Watching on TCM, the adaptation of Hemingway's The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber. Sprinkling of African hunt jargon to keep it mildly interesting to the familiar but so silly and melodramatic.

Not as good as the story, but worthwhile overall.

I keep the "Macomber Affair" and "Lion" recorded so I can get my East African fix from time to time. The acting... not so much.

Sadly, I don't get TCM with Comcast--at least, not on my lowest-cost plan.

Years ago I obtained a "bootleg" DVD of "The Macomber Affair." Quality is pretty minimal but to my knowledge there's no commercial DVD available. If that's not true any longer, I'll buy one. I like the movie.

"The Macomber Affair" was an early Gregory Peck offering. Also an early role for Robert Preston, who went on to be "The Music Man" and an alien in "The Last Starfighter."

When I taught high school English, I had my student read "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and then watch the movie. We discussed the differences, why some events were changed around, the addition of extra characters, and so forth.

It was my way of sneaking African safari experiences into the classroom.

My main beef with the movie is that the ending was "Hollywooded Up." Plus, you know from the first that Macomber is dead. I wonder why the script didn't follow the short story more closely?

Also, Robert Preston didn't match the description of Macomber--should have been a taller, lankier actor.

Still, with all its limitation, there's one (sad) fact remaining: that movie would never be made today.

The Macomber Affair was Ker and Downey's first effort in the safari game. Ironically, Syd Downey was a protege of Philip Percival, upon whom the character of the professional hunter was based. The description in the Hemingway story is of PP, while Gregory Peck looked nothing like him. In fact, Peck much more resembled Hemingway's description of Macomber. The whole point of the short story was lost in the film version, but there is a good deal of genuine African footage.

I hunted with Ker, Downey & Selby on all three of my African hunts, and actually met Donald Ker.

The changed ending was the result of the old "production code." In those days, wrongdoers could not go unpunished.

Here is a link for the story in print........

http://www15.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/macomber.html

quote:

I wonder why the script didn't follow the short story more closely?

Because 'Hollywood' always thinks they can do better than Pulitzer Prize winning authors and classics (The Hobbit for example) that have stood the test of time.

IMO, no movie could do the book justice. The lion charge passage, written from the lion's prospective, is one of the highlights of 20th century literature. More importantly (to me) it embodies the the essence of dangerous game and dangerous game hunting. Following the wounded lion into the grass is the moral justification for dangerous game hunting.

To borrow a phrase from Shakespeare, the rest is nothing more than the story of s cuckold and a whore.

Brett

The entire story is told in the title's omitted comma: The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

Hemingway was a craftsman as much as an artist.

The film isn't half bad, but they lost me when they changed the title.

I really enjoyed Hemmingway's short story. The film ... Well, it's better than something that's not about Africa.

Book is always better

Hemingway's works never seemed to translate well to film, and I think that's because only the story lines and characters' dialog could be copied. What's missing are Hemingway's narratives, his innovative and unique style of writing with descriptions that came alive on paper but couldn't be replicated on the silver screen.

After all, the Nobel Prize he won was awarded "for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style".

Some art just needs to remain in its original form; filming Hemingway's novels and short stories in sort of like trying to make a movie about a Van Gogh painting.

I like how the "short happy life" is actually when the PH convinced and Macomber realized he was not a true coward and would leave his awful cheating nagging wife. Then she shot him. Classic!

See my Hemingway post in the Micellaneous section

I'm surprised by the negative comments toward the film. This could not, would not, be done today even with better acting, color, and a story that followed the book more closely.
I watch my dvd copy 2-3 times per year and love it.
Cal

I was watching a YouTube video of an elephant hunt the other day (forget which one exactly) and just prior to the shot, the PH grabbed a big handful of the client's shirt. I wondered if that was to keep the client from running away before or after the shot?

It reminded me of the Hemingway story (minus the feces of course).

BH63

If my PH ever grabs me, like I've seen in some of those videos, he will be picking himself off the ground shortly thereafter and we will have a failed safari.

Joe Coogan sent this to me today. Might be of interest to those interested in Africana.



Hi Mark,


I see on AR the discussion regarding Hemingway's short story, "The Short Happy Life…" and the movie.


Harry Selby told me that while sitting around the campfire during the "Green Hills" safari, Percival told Hemingway about a true story involving Col. J.H. Patterson, author of The Man-eaters of Tsavo. This was the basis for Hemingway's subsequent short story. Here's how Wikipedia describes the incident:


Game warden and Blyth[edit]Colonial Secretary Lord Elgin, appointed Colonel Patterson to the post of Game Warden — that is, superintendent of game reserves in the East Africa Protectorate, an experience he recounts in his second book, In the Grip of Nyika (1909).
While on a safari with Audley Blyth, a son of James Blyth, 1st Baron Blyth, and Blyth's wife Ethel, Patterson's reputation was tarnished by Blyth's death by a gunshot wound (possible suicide – exact circumstances unknown). Witnesses confirmed that Patterson was not in Blyth's tent when the shooting took place, and that it was in fact Blyth's wife who was with him at the time, as she was reported as having run screaming from the tent immediately following the shooting. Patterson had Blyth buried in the wilderness and then insisted on continuing the expedition instead of returning to the nearest post to report the incident.
Shortly after, in poor health, Patterson returned to England with Mrs Blyth amid rumours of murder and an affair. Although he was never officially charged or censured, this incident followed him for years after in British society and in the army. His case was raised in Parliament in April 1909.[6] The incident was referenced in the film The Macomber Affair (1947), which was based on Ernest Hemingway's The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber (1936).
Thought you would be interested in the "how come?" of the story--feel free to post on AR if you'd like to.
Hope you and Sadie are well, and


Joe Coogan
2295 Marsh Harbor Ave.
Merritt Island, FL 32952

joecoogan@icloud.com
(321)480 2300
www.africaallways.com

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
If my PH ever grabs me, like I've seen in some of those videos, he will be picking himself off the ground shortly thereafter and we will have a failed safari.

I have seen PHs do that to better position the client for a shot--but I agree, I'd not want to be jerked around by the PH or anyone. Demeaning and insulting--if a PH needs to help a hunter get to a better vantage point, a whisper would be appropriate, I think.