The African Queen is a classic movie. It’s a tale of an impossible dream realized, not through luck, not just through persistence, but also through the willingness to admit, face, and overcome personal fears.
Do you love The African Queen, too? I like to watch it for the fine acting. It’s the only role I know of where Humphrey Bogart is a “regular Joe,” warts and all. He navigates the territory of romantic comedy like a master. Katherine Hepburn allows herself to embody a “skinny old maid” on screen—rather a vulnerable position for a powerful leading lady!
Do you know the scene where the Bora River has completely stalled? Bogart wades through swampy reeds, hauling the boat forward step by arduous step. He climbs back into the African Queen—only to discover he is covered with leeches. He shakes in revulsion, confessing how much he hates “the little buggers.” Moments later, they both realize that’s still the only way forward. Bogart’s look of painful resignation, Hepburn’s of compassion and horrified sorrow burn forever into the viewers mind and heart.
My favorite scene is much lighter. It happens after the two have wrangled their way to a tenuous agreement. Bogey is clowning around, imitating the hippos and the chimpanzees. He’s honking and gibbering, she’s laughing and snorting. It’s a moment of pure hilarity.
The African Queen is an unlikely love story—not just their “advanced” (ha!) age, but also their strikingly different backgrounds. They’d have been a complete mismatch, had they not been confined to a 25-foot space, forced to share a journey. In fact, their love is the unlikely product of pursuing Hepburn’s impossible dream together.
What better story to learn from? I think we can extract lessons from The African Queen, on love and success. That’s what I’ll bring to you next week: 7 Steps to Love and Success.
Coach’s Challenge: This week’s challenge is a fun one. Rent or borrow the movie The African Queen. Burrow in to watch it with popcorn and a movie buddy. That way it’ll be fresh in your mind for next week’s note. And leave a comment: What’s your favorite Bogart movie? Favorite Katherine Hepburn movie?
