19521950s FEATURE FILMS
GREGORY PECK, SUSAN HAYWARD, AVA GARDNER, HILDEGARDE NEFF, LEO G. CARROLL, TORIN THATCHER, AVA NORRING, HELEN STANLEY, MARCEL DALIO, VINCENTE GOMEZ, RICHARD ALLAN, LEONARD CAREY, PAUL THOMPSON, EMMETT SMITH, VICTOR WOOD, BERT FREED, AGNES LAURY, MONIQUE CHANTEL, JANINE GRANDEL, JOHN DODSWORTH, CHARLES BATES, LISA FERRADAY, MAYA VAN HORN, IVAN LEBEDEFF, MARTIN GARRALAGA, SALVADOR BASQUEZ, GEORGE NAVARRO, GEORGE DAVIS, JULIAN RIVERO, EDWARD COLMANS, ERNEST BRUNNER, ARTHUR BRUNNER.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S STORY OF A WRITER WHO LOSES HIS INTELLECTUAL & EMOTIONAL WAY AFTER HAVING EARLY COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. POWER & CONVICTION. HARRY, THE WRITER, IS SHOWN HALF DELIRIOUS WITH FEVER, LYING ON A COT IN AN AFRICAN CAMPSITE. BEFORE HIM, RISING FROM THE KENYAN PLAIN, IS THE MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN, KILIMANJARO, WITH IT'S SNOWCAPPED PEAK GLISTENING IN THE BRILLIANT SUN. A RICH & POPULAR AUTHOR, HARRY FINDS HIMSELF WITH NOTHING REALLY TO LIVE FOR. HE LANGUISHES ON THE COT WITH HIS WEALTHY WIFE AT HIS SIDE. AS HE DRIFTS IN AND OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS, HE THINKS BACK ON HIS COLORFUL LIFE, FIRST AT HIS TEENAGE YEARS, SEEING HIMSELF AT AGE 17. HE IS SHOWN MAKING HIS FIRST GIRLFRIEND UNHAPPY SINCE HE'S DECIDED TO LEAVE THE MIDWEST AND SEARCH FOR ADVENTURE. HIS UNCLE, A GUIDING LIGHT THROUGHOUT HARRY'S SPECTACULAR LITERARY CAREER, ENCOURAGES HIM TO SEE THE WORLD & DISCOVER THE PEOPLE IN IT. AS A YOUNG WRITER LIVING IN MONTPARNASSE IN PARIS, HARRY IS SHOWN WANDERING AROUND THE BISTROS AND FINALLY, ONE NIGHT, LISTENING TO SOME BLACK MUSICIANS PLAY SOULFUL JAZZ AT A PRIVATE PARTY. HE FINDS CYNTHIA SITTING NEXT TO HIM & WHEN HE LIGHTS HER CIGARETTE SHE SAYS, LOOKING AT A MUSICIAN PLAYING A SAXOPHONE, "HASN'T THAT AFRICAN GOT ANY PIETY?" HARRY, UTTERLY CHARMED BY HER DARK BEAUTY (IT'S AVA GARDNER UH HUH) TELLS HER "WHY DON'T YOU AND I JUST PIETY RIGHT OUT OF HERE?" THEY LEAVE TOGETHER & SOON FALL IN LOVE, CYNTHIA INSPIRING HARRY TO FINISH HIS FIRST NOVEL, WHICH HE CALLS "THE LOST GENERATION" AND ONE IN WHICH SHE IS THE HEROINE. HE SELLS HIS BOOK AND IS DELIGHTED WHEN HE RECEIVES HIS FIRST ADVANCE, TELLING CYNTHIA THAT NOW HE CAN GO TO AFRICA! SHE SMILES WANLY & ACCEPTS HARRY'S AMBITIONS, ALTHO IT IS CLEAR THAT SHE WOULD RATHER SETTLE DOWN & HAVE A FAMILY. IN AFRICA, HARRY IS OBSESSED WITH THE WILD COUNTRY AND WITH HUNTING FIERCE BEASTS, BUT HE STILL LOOKS FOR A REASON IN LIFE, A PURPOSE. CYNTHIA IS THERE ONLY TO PLEASE HIM AND WHEN SHE QUESTIONS THE MEANING IN ALL THE HUNTING, HE CUTS HER OFF, AND REFUSES TO GET IN BETWEEN WHAT HE KNOWS IS AN IMPENDING FAMILY SQUABBLE. ONCE BACK IN NAIROBI, CYNTHIA, WHO HAS HIDDEN THE FACT THAT SHE IS PREGNANT FROM HARRY, REALIZES THAT SHE WILL LOSE HIM IF SHE INSISTS THAT THEY SETTLE DOWN. SHE EITHER FALLS OR PURPOSELY THROWS HERSELF DOWN SOME STAIRS AND HAS A MISCARRIAGE. AN ATTENDING DOCTOR LEAVES HER ROOM LATER TO TELL A SURPRISED HARRY THAT SHE HAS LOST THE CHILD BUT SHE WILL BE ALL RIGHT. HARRY MUMBLES SOMETHING ABOUT NOT EVEN KNOWING SHE WAS PREGNANT AND THE DOCTOR STARES AT HIM INCREDULOUSLY SAYING "DON'T YOU PEOPLE TALK TO EACH OTHER?" HARRY & CYNTHIA, THROUGH THIS TRAGEDY, VOW THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER BUT HARRY IS STILL FULL OF WANDERLUST AND FEELS IT'S HIS JOB AS A WRITER TO BUZZ AROUND. THE PAIR GO TO SPAIN TO SEE THE BULLFIGHTS BUT HERE CYNTHIA, REALIZING THAT HARRY IS HOPING TO GO TO THE DISTANT FRENCH-SYRIAN WAR AND WRITE ABOUT IT, IS AFRAID OF LOSING THE ONLY MAN SHE'LL EVER LOVE. SHE CAN'T GO ON TROOPING AFTER HIM LIKE A CAMP FOLLOWER, HOWEVER, AND ALMOST CLOSE TO A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, CYNTHIA LEAVES HIM SITTING IN A MADRID CAFE, DEPARTING WITH A GUITARIST. HARRY GOES OFF TO COVER THE WAR, THEN RETURNS TO WRITE MORE POPULAR NOVELS ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA WHERE HE MEETS WEALTHY COUNTESS LIZ WHO MORE OR LESS KEEPS HIM. UNCLE BILL VISITS PECK AND DISAPPROVES OF THE FEMALE COMPANY HE IS KEEPING, A COUNTESS WITH NO EMOTIONAL MAKE UP WHATSOEVER, A FRIGID & MANIPULATIVE FEMALE WHOSE ONLY AMBITION IS TO HOLD ON TO HARRY AS A SHOWPIECE WRITER. A LETTER ARRIVES FROM SPAIN ADDRESSED TO HARRY, BUT THE COUNTESS INTERCEPTS IT AND, AT A SMALL GATHERING, SHE ASKS WHO THE LETTER WRITER IS, MENTIONING CYNTHIA'S NAME. HARRY, EAGER TO READ THE LETTER BUT NOT WISHING TO REVEAL HIS TRUE EMOTIONS, TELLS THE COUNTESS THAT THE LETTER IS NOT IMPORTANT. SHE SMUGLY TEARS IT UP AND THROWS IT AWAY AND HARRY EXPLODES, SMASHING HIS DRINK ON THE FLOOR AND GOING TO HIS ROOM TO PACK. AS HE IS PACKING, THE COUNTESS COMES TO HIM, BEGGING HIM TO STAY WITH HER. HE IGNORES HER, GRABBING HIS BAGS & HEADING FOR THE DOOR. SHE TELLS HIM THAT HE LOOKS SO RIDICULOUS - LIKE A KNIGHT QUESTING FOR THE HOLY GRAIL. HE GIVES HER A STERN LOOK AND REPLIES "MAYBE I'LL HAVE A GOOD LOOKSEE FOR THAT GRAIL." HE LEAVES FOR MADRID BUT GETS CAUGHT UP IN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR, FIGHTING ON THE LOYALIST SIDE. DURING BATTLE, HE SEES AN AMBULANCE HIT BY GUNFIRE & TURNED ON IT'S SIDE. CYNTHIA IS THE DRIVER AND HE PULLS HER FROM THE WRECKAGE, SEEING THAT SHE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED, HOLDING ON TO HER AND CALLING FOR STRETCHER BEARERS TO CARRY HER BACK TO A FIELD HOSPITAL. GOD SHOULD SPIT ON ME, HARRY TELLS HER, APOLOGIZING FOR MISTREATING HER, TELLING HER HE LOVES HER. FINALLY, STRETCHER BEARERS PICK UP CYNTHIA AND BEGINS RUNNING TO THE REAR LINES WITH HER, HARRY RUNNING AFTER THEM. ONE OF THE LOYALIST COMMANDERS, THINKING PECK IS DESERTING, ORDERS HIM TO HALT AND WHEN HE DOESN'T, SHOOTS HIM IN THE LEG. HARRY LOOKS AFTER THE STRETCHER BEARERS & SEES CYNTHIA'S ARM FALL LIMP. HE BELIEVES SHE HAS DIED, BUT IS NEVER REALLY SURE. FOLLOWING THE WAR HE LOOKS FOR HER BUT SHE IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. DRUNK ONE NIGHT IN PARIS, HE MISTAKES HAYWARD FOR CYNTHIA AND THEY LATER BEGIN AN AFFAIR AND GET MARRIED. HELEN IS A WEALTHY WOMAN WHO ONLY WANTS HARRY TO RECIPROCATE HER LOVE FOR HIM. HE IS LOST IN THE MEMORY OF CYNTHIA, HOWEVER, AND EVEN ANOTHER SAFARI TO AFRICA CANNOT DIM THE MEMORY OF HIS ONE GREAT LOVE. HE IN INJURED WHILE HUNTING AND HIS LEG BECOMES INFECTED. HARRY IS NOW BACK IN THE PRESENT, HE HAS DRIFTED IN & OUT OF THE PAST & PRESENT WHILE SLIPPING BACK & FORTH BETWEEN UNCONSCIOUSNESS & CONSCIOUSNESS, WHILE ALL THE WHILE HELEN HAS STAYED AT HIS SIDE, PRAYING THAT THE GANGRENE SPREADING THROUGH HIS LEG WILL NOT KILL HIM. HE ABUSES & MAKES FUN OF HER, SNEAKING BOOZE WHEN HE CAN TO DEADEN THE PAIN. IT IS CLEAR TO HELEN THAT THE DOCTOR SHE EXPECTS TO ARRIVE BY PLANE WILL BE TOO LATE UNLESS SHE DOES SOMETHING. THAT NIGHT SHE CLEANS THE BLOATED LEG, HEATS A KNIFE TO WHITE HEAT, AND LANCES THE INFECTED LIMB, CAUSING HARRY TO PASS OUT. THRU THE NIGHT HELEN STAYS WITH HARRY, AWAKENED AT THE DARKEST HOUR BY A FOUL SMELLING BEAST, A HYENA, WHICH SMELLS THE INFECTED BLOOD FROM HARRY'S WOUND AND IS ABOUT TO ENTER THE TENT UNTIL HELEN DRIVES OFF THE BEAST. HARRY AWAKENS MIRACULOUSLY TO SEE WITH HELEN THAT THE RESCUE PLANE IS LANDING ON THE SAVANNAH AND THAT HIS LIFE WILL NOT ONLY BESAVED, BUT THAT IN HIS CATHARTIC MEMORIES, HE HAS FOUND SOME MEANING IN LIVING IT, AND IN BEING ABLE TO LOVE THE WOMAN WHO HAS SANCTIFIED HERSELF FOR HIM. MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE NOW WANTS TO WRITE THE THINGS THAT ARE TRULY IMPORTANT, AND FOLLOW THE NOBLE LITERARY COURSE HIS UNCLE HAD URGED HIM TO TAKE YEARS EARLIER, EVEN WHEN GIVING HIM A RIDDLE TO SOLVE, ONE THAT ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT A DEAD LEOPARD THAT HAD BEEN FOUND CLOSE TO THE SUMMIT OF MT. KILIMANJARO, ITS CARCASS FROZEN AND NO ONE KNOWING WHAT THE BEAST WAS SEEKING AT THAT ALTITUDE. THE RIDDLE IS SOLVED AT THE END OF THE FILM, ONE WHICH CLEARLY STATES THAT HARRY IS THE LEOPARD AND WHAT HE IS SEEKING IS THE TRUTH OF HIS OWN LIFE AND AMBITIONS, A DANGEROUS TRUTH THAT COMES CLOSE TO KILLING HIM. BEAUTIFULLY PHOTOGRAPHED. EXOTIC LOCALES. SPANISH DANCER, GUITARIST, WITCH DOCTOR, AMERICAN SOLDIER, PRINCESS, SPANISH OFFICER, OLD WAITER, CLERK, ACCORDION PLAYERS.