The word "hatari" means danger in Swahili. The film of the same name by the famous American director Howard Hawks tells the story of a group of wildlife hunters in the East African republic of Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania). Hawks, who was a big fan of safaris, had been planning his film since the mid-1950s.
He cast John Wayne in the lead role of the macho hunter Sean Mercer and surrounded him with a diverse ensemble of actors. The leading female role of the photographer Dallas was played by the Italian beauty Elsa Martinelli, the role of the former car racer Kurt by the well-known German actor Hardy Krüger, the figure of the driver Pockets by the American comedian Red Buttons and the French adventurer Chips by Gérard Blain. His compatriot Michele Girardon created the character of the patroness of the hunting group Brandy.
Of course, the film is not about killing wild animals, but about capturing live specimens for the needs of the world's zoos. Scenes from the various hunting expeditions are filmed with obvious gusto, and the actors are seen at real work (no stuntmen were used, according to Hawks!). Otherwise, the plot of this skillfully shot film is a successful combination of action scenes, romantic interludes and the requisite comic interludes...
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