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This article is about the 1951 film. For the fictitious boat of the same name, see African Queen.
The African Queen is a 1951 film which was a source of inspiration behind the Jungle Cruise ride and film. It was based on a 1935 book of the same name by author C.S. Forester.
Summary[]
This film was set in German East-Africa in the August of 1914. British methodist missionary Rose Sayer is working in Africa before World War I results in their colony being attacked by the Germans. Sayer's brother is killed with her surviving thanks to rough Canadian boatsman Charlie Allnut aboard his boat The African Queen.
Sayer convinces Allnut that they should use the African Queen to take revenge on the Germans. On the course of this adventure, the two fall in love and get married. At the end of the film, they rig the African Queen to explode and use it to kill of the Germans while they escape.
Jungle Cruise connections[]
Disney Parks[]
Bengal Barbecue[]
There is a photograph of Rose and Charlie riding the Zambezi Miss past the African veldt and Lost Safari in this restaurant. The two are shown in possession of a 1911 portrait of Dr. Albert Falls and a stuffed Albert the Monkey from Mystic Manor.[1]
Magic of Disney Animation[]
In Minnie Mouse's Hollywood dressing-room is a poster made to mirror that of the African Queen's with the title, "The Jungle Cruise".[2] This poster has Mickey Mouse replacing Charlie Allnut, Minnie Mouse replacing Rose Sayer, and Trader Sam standing off to the side with credits to the Jungle Navigation Company.
Jungle Cruise[]
The African Queen inspired much of Harper Goff's ideas for the Jungle Cruise. The designs for the boats were inspired by the titular steam-boat The African Queen from the film. The name of the boat the Congo Queen also might be inspired by the name of the film and steamer, the Congo being a region of Africa where some of the movie was filmed. Supposedly, one of Chief Nah-mee's shrunken heads was made to resemble the head of Katherine Hepburn due to her portrayed of Rose Sayer.[3][4] Nah-mee's umbrella also resembles an umbrella used by Rose in the film. Also, in the Amazon River Base is a container of, "Rose's Leech Salt" which references a scene in the African Queen where Rose attempts to remove leeches from Charlie's body.[5]
There are various more indirect connections between the film and the attraction. The Kissimmee Kate and Kwango Kate might be named in tribute for actress Katherine Hepburn (though the Kissimmee is more likely for the 1948 musical Kiss Me, Kate). Nigel Greenwater mentions one Reverend Goff of the Jungle Mission, a possible tribute to Goff's connection to the African Queen where Sayer was a member of the Methodist Church of Great Britain. In the Amazon River Base is an illustrated map of the surrounding regions of Ponthierville in the Belgian Congo titled, "Follow the Route of the Jungle Queen".[6] Parts of the film The African Queen were filmed in Ponthierville. This included the titular boat falling off a boat, as represented by a model created by the local monastery featured on the Jungle Cruise's Congo map.[7]
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar[]
There is a post-card sent to Trader Sam from Charlie Allnut through the Jungle Navigation Company in this bar. The post-card reads, "Sam- Just a word of advice. Avoid the 'Ucayali Una' at all costs. If you want to get up the river, call ME. - Charlie".[8]
Film[]
Jungle Cruise (film)[]
The Jungle Cruise film has several parallels to the African Queen. For example, the character of Frank Wolff is modelled after Charlie Allnut, Lily Houghton has some influence from Rose Sayer, the film's romantic/adventure tone matches that of the African Queen, and the antagonists are the German Empire. Also, the father of Lily and MacGregor Houghton is named Charles Houghton, a possibly allusion to Charlie. The surname of Houghton appears to be taken by the middle name of actress Katharine Houghton Hepburn (1907-2003) who portrayed Lily Houghton's inspiration Rose Sayer in the African Queen. Incidentally, Katherine Hepburn well known in old Hollywood to have been a prolific sapphic and it is sometimes asserted that she married her husband Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) as a beard to dodge accusations of lesbianism, possibly connecting to MacGregor Houghton's sexual orientation.
Video-games[]
Kinect: Disneyland Adventures[]
The main boat in the Jungle Cruise mini-games was called The Amazon Queen.
References[]
- ↑ https://jungleskipper.com/sea/attractions/bengal-bbq
- ↑ https://www.micechat.com/44039-meet-minnie-minnie-at-disney-hollywoodstudios/
- ↑ https://themouselets.com/top-10-adventureland-secrets
- ↑ https://www.worldofwalt.com/jungle-cruise-facts-2019.html
- ↑ https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/disneys-magic-kingdom-late-morning-adventureland-touring-with-jungle-cruise-pirates-and-crowds/
- ↑ https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/disneys-magic-kingdom-late-morning-adventureland-touring-with-jungle-cruise-pirates-and-crowds/
- ↑ https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/a/African-Queen.php
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BZWe4Zjgo1G/