On a Kenyan safari, white hunter Victor Marswell has a love triangle with seductive American socialite Eloise Kelly and anthropologist Donald Nordley's cheating wife Linda.

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Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
...
...
...
Philip Stainton ...
...
...
Denis O'Dea ...
...
Themselves (as Samburu tribe of Kenya Colony)
Wagenia ...
Themselves (as Wagenia tribe of Belgian Congo)
Bahaya ...
Themselves (as Bahaya tribe of Tanganyika)
M'Beti ...
Themselves (as M'Beti tribe of French Equatorial Africa)
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Storyline

Victor Marswell runs a big game trapping company in Kenya. Eloise Kelly is ditched there, and an immediate attraction happens between them. Then Mr. and Mrs. Nordley show up for their gorilla documenting safari. Mrs. Nordley is not infatuated with her husband any more, and takes a liking to Marswell. The two men and two women have some difficulty arranging these emotions to their mutual satisfaction, but eventually succeed. Written by Rob Hardy <[email protected]>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

. . . it means "The Greatest!" See more »


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Details

Country:

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Language:

Release Date:

9 October 1953 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Могамбо  »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,103,000 (estimated)
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Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Recording)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

During the London shoot, Clark Gable took a room in an out-of-the-way hotel so he and Grace Kelly could continue their relationship discreetly. Unfortunately, this was also when the affair ended. Kelly's mother came to stay with her in London, and her apparent approval of the relationship and hopes that the two would marry scared Gable off. He stopped returning Kelly's phone calls and avoided her on the set. When the distraught actress went to Ava Gardner for advice, her co-star counselled "He likes to conquer, and when he's done, he's through with them, and he leaves them" See more »

Goofs

When Honey Bear is awaiting the boat to take away (first time round) she is seen sitting on her suitcases and trunks. Then she walks down the slope with just her umbrella in her hand, bids Marswell good bye and hops in the boat. The captain lifts the gangway and off they sail away, forgetting her bags on the shore. See more »

Quotes

Eloise Kelly: Look, Buster, don't you get overstimulated with me!
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Crazy Credits

Opening Title Card reads: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is grateful beyond measure to the government officials of Kenya Colony, Tanganyika, the Uganda Protectorate and the Republic of French Equatorial Africa, whose limitless co-operation made this motion picture possible. See more »

Connections

Featured in Biography: Grace Kelly: Hollywood Princess (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

COMIN' THROUGH THE RYE
(uncredited)
Traditional tune
Lyrics by Robert Burns
Sung by Ava Gardner
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Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

Gable - still a catch after all those years
16 April 2004 | by (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

This fifties remake of ‘Red Dust' casts Clark Gable again as the man trapped by the attention of two very different women. Instead of Mary Astor we have Grace Kelly as the repressed rich girl, while Jean Harlow's earthy character is portrayed by sensual Ava Gardner, a predatory animal in the hot jungle. The fourth player in the quartet (playing Kelly's husband) is Donald Sinden.

Aside from re-setting the action, changing the name of Gable's character, and giving the movie a Technicolor treatment, Mogambo doesn't update the 30s classic that much. Gable is still portrayed as irresistible to women as he was when twenty years younger, and the plot still simmers in the way it did before.

Naturally all the stars went on to other interesting things after this – Gable left MGM to spend his last few years as a lucrative freelance; Kelly had a couple more major roles before marrying into Monaco royalty; and Gardner moved into more mature sexpot roles (such as her similar role opposite Richard Burton in ‘The Night of the Iguana' a decade later). Sinden remains best known for his television work but on film he was more than adequate with the more showy co-stars in Mogambo.

This movie is not bad at all if you have a couple of hours to spend wondering how the various twists and turns will unfold.


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