Mogambo is a remake of Red Dust made in 1932
(see
my page devoted to this film at my Jean Harlow site). Although
in this version his profession is different, Gable's animal
magnetism is certainly still apparent. Of the two films, I
prefer the original, but this remake certainly stands on its
own. During the filming, he had a brief affair with Grace Kelly
and evidently she got a little too possessive for Gable, so
once the film was complete, he quickly broke it off.
Its a tribute to Gable's staying power that he played the same role in each version of the film. In this version, Vic Marswell is a celebrated white hunter and safari leader who while having an affair with Honey Bear Kelly, played by Ava Gardner, played by Jean
Harlow in the original, is hired to take Mr. Nordley, an anthropologist and his wife, played by Grace Kelly, into gorilla country in Kenya. Entranced by Mrs. Nordley's beauty and manner, he soon begins a relationship with her behind her husband's back. But, in the end, and to his credit, Vic realizes, although deeply in love, that breaking up their marriage is not right for him and rudely ends the affair by showing Linda Nordley what a carousing and ill tempered person he can be.
The cast includes:
- Clark Gable .... Victor Marswell
- Ava Gardner .... Eloise Y. 'Honey Bear' Kelly
- Grace Kelly .... Linda Nordley
- Donald Sinden .... Donald Nordley
- Philip Stainton .... John Brown-Pryce
- Eric Pohlmann .... Leon Boltchak
- Laurence Naismith .... Skipper
- Denis O'Dea .... Father Josef
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