Movie Reviews by Edwin Jahiel

STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE (1939)

Directed by Henry King. In 1870, Henry Morton Stanley (Spencer Tracy), English-born star reporter of the New York Herald, is sent to Africa by editor James Gordon Bennett to search for "lost" David Livingstone (Cedric Hardwicke). Locating the Scottish missionary- humaniarian-explorer, Stanley utters what has become one of the most famous salutations in the English language : "Dr. Livingstone, I presume." It then turns out that Livingstone had not been lost at all. In London, the Geographic Society calls Stanley a fraud -- partly because of British suspiciousness of the Americans -- but they eventually eat their words. Effective drama is reasonably accurate with history, has good production values and photography.As usual in this kind of movie, you can amuse yourself studying how the principals are placed in an exotic environment: Tracy in the African landscape is either shown in long-shot or from the back (because a stand-in took his place) or in close-ups with background projection. Film has some memorable scenes, like Livingstone conducting a vigorous rendition of "Onward Christian Soldiers." Movie received no Oscar nominations, which might have been forthcoming in a year less competitive than the legendary Hollywood vintage of 1939. Tracy's excellent, sober performance, much of it as silent reaction shots, is certainly of prize-winning caliber. (Edwin Jahiel)