Dad's Movies: "Stanley and Livingstone"

 Today we have the 1939 safari/adventure movie, Stanley and Livingstone.

These kinds of classic Hollywood history movies often don't age well and while there are aspects here and there that are above average, this movie as a whole is pretty rough sledding here in the 21st Century. 

The show does look more impressive and authentic as it did send a second unit to African locations, but the principal cast was not there and as well done as the process photography is, you still see where the location footage and the studio-bound actors meet.  Fox really wanted to make use of the likely-expensive location shoots, so there are lots scenes where we see the line of guys walking through scenery with Spencer Tracy's narration droning on. It's a bit slow. 

Tracy does well carrying the movie and the supporting cast is fine, though Hardwicke isn't super inspiring as Livingstone. He's.....fine. Walter Brennan is there for some fairly weak coming relief and is underused. 

Considering how many classic movies were released in 1939, this one falls a bit short, though I can't imagine how well this kind of story would have been told at the time. I really wonder what Dad would have thought of this one when/if he watched it in his later years.