Singer Frankie Avalon, Mariette Hartley, and Lloyd Bochner star in this adventure trip in Africa. First down a river, then on land, where they meet Courtemayne, the guide (Torin Thatcher). He doesn't approve of the train that the foreigners want to bring in. The story is actually pretty good, with lots of stock animal footage thrown in. An early film role for both Avalon and Hartley. (Avalon made this one AND Beach Party in the same year! and then THREE MORE beach movies the year after. ) the usual challenges of safari in africa... fire, poachers, kidnapping, animal attacks. more stock footage. Still, it's not so bad. Bochner overacts most of the time. Certainly not the romance and suspense that Clark Gable brought. and a silly scene where the natives try to teach Avalon to sing a song. Director James Clark seems to have made many films about epic journeys to far-away places over his career. Pretty entertaining, even if it looks like most of the scenes were filmed on the football field of hollywood high!
Review of Drums of Africa
