Hardy Kr�ger

The Momella Wildlife Lodge is on the edge of Arusha National Park. ... The main building was once the home of John Wayne and Hardy Kruger, who used the house while making the adventure film Hatari, and later developed it as a hunting lodge.

The Safari Hotel was masterfully managed for the Rydons by a pale-skinned Englishman named Ben Benbow. Benbow was a professional hotelier down to his manicured fingertips and slicked-down hair. He was the only man in Arusha who always wore a suit and tie. Among his dusty, khaki-clad safari clientele, he stood out like a catwalk mannequin in the lturi forest. Rotund, jovial, and present when guests registered, day or night, Benbow was on a first-name basis with every white hunter as well as with celebrity actors such as Robert Taylor, John Wayne, and Hardy Kruger. The walls around the huge copper bat at the Safari were decorated with framed and signed photographs of white hunters with their clients and trophies.

Not long afterwards we reached two small houses, one of which had belonged to the film star, Hardy Kruger, for whom Sirili had worked many years ago. It [Oldonyorok] is now inhabited by my friends Bert and Stephanie von Mutius and their small son, Daniel. Apart from the two houses and the little Momella Lodge, in the distance, no other buildings were visible. Instead we had a view over a small open plain on which buffaloes grazed, and which was surrounded by forest. Beyond that we could see Mount Kilimanjaro, some ninety kilometres away, but looking much closer. Just behind us, the snow on the peak of Mount Meru was melting in the sun.

John Wayne and his ensemble cast cavort over the African landscape filling orders from zoo's for wild animals. Bruce Cabot plays "the Indian", a womanizing sharpshooter who is gored by a rhino in the opening scenes of the film. This becomes a running theme through the movie; their bad luck in catching rhinos, and provides the climactic ending chase. While Bruce is in the hospital, Elsa Martinelli shows up as a woman photographer from a Swiss zoo, and John wants to send her packing. She strongarms the Duke into letting her stay by promising that her zoo will buy most of their animals this season if she's allowed to go along on the hunts and take photos. Hardy Kruger, Gerard Blain, Michelle Girardon and Valentin de Vargas round out the group. They traipse over the African landscape capturing animals; Elsa also has a running gag where she collects baby elephants as the movie goes along. In the end she's acquired three of them.

Summary written by Marta Dawes

Directed by

Howard Hawks

Writing credits (in credits order)

Harry Kurnitz (story)

Leigh Brackett

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete

John Wayne .... Sean Mercer

Hardy Kr�ger .... Kurt Mueller (as Hardy Kruger)

Elsa Martinelli .... Anna Maria 'Dallas' D'Allesandro

Red Buttons .... Pockets

G�rard Blain .... Chips Chalmoy (as Gerard Blain)

Bruce Cabot (I) .... Little Wolf aka The Indian

Mich�le Girardon .... Brandy de la Corte (as Michele Girardon)

Valentin de Vargas .... Luis Francisco Garcia Lopez

Eduard Franz .... Dr. Sanderson

Jon Chevron .... Joseph

Queenie Leonard .... Nurse

Eric Rungren

Emmett Smith .... Bartender

rest of cast listed alphabetically

Sam Harris (II) .... Man in Store (uncredited)

Henry Scott (I) .... Sikh Clerk (uncredited)

Jack Williams (I) .... Man (uncredited)

Produced by

Howard Hawks .... producer

Paul Helmick .... associate producer

Original music by

Hoagy Carmichael (song)

Henry Mancini

Cinematography by

Russell Harlan

Film Editing by

Stuart Gilmore

Art Direction by

Carl Anderson (I)

Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by

Claude E. Carpenter

Sam Comer

Costume Design by

Edith Head

Production Management

Jim Henderling .... unit manager

Don Robb (I) .... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Tom Connors Jr. .... assistant director (as Tom Connors)

Paul Helmick .... second unit director

Russell Saunders (I) .... assistant director (as Russ Saunders)

Art Department

Earl Olin (I) .... property master

Sound Department

John R. Carter (I) .... sound recordist (as John Carter)

Charles Grenzbach (I) .... sound recordist

Special Effects by

John P. Fulton .... special photographic effects

Stunts

Carey Loftin .... stunts (uncredited)

Chuck Roberson .... stunt double: John Wayne (uncredited)

Other crew

Frank Beetson Jr. .... wardrobe: men

Joseph C. Brun .... associate photographer (as Joseph Brun)

Jim Henderling .... unit manager

Johnny Mercer .... lyricist

Richard Parker (III) .... special mechanical effects

Willy de Beer .... technical advisor

I was one of the contractors who built the Momella Lodge in the late 60's and early 70's. For old times sake, I would like to contact the above gentlemen. If possible, can you give me their email addresses?

Hardy Kruger became a prohibited immigrant

Hardy Kruger is alive and lives in Palm Springs California