The Snows Of Kilimanjaro (1952)

A hunter and writer (Gregory Peck) and his wealthy wife (Susan Hayward) are on safari in Africa when an infected wound threatens to kill him. As he drifts in and out of consciousness, he recalls the other women in his life including his first love (Ava Gardner) and a Countess (Hildegard Knef). Loosely based on the short story by Ernest Hemingway and directed by Henry King (THE GUNFIGHTER). A huge box office hit (it was the second highest grossing film of 1952) in its day and the critics were generous too. It hasn't held up well. The film uses the framework of the Hemingway story but that's about it, there's not much actual Hemingway in the movie. It adds characters and incidents not in Hemingway's story and finishes it off with a happy ending (unlike the Hemingway). Peck almost always did his best work under King's direction and he's very good here. The same can't be said for Gardner (beautiful but inadequate) or Hayward (her worst attributes as an actress on full display) though Knef brings a nice icy chill to her role as the Countess. On the plus side, the Technicolor Oscar nominated cinematography courtesy of Leon Shamroy (THE KING AND I) remains impressive and Bernard Herrmann's underscore does wonders to prop up the film. With Leo G. Carroll, Torin Thatcher, Marcel Dalio and Helene Stanley.