This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

While King Solomon's Mines is a pretty famous movie, and arguably the inspiration for the Indiana Jones franchise, it's not really favorites of mine. Still, someone else might like it, so I'll try to be unbiased. H. Rider Haggard's famous novel has seen several film adaptations, but the 1950 version is the most famous. Sorry, Richard Chamberlain. In it, the adventurous hero Allan Quartermain, played by Stewart Granger, is hired to find a man who's gone missing while searching for the legendary mines in Africa. The man's wife and brother-in-law, played by Deborah Kerr and Richard Carlson, accompany the search party, and all three find an abundance of adventures along the way.If you like adventure movies, and don't mind if they're a touch slower than they were in the 1980s and 1990s, you can rent this one and see the inspiration behind your modern favorites. If you're just looking for a good Deborah Kerr movie, you can try From Here to Eternity or The Grass is Greener instead.

Some good zoological photography of exotic animals not normally housed in local zoos, some of Alan Quatermain's speeches well said by Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr shining in a role which could be better written and some episodes of the H. Rider Haggard novel but not many authentically edited constitute the drawing power for those who consider this movie a Hollywood classic. On the flip side the color process cannot be well remastered in modern DVD prints, the storyboard is part western, part comic strip and part jungle adventure without the majesty and depth Rider intended and most remakes seem just more fascinating by modern standards.

If you want to see one of the most awful and wince-inducing films of the 1980s, try watching the Richard Chamberlain version of this movie. I don't recommend it...unless you have a very strong stomach and a bit of a masochist within you! However, just because this film was a god-awful mess of a comedy does not mean this 1950 version or any of the other versions are at all like this newer film. The other "King Solomon's Mines" are NOT comedies but rousing adventure stories.One of the biggest pluses of this version is that it was actually filmed in Africa--just like the exceptional 1937 version. Because of that it lacks the studio-bound look of most other African savanna films of the age. Plus, there is none of the usual crappy stock footage (which, in many films show Asian and South American animals--in Africa!). No, MGM pulled out the stops for this one--filming it in color and on location. And, unlike the (yuck) 1985 version, no cannibal stew pots filled with plastic veggies and African explorers! Allan Quatermain (Stewart Granger) is a famous African hunter and guide. He is about ready to retire when he's approached by Elizabeth (Deborah Kerr) and her good friend John (Richard Carlson). It seems that Elizabeth's husband went to Africa some time back and is assumed lost or dead--she wants Quatermain to guide them in search of this lost man. However, the whole expedition seems entirely too dangerous--especially with a woman coming along with them. So, Quatermain is difficult to convince...until they offer him a huge fee. On the way, there are lots of adventures, death and mystery. Ultimately, they learn that the missing man was in search of King Solomon's supposedly mythical treasure. I could say more but don't want to spoil the fun.Apart from a VERY cheesy tarantula early in the film, this is an excellent film. It's better than the 1937 version in two ways--it's in lovely color and Quatermain's associates aren't dumb! But, the first film was more original and was blessed by the dynamic presence of Paul Robeson. Overall, I'd say they are both about equal.

King Solomon's Mines (1950 MGM) starring Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr is the greatest movie about modern day Africa ever filmed, even though it was set in 1898.It shows the grandeur and perfect culture (and satisfaction) of the local natives....it is not about politics or social revolution, to it's credit.This movie is about how beautiful, how perfect Africa at the Equator level, but elevated to heights which make it comfortable ("It's like England," states Deborah Kerr!), and about the fact that Africa is where all civilization and human origins occurred.It is still the perfect place to live, and this movie shows that.Hooray! The story is a dumb Hollywood version of much more intelligent (but discarded) version of the story written by H. Rider Haggard.Too expensive to film the Haggard story, so Hollywood in 1950 made a love story out of it, and who cares? The movie still came out perfect, perfect, perfect, and people should see it and reverence it.Hollywood does the best it can with modest resources, especially mental and intellectual resources.This movie turned out good.I loved it. Screen it often. You should also.------- Written by Tex Allen, SAG Actor. Visit WWW.IMDb.Com and choose "Tex Allen" "resume" for contact information, movie credits, and biographical information about Tex Allen. He has reviewed more than 42 movies posted on WWW.IMDb.Com (the world's largest movie information database, owned by Amazon.Com) as of January 2011. These include: 1. Alfie (1966) 29 July 2009 2. Alien (1979) 24 July 2009 3. All the Loving Couples (1969) 17 January 2011 4. All the President's Men (1976) 16 November 2010 5. American Graffiti (1973) 22 November 2010 6. Animal House (1978) 16 August 2009 7. Bullitt (1968) 23 July 2009 8. Captain Kidd (1945) 28 July 2009 9. Child Bride (1938) 24 September 2009 10. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) 22 September 2010 11. Destination Moon (1950) 17 January 2011 12. Detour (1945) 19 November 2010 13. Die Hard 2 (1990) 23 December 2010 14. The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993) 19 November 2010 15. Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) 26 July 2009 16. King Solomon's Mines (1950) 1 December 2010 17. Knute Rockne All American (1940) 2 November 2010 18. Claire's Knee (1970) 15 August 2009 19. Melody Ranch (1940) 10 November 2010 20. Morning Glory (1933) 19 November 2010 21. Mush and Milk (1933) 17 January 2011 22. New Moon (1940) 3 November 2010 23. Pinocchio (1940) 6 November 2010 24. R2PC: Road to Park City (2000) 19 November 2010 25. Salt (2010) 24 August 2010 26. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) 21 January 2011 27. Sunset Blvd. (1950) 1 December 2010 28. The Forgotten Village (1941) 21 January 2011 29. The Great Dictator (1940) 1 November 2010 30. The King's Speech (2010) 19 January 2011 31. The Last Emperor (1987) 20 January 2011 32. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) 9 January 2011 Written by Tex Allen, SAG-AFTRA movie actor. Visit WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen for more information about Tex Allen. Tex Allen's email address is TexAllen@Rocketmail.Com.See Tes Allen Movie Credits, Biography, and 2012 photos at WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen. See other Tex Allen written movie reviews....almost 100 titles.... at: "http://imdb.com/user/ur15279309/comments" (paste this address into your URL Browser)