilimanjaro


image_size =
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director = Henry King
producer =
writer = Casey Robinson
narrator =
starring = Gregory Peck
Ava Gardner
Susan Hayward
music =
cinematography = Leon Shamroy
editing =
distributor =
released = 18 August 1952
runtime = 117 min.
country = U.S.A.
language = English / French / Spanish
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0045162

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a 1952 film based on the short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film version of the short story was directed by Henry King, and starred Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, and Susan Hayward.

Considered by Hemingway to be one of his finest stories, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" was first published in "Esquire" magazine in 1936 and then republished in "The Fifth Column and the First Forty-nine Stories" (1938).

Now in public domain because of missing copyright indication. [http://www.archive.org/details/Kilimanjaro]

Cast

* Gregory Peck - Harry Street
* Ava Gardner - Cynthia Green
* Susan Hayward - Helen
* Hildegard Knef - Countess Elizabeth
* Emmett Smith - Molo
* Leo G. Carroll - Uncle Bill
* Torin Thatcher - Mr. Johnson
* Marcel Dalio - Emile
* Leonard Carey - Dr. Simmons
* Paul Thompson - Witch Doctor.

Plot summary

The story centers on the memories of a writer Harry (Gregory Peck) who is on safari in Africa. He has contracted a [severely infected] wound from a thorn prick, and lies outside his tent awaiting a slow death. The loss of mobility brings self-reflection. He remembers past years and how little he has accomplished in his writing. He realizes that although he has seen and experienced wonderful and astonishing things during his life, he had never made a record of the events. His status as a writer is undermined by his reluctance actually to "write". He also quarrels with the woman with him, blaming her for his living decadently and forgetting his failure to write of what really matters to him: his experiences among poor and "interesting" people, rather than the smart Europeans with whom he has been with latterly.

Diverging from the original story, Harry does not die. Despite the unwanted attentions of a witch doctor, perhaps, or maybe his own will to live and correct his mistakes - whatever the cause, it results in his living to see morning come. He watches vultures gather in a tree as he lies in the evening. He recapitulates his life and talks to his current girl-friend. He tells her about his past experiences; then arguing, then coming to realization about his attitude, and finally reaching a sort of peace, even love, with her.

As 'the sun also rises' on the next day, he sees that the tree has emptied. The hungry birds have sought a meal elsewhere. Harry has survived the night.

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045162/ IMDb]