Full Outdoor Grandeur of South Africa

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 45, 23 February 1938, Page 11

Full Outdoor Grandeur of South Africa

“KING SOLOMON’S MINES" FILMED ON LOCATION (State: Screening Friday.) “King Solomon’s Mines" brings the grandest adventure and most imaginative romance of H. Rider Haggard to the screen in full outdoor grandeur of South Africa’s mysterious regions. Roland Young and Cedric Hardwicke, are two of the adventurers while Paul Robeson, Anna Lee and John Loder all figure prominently. Although a lot of “King Solomon’s Mines" had, necessarily, to be filmed in a studio, the scenes that you see flashing before you will be no imaginary design of a studio artist; they will be the actual locations that H. Bider Haggard had in mind when he wrote his world-famous story of imaginative adventure and romance set in the mysterious regions of South Africa. This screen adaptation of Haggard’s novel has been some months in preparation and no trouble has been spared to make a brilliant film. A unit was especially despatched to South Africa—with Natal as central location—where all necessary truc-to-the-book scenes were photographed. These ranged from desert and jungle background for the principals, to stirriug scenes of native warfare and tribal celebrations that play an important part in the story. In order to do all this, the co-operation of the Native Affairs Dept, was enlisted and no less than thousands of natives added to the spectacular grandeur of this picture.

Paul Robeson’s rich singing voice has registered a pronounced hit in the fascinating echo song “Climbing up the Mountains" which is atmospherically backgrounded by African scenery in G. outstanding reproduction of H. Rider Haggard’s romance, “King Solomon’s Mines."