STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE

US, 1939, 101 minutes. Black and white.
Spencer Tracy, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Henry Hull, Nancy Kelly, Richard Greene, Walter Brennan, Charles Coburn, Miles Mander.
Directed by Henry King (location work by Otto Brower).

Stanley and Livingstone is a romanticised version of the explorations of Henry M. Stanley, American journalist, to find Scottish missionary, Doctor David Livingstone. The phrase, ‘Doctor Livingstone, I presume,’ has entered into the famous quotations of all time.

The film is quite fictional in many ways. Its portrait of David Livingstone, Scots missionary, played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke, is very sympathetic. Livingstone went to Africa to preach the Gospel but also was a significant explorer, opponent of slavery, a man of social concern. On the other hand, Henry Stanley was British, went to America as a child, worked on a plantation and took the name of the plantation owner. He was very successful as a reporter and was employed by James Gordon Bennett, himself something of an entrepreneur as well as a rogue, to find Doctor Livingstone. He travelled in Africa, found Doctor Livingstone, but was not always believed. In the film, he returns to Africa to continue Doctor Livingstone’s work. In fact, the opposite was true. He was in the employ of King Leopold of Belgium in the ruthless conquering of what is now the Congo.

The film has beautiful location photography. It has a strong supporting cast including Walter Brennan as the scout sent to help Stanley.

The film is one of the many fine films of what is considered the best of the golden years of Hollywood, 1939.

1. The film considered as an African adventure classic? A film of 1939? The values of the 30s? history – but with fiction? The portrait of the 19th century?

2. Production values at 20th Century Fox, the black and white photography, location photography, the re-creation of the 19th century? New York, the American West? London, Africa? The maps indicating the journeys? The musical score, Onward Christian Soldiers (not composed at the time of the singing in the film)? Hymns and songs?

3. History as presented in the film, the work of Livingstone, his background, his mission, his geographical explorations? Stanley as journalist, his expeditions, exploration?

4. The 19th century, Stanley and the Indians, the West? The authorities? His stories and his skill? Bennett and his interest in finding Doctor Livingstone? His work with Gareth Tyce? The arrangement? 19th century journalism, the establishment of newspapers, scoops and stories?

5. Spencer Tracy as Stanley, in the West, the interactions with Bennett, on the ship and Tyce? The information? The commission by Eve and Gareth? The role of Mr Kingsley? Motivations? His travelling with Jeff Slocum?

6. The expedition, the diaries, the visuals? Flora and fauna? The Africans? Illness, slavery? The ambush, the fights, the dangers? The long trek, the distances? The effect on Stanley?

7. Stanley as a white leader, expectations of him, treatment of the Africans? Illness, the information about Doctor Livingstone, the limit of two weeks, the meeting of the achievement?

8. Doctor Livingstone not being lost? His reputation, the mission, the maps? Illness? A friendly man, his 19th century outlook and attitudes? The consideration of Africa as the Dark Continent, savage? His compassion? The nature of civilisation? The Christianising of the Africans, the celebrations, singing? The chief and forgiveness? Livingstone and his medical assistance? The journeys, therories, hopes? The attitude towards Stanley? The farewell? The letters and the maps and his heritage?

9. The effect of the finding of Livingstone on Stanley, the sharig, his change, his retrn hom, in London? The evidence? Gareth and Eve? The importance of the mission for Eve? The geographical testimony? People questionining the veracity of his story? The attitudes, the vote, the speech and denunciation? His rehabilitation. The collage of his achievement?

10. The characters of Eve, Gareth, Kingsley? Interest in Africa, the effect? The support of the expedition?

11. Walter Brennan as Jeff, his typical performance, his role as the guide, supporting cast Stanley?
Bennett, his work as a journalist, an editor? Lord Tyce? The picture of 19th century journalism?

12. Presuppostions at the time about the British Empire, about Africa, the Drk Continent, about conventional, about missions? The attitudes of the 1930s? the critique in later decades?