View source for Stanley and Livingstone

{{short description|1939 film by Henry King, Otto Brower}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Stanley and Livingstone
| image          = Poster of the movie Stanley and Livingstone.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Henry King (director)|Henry King]]<br>[[Otto Brower]] (safari sequences)
| producer       = [[Darryl F. Zanuck]]<br>[[Kenneth Macgowan]] (associate producer)
| writer         = [[Philip Dunne (writer)|Philip Dunne]]<br>[[Julien Josephson]]
| narrator       =
| starring       = [[Spencer Tracy]]<br>[[Nancy Kelly]]<br>[[Richard Greene]]
| music          =
| cinematography =
| editing        = [[Barbara McLean]]
| studio         = [[20th Century Fox]]
| distributor    = 20th Century Fox
| released       = {{Film date|1939|08|18}}
| runtime        = 101 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $1,338,000<ref name="tracy">James Curtis, ''Spencer Tracy: A Biography'', Alfred Knopf, 2011 p366</ref>
}}
'''''Stanley and Livingstone''''' is a 1939 American [[adventure film]] directed by [[Henry King (director)|Henry King]] and [[Otto Brower]]. It is loosely based on the true story of Welsh reporter Sir [[Henry Morton Stanley|Henry M. Stanley]]'s quest to find Dr. [[David Livingstone]], a Scottish missionary presumed lost in Africa, who he finally met on November 10, 1871.  [[Spencer Tracy]] plays Stanley, while [[Cedric Hardwicke]] portrays Livingstone. Other cast members include [[Nancy Kelly]], [[Richard Greene]], [[Walter Brennan]], [[Charles Coburn]] and [[Henry Hull]].
==Plot==
Henry Stanley is a fearless newspaper reporter ready to do whatever it takes to get a story, no matter how dangerous. Colonel Grimes tells two peace commissioners sent from Washington DC that he cannot permit them to try to contact the Indians of the [[Wyoming Territory]] of 1870, as it would be suicidal, only to have Stanley emerge from the wilderness, escorted by a band of the natives and his guide, Jeff Slocum.
When Stanley returns to [[New York City]], his employer, ''[[New York Herald]]'' publisher [[James Gordon Bennett Jr.]], gives him another near-impossible assignment. The ''[[The Globe (London newspaper)|London Globe]]'' has announced that an expedition headed by Gareth Tyce, the son of the ''Globe''{{'}}s publisher, Lord Tyce, has verified that world-renowned missionary David Livingstone is dead. Bennett does not believe it, and would relish embarrassing his rival by proving the story wrong. It is a daunting task, searching the mostly unmapped interior of the "dark continent" for one man, but Stanley accepts the challenge.
On the boat trip to [[Zanzibar]], Stanley makes a very unfavorable impression on fellow passenger Lord Tyce. Stanley meets Eve Kingsley and her father, John Kingsley, the temporary head of the British authorities in Zanzibar. Eve has been seeing Gareth Tyce, recovering from his ordeal, in the hope of getting him to persuade his father to use his influence to have her father reassigned to a more healthy posting back in England. Eve warns Stanley about the dangers of Africa, but he is undeterred.
He, Slocum and a band of native bearers set out into uncharted territory. Months pass with no sign of hope, and Stanley's resolve begins to waver. He also realizes he is in love with Eve. Finally, however, two hunters tell him of a white man they call "doctor" in a village beside [[Lake Tanganyika]]. Though feverish, Stanley gets them to guide him there. He sees a white man waiting to greet him. "Dr. Livingstone ... I presume", Stanley hesitantly inquires. It is indeed he.
For several months, Stanley recuperates and follows Livingstone around on his work. The cynical reporter is greatly changed by the experience. Finally, though, he returns to England, bearing Livingstone's plea for assistance. Upon his arrival in London, he is met by Eve, only to discover she is now happily married to Gareth.
When Lord Tyce openly suggests that Stanley fabricated everything, Stanley presents Livingstone's maps and documents to the British Geographical Society for examination and judgment. Despite his heartfelt speech, it is clear to Stanley that too few of the members believe him. As he is leaving the hall, a messenger arrives with news that another expedition has recovered Livingstone's body, as well as the man's last written message, in which he talks glowingly of Stanley. Vindicated, Stanley decides to return to Africa to carry on the great man's work.
==Cast==
*[[Spencer Tracy]] as [[Henry Morton Stanley|Henry M. Stanley]]
*[[Nancy Kelly]] as Eve Kingsley
*[[Richard Greene]] as Gareth Tyce
*[[Walter Brennan]] as Jeff Slocum
*[[Charles Coburn]] as Lord Tyce
*[[Cedric Hardwicke]] as [[David Livingstone|Dr. David Livingstone]]
*[[Henry Hull]] as [[James Gordon Bennett, Jr.]]
*[[Henry Travers]] as John Kingsley
*[[Miles Mander]] as Sir John Gresham
*[[David Torrence (actor)|David Torrence]] as Mr. Cranston
*[[Holmes Herbert]] as Sir Frederick Holcomb
*[[C. Montague Shaw]] as Sir Oliver French (as Montague Shaw)
*[[Brandon Hurst]] as Sir Henry Forrester
*Hassan Said as Hassan
*[[Paul Harvey (actor)|Paul Harvey]] as Colonel Grimes
*[[Russell Hicks (actor)|Russell Hicks]] as Peace Commissioner
*Frank Dae as Peace Commissioner
==Production==
According to [[Philip Dunne (writer)|Philip Dunne]], the film was originally envisioned as a vehicle for [[Tyrone Power]] as Stanley with the script prepared accordingly. [[Darryl F. Zanuck]], head of production at [[20th Century Fox]] was sent a memo suggesting the project be changed to be about a more cynical Stanley who looks for Livingstone as a publicity stunt, then becomes idealistic after meeting him. Zanuck agreed and got Dunne and Julien Josephson to rewrite it.<ref>Philip Dunne, ''Take Two: A Life in Movies and Politics'', Limelight, 1992 p 57-59</ref>
Dunne later recalled: "Every time Spencer Tracy as the reporter said, 'Dr. Livingstone, I presume,' he started to laugh hysterically, to roll around the studio floor. And Cedric Hardwicke, as the missionary, laughed so hard tears rolled down his cheeks. We did it as an aside, we had to."<ref name="golden">Philip Dunne looks back at movies' golden age: [SA2 Edition]Jim Bawden Toronto Star 27 Jan 1990: G8.</ref>
The safari sequences were shot in [[Kenya]], [[Tanzania]], and [[Uganda]]. The American scenes set in Wyoming were shot in [[Sun Valley, Idaho]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0031973|title=Stanley and Livingstone}}
* {{TCMDb title|91269}}
* {{allMovie title|46460}}
{{Henry King}}
{{Darryl F. Zanuck}}
{{Otto Brower}}
[[Category:1939 films]]
[[Category:1930s historical adventure films]]
[[Category:1930s biographical films]]
[[Category:American historical adventure films]]
[[Category:American biographical films]]
[[Category:Adventure films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Films about journalists]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1870s]]
[[Category:Films set in Tanzania]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Films set in Brighton]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Henry King]]
[[Category:Films directed by Otto Brower]]
[[Category:Films scored by David Raksin]]
[[Category:Films produced by Darryl F. Zanuck]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Philip Dunne]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of David Livingstone]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Henry Morton Stanley]]
[[Category:1930s English-language films]]
[[Category:1930s American films]]
[[Category:English-language historical adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language biographical films]]