Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The African Queen

Play trailer 0:52 Poster for The African Queen PG 1952 1h 45m Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
After religious spinster's (Katharine Hepburn) missionary brother is killed in WWI Africa, dissolute steamer captain (Humphrey Bogart) offers her safe passage. She's not satisfied so she persuades him to destroy a German gunboat. The two spend most of their time fighting with each other rather than the Germans. Time alone on the river leads to love.
The African Queen

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Perfectly cast, smartly written, and beautifully filmed, The African Queen remains thrilling, funny, and effortlessly absorbing even after more than half a century's worth of adventure movies borrowing liberally from its creative DNA.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Pauline Kael The New Yorker 07/06/2022
This is a comedy, a love story, and a tale of adventure, and it is one of the most charming and entertaining movies ever made. Go to Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 11/25/2019
5/5
The action scenes are expertly handled, the film was a hit and Hollywood liked it so much that it remade it in 1975 as Rooster Cogburn, with John Wayne opposite Hepburn. Go to Full Review THR Staff The Hollywood Reporter 02/20/2017
The African Queen is top flight entertainment, delightful, different, always interesting. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 10/15/2024
5/5
…not all old films are good films, but The African Queen still passes muster with vibrant flying colours in 2024…arguably the first modern action movie, this is no ersatz jungle cruise, but a bona fide classic.. Go to Full Review Ian Kane Epoch Times 09/27/2024
4/5
...the film masterfully blends action and humor, with more sentimental moments. Its exotic locales were filmed on location in Africa. Go to Full Review Jet Staff Jet Magazine 01/16/2024
The intense drama, humor, romance and authenticity which African Queen packs make it solid film fare. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
D B. @Honor Feb 2 One of a kind. Must see See more Richard S. @shepado Jan 30 One of the best! The developing relationship between Bogie and Kate is beautiful. See more Blu B @RT43513976 Sep 7 A Classic Adventure Flick. It's kind of amazing with this and Sierra Madre how integral Bogie is to the devlopment of the adventure genre. Really well made all around with really good direction. It has bits of war, romance, comedy, and action all packed together. This must've been a treat to see in 51' as I really can't think of much like it before it. Hepburn is really good but the best thing in this is Bogart without question. He's got so much charisma, charm, personality, and really good chemistry with Hepburn. The special effects are really well done and very clean. A mixture of just doing it, clever editing, minitures, and set design. 80% of this film is on location and it looks really good. Such a memorable locale. If there is one issue that holds it back for me is it wears a lot of hats. Comedic, serious, being leisurely, and fast. On top of that sometimes it can feel like it's tighter in it's writing in certain points more than others. It can feel like going down the river stuff just happens to an extent. But it's really well done overall and anyone who is a fan of any actors in this, Huston, adventure flicks, or an offbeat romance should check this out. Oh and man the opening at the church boy talk about the term cacphony. lol See more Andrew M @RT74562588 07/28/2025 Aside from the scenes of the Africans, this is a must see classic. burn was great, but Bohar was superlative. hard to believe that it was Bogart. See more Topher S @RT65664524 01/25/2025 Romantic tale of adventure See more JJJJJJ J @RT10868636 12/31/2023 Maybe in its time it was good but by modern standards it just falls flat. The plot seems cliche and predictable and there really seems to be nothing special about it. This film is by no means terrible it just has nothing really good about it. Unfortunately not worth its time. See more Read all reviews
The African Queen

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

John Huston

Director

Humphrey Bogart

Charlie Allnut

Katharine Hepburn

Rose Sayer

Robert Morley

Reverend Samuel Sayer

Peter Bull

Captain of Louisa

Theodore Bikel

First Officer

More Like This

View All
Dark of the Sun 67% 75% Dark of the Sun Watchlist Walkabout 86% 86% Walkabout Watchlist Burn! 80% 80% Burn! Watchlist Jeremiah Johnson 91% 89% Jeremiah Johnson Watchlist Emperor of the North 67% 84% Emperor of the North Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

The African Queen

The African Queen: Trailer 1 The African Queen: Trailer 1 0:52 View more videos
View All

The African Queen

The African Queen (1951) A scene from "The African Queen." A scene from the movie The African Queen. A scene from the movie The African Queen. A scene from the movie The African Queen. A scene from the movie The African Queen. A scene from the movie The African Queen. A scene from the movie The African Queen. A scene from the movie The African Queen. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After religious spinster's (Katharine Hepburn) missionary brother is killed in WWI Africa, dissolute steamer captain (Humphrey Bogart) offers her safe passage. She's not satisfied so she persuades him to destroy a German gunboat. The two spend most of their time fighting with each other rather than the Germans. Time alone on the river leads to love.
Director
John Huston
Producer
S.P. Spiegel
Screenwriter
C.S. Forester, James Agee, John Huston, John Collier
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Horizon Films, Romulus Productions
Rating
PG (Some Violence|Smoking|Thematic Elements)
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 20, 1952, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 45m