Trader Horn - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Trader Horn or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Trader Horn

[duane]

In 2009, Harry Carey Jr. went to Africa to film a documentary called "Trader Horn: The Journey Back", a making of of "Trader Horn".

[lonnie]

Director W.S. Van Dyke and many of the crew contracted malaria and were treated with quinine. Two fatal mishaps occurred during the African filming: a native crewman fell into the river and was eaten by a crocodile, and a native boy was killed by a charging rhino (which was captured on film and is in the movie). Other misfortunes also plagued the production, including flash floods, sunstroke, swarming locusts, and tse-tse fly and ant attacks.

[fred]

This is the film watched by Bigger Thomas and his friends at a segregated Chicago movie theater in the opening scenes of Richard Wright's groundbreaking 1940 novel "Native Son".

[ethel]

This film received its initial television broadcast in New York City Tuesday 9 April 1957 on WCBS (Channel 2), followed by Chicago 18 April 1957 on WBBM (Channel 2), by Memphis 24 May 1957 on WHBQ (Channel 13), by Los Angeles 4 June 1957 on KTTV (Channel 11), by New Haven CT 6 June 1957 on WHCT (Channel 18), by Norfolk VA 27 June 1957 on WTAR (Channel 3), by Honolulu 2 August 1957 on KHVH (Channel 13), by Philadelphia 2 September 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6), by New Haven CT 16 September 1957 on WNHC (Channel 8), by Altoona PA 30 September 1957 on WFBG (Channel 10), by Lebanon PA 14 October 1957 on WLBR (Channel 15), by Baltimore 26 October 1957 on WJZ (Channel 13), by Odessa TX 9 November 1957 on KOSA (Channel 7), by Miami 23 November 1957 on WCKT (Channel 7), by Indianapolis 11 December 1957 on WLW-I (Channel 13), by Fort Worth 12 December 1957 on KFJZ (Channel 11) , and by San Francisco 8 March 1958 on KGO (Channel 7).

[jamie]

African actor Mutia Omoolu plays the part of Rencharo, Horn's loyal gun bearer. His first name was used as the name of Tarzan's escarpment at MGM.

[phyllis]

Halfway through filming, MGM sent a sound crew to Africa because of the public's desire for all-talking sound pictures. However, the sound quality was so poor almost all the dialogue sequences were reshot at MGM's Culver City Studio. African natives Mutia Omoolu and Riano Tindama were brought back to Hollywood for some additional filming. When this activity caused rumors to circulate that the entire production was filmed on the back lot, MGM scrapped much of the new footage, including scenes with Marjorie Rambeau, who was replaced by Olive Carey as Edith Trent.

[elmer]

Lead actress Edwine Booth contracted African sleeping sickness on the set and sued MGM for a million bucks. She won a settlement. Meanwhile Irving Thalberg was ordering more footage to be shot in Hollywood and Mexico.

[carla]

Received only one Oscar nomination, which was for Best Picture.

[lena]

According to Alfred Hitchcock, audiences at the first screening of this film laughed when C. Aubrey Smith suddenly appeared in the story.

[ruby]

When Africans Mutia Omoolu and Riano Tindama were brought to Hollywood for re-shoots, they were refused admission to the Hollywood Hotel because they were black.

[norma]

MGM secretly sent a second unit crew to Tecate, Mexico to avoid the American laws about ethical treatment of animals. Animals were shot fighting each other, and lions were reportedly starved to promote vicious attacks on hyenas, monkeys and deer.