Baboona

Jan 22 1935 Approved 1h 18m
Adventure, Documentary, News

The 1935 Morro films, shot by Martin and Osa Johnson, recount the 60,000 mile "Flying Safari" undertaken by the filmmakers as they flew their two amphibious airlanes(the Zebra stripped 'Osa's Ark' and the Giraffe-spotted 'Spirit of Africa') from Capetown, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. Famous shots from the movie include the first-ever aerial pictures of the tops of Africa's highest peaks, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya. Along the journey, Martin filmed Osa surrounded by a pride of Lions and together they captured amazing scenes of a baboon colony, an event striking enough to give the movie its name.

Plot

Filming Africa both from the ground and from their two small airplanes, Martin and Osa Johnson document the "Dark Continent." Martin's airplane, which is painted like a giraffe and named "The Spirit of Africa," accompanies Osa's airplane, which is painted like a zebra and is named "Osa's Ark." Together, they travel through Africa, capturing glimpses of the continent's natives, wildlife and geography on film. Aerial photography of Mt. Kenya is included in the film, as are scenes of a Masai village burial of two villagers killed by rhinoceroses. Also included is a scene in which Mrs. Johnson shoots down a charging rhinoceros. A bird's-eye view of Mt. Kilimanjaro is followed by a visit to a Pygmy camp and a trip to what is claimed to be the largest baboon colony ever found by an explorer. The film also includes footage of thousands of flamingos taking to the air. Alligators, hippopotamuses, wildebeests, impalas, zebras, jackasses, giraffes, lions and many other African wild animals are shown in their natural habitat.

Written by

Martin E. Johnson, Osa Johnson, Truman H. Talley

Directed by

Martin E. Johnson, Truman H. Talley

Production Countries

Kenya

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
16
Average Rating
7.1 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA