The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Writer Harry Street reflects on his life as he lies dying from an infection while on safari in the shadow of Mount Kilamanjaro.

• Director: Henry King
• Genre:Adventure / Drama / Romance
• Runtime:114 minutes

Cast

Gregory Peck : Harry Street
Susan Hayward : Helen
Ava Gardner : Cynthia Green
Hildegard Knef : Countess Liz (as Hildegarde Neff)
Leo G. Carroll : Unclse Bill

The story centers on the memories of a writer Harry (Gregory Peck) who is on safari in Africa. He has contracted a severely infected wound from a thorn prick, and lies outside his tent awaiting a slow death. The loss of mobility brings self-reflection. He remembers past years and how little he has accomplished in his writing. He realizes that although he has seen and experienced wonderful and astonishing things during his life, he had never made a record of the events. His status as a writer is undermined by his reluctance actually to write. He also quarrels with the woman with him, blaming her for his living decadently and forgetting his failure to write of what really matters to him: his experiences among poor and “interesting” people, rather than the smart Europeans with whom he has been with latterly.

Diverging from the original story, Harry does not die. Despite the unwanted attentions of a witch doctor, perhaps, or maybe his own will to live and correct his mistakes – whatever the cause, it results in his living to see morning come. He watches vultures gather in a tree as he lies in the evening. He recapitulates his life and talks to his current girl-friend. He tells her about his past experiences; then arguing, then coming to realization about his attitude, and finally reaching a sort of peace, even love, with her. Read more