White Hunter Black Heart (1990)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

Peter Viertel (novel)
Peter Viertel (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

An adventure in obsession...

Plot:

A thinly fictionalized account of a legendary movie director, whose desire to hunt down an animal turns into a grim situation with his movie crew in Africa.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Africa | Elephant | Monkey | Tarmac

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	John Wilson
Jeff Fahey	...	Pete Verrill
Charlotte Cornwell	...	Miss Wilding, Wilson's Secretary
Norman Lumsden	...	Butler George
George Dzundza	...	Paul Landers
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Reissar, British Partner
Roddy Maude-Roxby	...	Thompson, British Partner
Richard Warwick	...	Basil Fields, British Partner
John Rapley	...	Gun Shop Salesman
Catherine Neilson	...	Irene Saunders
Marisa Berenson	...	Kay Gibson, Film Star
Richard Vanstone	...	Phil Duncan, Film Star
Jamie Koss	...	Mrs. Duncan
Anne Dunkley	...	Scarf Girl in Nightclub Show
David Danns	...	Bongo Man in Nightclub Show

Also Known As:

Cazador blanco, corazón negro (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Chasseur blanc, coeur noir (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Weißer Jäger, schwarzes Herz (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Bialy mysliwy o czarnym sercu (Poland) [pl]
Bialy mysliwy, czarne serce (Poland) [pl]
Caçador Branco, Coração Negro (Portugal) [pt]
Cacciatore bianco, cuore nero (Italy) [it]
Coração de Caçador (Brazil) [pt]
Elefántvadász (Hungary) [hu]
Hvid jæger, sort hjerte (Denmark) [da]
Lefkos kynigos, mavri kardia (Greece) [el]
Valkoinen metsästäjä, musta sydän (Finland) [fi]
Vit jägare, svart hjärta (Sweden) [sv]

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Spain:T | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Norway:10 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Malpaso Productions

Trivia:

The small steamboat that they used in the whitewater scene is the same boat that Humphrey Bogart's character captained in The African Queen (1951).

Quotes:

Pete Verrill: [looking at elephants through binoculars] Oh. I've never seen one before, outside the circus or the zoo. They're so majestic. So indestructible. They're part of the earth. They make us feel like perverse little creatures from another planet. Without any dignity. Makes one believe in God.
[chuckles]
Pete Verrill: In the miracle of creation. Fantastic. They're part of a world that no longer exists, Hod. Feeling of unconquerable time.
Hodkins: You certainly have a way with words, Pete. No wonder you're a writer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Day the Earth Froze (#5.22)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

SATIN DOLL

Eastwood plays Huston

This film is based on a book by Peter Viertel who worked with Huston on a number of projects. He shares writing credit with Huston on We Were Strangers. The book and film give us Viertel's version of what it was like to work with the great John Huston on The African Queen. Viertel finally bailed out and Huston and cast somehow managed to create a masterpiece. Eastwood plays the fictional representation of Huston to the hilt, creating one of his most memorable roles. This is a film that you have to work at. If you know a little of the history, though, it is well worth seeing.