Damn.
OK. I'm about to put a call out I suspect mostly to Robin, but if there are any film historians out there reading - not of the films themselves, but of the industry and how it worked, especially in 1954 or thereabouts.
I need to know a few things about a supposed (meaning: fictional) location shoot in Africa. Specifically, how much over budget in 1954 dollars would cause the backers to show up, breathing fire? How far behind schedule, ditto? And - weirdly enough, the tricky question - if they'd flown into Dar es Salaam and be taken from there out to Mt. Meru, what would the mode of transport be?
LJ's server center lost all its power. Ow. Their error message is amusing, though.
I found this: [link]
It might provide some timely details.
EDIT:
Also, [link]
Yeah, LJ is way down. Boooooo.
OTOH, I am going to go see In Good Company, when all I'd had planned for the evening was sitting around and dyeing my hair! Yay.
Erin, would there be anything in there about what mode of transport would have been used in 1954, to get a crew of people from their hotel in Dar es Salaam, out to Mt. Meru? I never know how to look - the terms, I mean.
And the other one is South Africa - a whole nother ball of wax in every way. Different climate, different terrain (Tanzania/Tanganyika is Rift Zone, SA is all the way sub-saharan), and different sociopolitically, at the time.
Pretty pretty stuff, though. I have a humongous folder of bookmarks, ever growing, and a wonderful and brilliant friend of Kristin's, who is helping me with this stuff in exchange for baked goods. But he isn't online right now, alas.
Dude. I'm reading about the elfinwood.
It is so damned beautiful, and so incredibly weird.
DH came home contrite, afraid and apologetic. He lives. For now.
I'm home from work already. Let the Lollygagging begin.
Nope, only prisoners summiting Mount Kenya. But I found this:
Champagne Safari
This archival rarity presents the extravagant safari through Africa taken by actress Rita Hayworth and her husband Aly Kahn, in the early 1950's. Traveling by private plane, jeep, limousine and rickshaw, the celebrated couple stops in Tanganyika, Uganda, Kenya and the Belgian Congo among other locales. The film, a fascinating record of neo-colonialism and gaudy excess, offers a rare glimpse into two worlds: old time Hollywood and colonial Africa. 1952. 60 min. Video/C 9472
It's here -- [link] -- about halfway down the page.
EDIT: Also, info on travel in general in Africa in the 30's -70's: [link]
Also, maybe you could ask these folks for info. They do 1950's Retrospective African tours. [link]
Pretty pretty stuff, though. I have a humongous folder of bookmarks, ever growing, and a wonderful and brilliant friend of Kristin's, who is helping me with this stuff in exchange for baked goods. But he isn't online right now, alas.
Deb, do you want me to call him? Is this something you need urgently tonight?
ETA: Erin! I haven't seen you around in ages. Hi!
