Movie Monday Review: Hatari!

The Daily Sentiment
Aug 26, 2019
5 min read

The gang

Hatari (1962)

Starring: John Wayne, Hardy Kruger, Red Buttons, Bruce Cabot, Gerard Blain, Elsa Martinelli, Michele Giradon, and Valentin de Vargas,

Summary

Out in the wild plains of Tanganyika, Africa, a group of people wait in trucks. They are looking for a rhino. Setting eyes on one, they set out for a great chase. Despite this grand chase, the rhino turns on the smaller Jeep and gores one of the men in the leg, stopping everything.

The catching car

This group is hired to catch wild animals to send to zoos across the world. Living in Africa for three months out of the year, they capture animals, house them, and send them off to their destinations. Leading the group is the Irishman, Sean Mercer (John Wayne). Seeing that The Indian (Bruce Cabot) has been injured, he immediately calls ahead to the hospital and they soon set out. Kurt (Hardy Kruger) feels bad about having been the driver and not pulling away quick enough when the rhino approached. Nevertheless, Sean tells him to forget it and push on ahead to the compound to get Brandy (Michele Giradon) and take her to the hospital.

Sean and Kurt after the accident

After waiting awhile for news of The Indian, nerves become tense. When a Frenchman called “Chips” (Gerard Blain) comes asking for a job to replace The Indian. Kurt gets mad and throws a punch. Too soon, because they find out that Chips is the same blood type as The Indian, who needs a transfusion. The doctor insists that they leave Chips and go to the local saloon, while he works on The Indian.

At the saloon

Getting extremely drunk, they eventually get word that The Indian is fine, so they head home. Singing all the way there! Pockets (Red Buttons) is the worst and barely stumbles to his room. Upon arrival, Sean finds someone in his bed. Banter ensues until Kurt, Pockets, and Sean are all trying to figure out who this woman is. Soon, they leave and all find another place to sleep.

The confused gentlemen

The next morning, with hangovers all, Brandy runs in to ask everyone where all the clothes and camera supplies came from. Pockets remembers that a photographer was supposed to come from a zoo to take pictures of the catching. But wasn’t that a man, they all thought?

Whose things are these?

“Dallas” or A.M. Dalasandro (Elsa Martinelli) comes in to let them know it is indeed her. Soon, they all set off to do some catching and Sean, with hands tied, must let her come along. She learns her lesson, however, and is properly thrown around in the trunk as they drive over the rugged plains. Louis (Valentin de Vargas) tells her to just sit still and wait.

Dallas learns her lesson

Sean hates the idea of having her along, but when she apologizes for being so proud at the beginning, he can’t say no to her. She is welcomed into the group, even by the cheetah, and soon finds herself talking to Pockets. He explains that Sean has been “burned” by women, which is why he always acts mean to them. She doesn’t understand, but is attracted to him.

Kurt, Sean, Pockets, and Brandy

They continue to catch animals and live life on the compound. Chips soon arrives and takes The Indian’s place as shot-gun rider with Kurt. Of course, they have to have it out and Sean knows this! Soon, they are vying for the attention of Brandy, little do they know that she has her heart set on Pockets. When an accident involving Kurt and Chips occurs and they almost die, Brandy is only generally concerned. But when Pockets falls off a fence, she goes all out to help care for him. Soon, the guys realize this and relinquish Brandy.

Kurt and Chips

Pockets, always full of antics, comes up with a trap to catch monkeys. Using physics and huge rocket launchers, Pockets develops a plan to do this. Everyone else is skeptical, but decide that it might work and make themselves some armor against the monkeys with teeth an inch long. The next day, the plan works. The rocket is launched and the net goes over the trees, but Pockets doesn’t see it, because he has his hands over his eyes.

Image result for hatari! movie pockets covers his eyes

A big giraffe

They collect all the monkeys – a good catch. Pockets drinks himself silly, because of his good fortune. All he can ask Sean is “tell me again?” because he didn’t see it all happen.

Fun evenings…

Meanwhile, Dallas has grown attached to a baby elephant that she feels sorry for. She asks the group to help figure out how to feed it, they get together and find some goats. Trying to milk them, Sean winds up with milk all over himself and now he’s madder. When she apologizes, she also asks him how he likes to kiss, they practice. Soon, he softens up a little to her. However, she soon finds herself with three of them and this makes Sean slightly annoyed. Especially, when she wanders down to the watering hole alone without a gun.

Sean, Dallas, and Pockets

They soon get to the end of the hunting season and are preparing to return home. Dallas is sad, because she is in love with Sean, but doesn’t think he cares. In a fit of tears, she refuses to go to the farewell party. Sean doesn’t understand why and tries to convince her to go, only making things worse.

Dallas and Sean with the elephants

The next day, she has gone without saying goodbye and the elephants are screaming. Sean declares that they must find her and soon, so they put one of the elephants in the back of the truck. Sean, Pockets, and Louis are off. The other two elephants take off too, Kurt, Chips, and Brandy take soon follow. Soon, they are looking for Dallas all over town, with little luck, until finally they get a lead. The elephant takes off on foot and the men follow. They track her down and she begins to run, leading to a chase all over town. She is soon pinned in the local hotel, in tears.

Dallas with her elephant

We return to the compound to find everyone laughing and dancing. A replay from the beginning occurs with Dallas in Sean’s bed. This time, he comes in and laughs and, of course, they are now married. Pockets runs in, Sean rolls his eyes, but is soon overrun by elephants. They come in and climb onto the bed, leaving the room in complete chaos!

Review

Elephants in bed

Hatari! Is a fun movie that interacts well with each of the characters, bringing out each of their personalities and showing how they work together. The interchange of cultures (there being French, German, Italian, Native American, Irish, and others) is unique and helps the movie play out. What is beautiful are the scenes of Africa with the animals all across the plains and the natives interacting in their work. The movie shows more culture than simply just a Hollywood storyline. Especially amusing is when the natives take Dallas and adopt her as one of their own. Dying her skin and showing her how to dance, it creates quite a commotion.

The gang

It wouldn’t be a Howard Hawks movie without a woman who speaks her mind in a babbling way and Elsa Martinelli does that well. John Wayne plays the disgruntled guy who is always having issues with his love life.