HATARI! (1962) Wayne's world in Africa

Hatari means "danger" in Swahili, but danger mostly takes a back seat to fun and big game in Howard Hawks' good-humored African romp about a group of trappers, led by a hot-tempered yet marshmallow-hearted Irishman (John Wayne), who round up hippos, elephants, giraffes and monkeys and sell them to zoos. Life in the bush gets complicated when a beautiful woman photog shows up (Elsa Martinelli) and falls for confirmed bachelor Sean (Wayne), and what follows is safarifest of drinking, joshing, fisticuffs, and romantic sparring, and best of all, remarkable scenes of wild animal trapping filmed on location. Red Buttons (“Pockets”) is delightful as a Brooklyn cabbie in exile who serves as Wayne’s comic foil and periodic whipping boy. Martinelli is lovely, and Wayne is Wayne, and together, he Tarzan, she Jane. Safari as it goes, HATARI! is fine entertainment. (Bonus: a very cool soundtrack by Henry Mancini. The main theme is based around African drums under jazzy trumpets, with big band flourishes. Great!)