Watch King Solomon's Mines For Free

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

At the time this film was made Gaumont British were really pushing the boat out in an attempt to break the American market.Sadly they failed and became insolvent in the recession of 1938,allowing Rank to buy their assets.The film has a strong cast,not least,Paul Robeson,who had to come to England to get top billing.Whilst the production may look dated now,it was state of the art at the time.Sydney Fairbrothers performance must be the most chilling committed to film.

This movie version (the first) is true to the book and displayed movie magic for its time. Its got Cedric Hardwicke in it who has done other Africa themed films making you right at home with this one. I personally liked the Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger version better but again the book is the best bet and makes for interesting reading as you can't wait to find the fabled King Solomon's Mines. The premise is that Solomon not only possessed wisdom never before seen but immense God-supported wealth making him use gold for everything as he had no money considerations whatsoever. Apparently his mines provided a great deal of this or so they would have us believe. It is a good story when told and this movie tells it good enough. I enjoyed a snack with this plus a tasty drink on standby. Imagine all that wealth sitting there and the locals paying it no mind because their spear and their hut are more important than shiny stones. The Native Indians in America had no use for gold either remarking that the little yellow nuggets drove white men mad making them want it even less. Its only as good as we say it is

Note to Thinker: If a movie begins with a semi-naked guy banging a gong, it's a British movie, if with a virgin holding a torch, it's from Hollywood. To spell it out, this is a Gaumont British Picture Corporation picture, studio of Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), as well as Supersonic Saucer, Transatlantic Tunnel, Mister Hobo, and First a Girl, which all sound absolutely fascinating. They really do. British movies of the 30s generally didn't have the budget or polish of Hollywood productions, and it shows here in the weak editing of early scenes and the slender script. However, they've assembled a first rate cast, except for an annoying Anna Lee. Gaumont did two things you would not have seen in a Hollywood movie of the time: Location shooting in Africa and giving a black man lead billing. It was a joy seeing Paul Robeson starring in a dignified role. And the African footage is probably better done than the studio scenes. Britain had regularly scheduled flying boat routes to Africa carrying British Imperial mail and passengers in luxury, so the producers would have felt more comfortable shooting in Afria than their California counterparts. This is the sort of movie I would have watched as a kid on a black and white TV. The slow pace would have benefited from the commercial breaks -- six minutes an hour back then, unlike today when the movie provides a break from the commercials. As a kid I did not feel compelled to rate everything I watched, but if I did, I would have rated it "It's OK." I wonder if kids could bear to sit through it today?However, there is a reason that adults should watch this, and a way to get kids interested, maybe. King Solomon's Mines (1937) -- and the book -- is the granddaddy of all those adventure, lost world movies, like the Indiana Jones franchise. Watch this and then Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) back to back. Then consider what they have in common, and you will find the secret formula, kids. (No, I'm not going to spell it out, it's a secret.) As a follow up, ask the kids which is better, and why, and not just the latter's colour and special effects. Now if you really want to get creative, ask the kid to write a story based on the secret formula. Who knows? H. Rider Haggard wrote this story on a five shilling wager with his brother that he couldn't write a story half as good as Treasure Island, which I haven't read lately, so I can't judge whether King Solomon's Mines is, indeed, half as good. No word on whether his brother paid up. But maybe you will raise the next Spielberg. King Solomon's Mines is no gem, but it is historically significant. I have noticed of late (say, the last 15 years or so) many British posters complaining about American movies on the slightest pretext, if they are war movies, because they don't provide sufficient credit to British soldiers for whatever battle is portrayed, and if they are the story of an American horse, that they don't mention British horses (or Australian horses, if the reviewer is an Australian). One British reviewer had the gall to call Seabiscuit "American imperialist propaganda." Perhaps I am missing something here, such as when it was that America became imperialist holders of colonies, and what this has to do with a race horse in the Great Depression?Of course, King Solomon's Mines is not British "imperialist propaganda." Britain is not an imperialist power that holds colonies around the world, and never was. Britain never waged war to protect its colonies against rebellion and revolution, and it certainly never killed innocent, unarmed men, women and children engaged in peaceful protest. Instead, this movie shows how noble and kind these rich British non-imperialists were, at heart, unlike the poor Irishman who would have stolen the treasure map from a dying man, and the poor Irish woman, who was a chronic liar and thief, not to mention the homicidal maniac tribal chief. Umboba was a good man, but then he was educated by the British and knew how to speak English (with a Jersy accent), so he was civilized. But even so, he only was able to gain his rightful throne with the help of the British noblemen. No, King Solomon's Mines is not British imperialistic propaganda. It just fell through a wormhole.This, however, does not solve the problem. The only solution is for Britain to ban the importation and viewing of all American movies, because, according to a consensus of British viewers, they are all "American imperialist propaganda," no matter what they are about. While we are waiting, if you are British, please, please, please stop watching Hollywood movies. You obviously don't enjoy them. May I suggest some classic British gems like: Leave It to Smith, Britannia of Billingsgate, East Lynne on the Western Front, A Cuckoo in the Nest, and Turkey Time?As a footnote, the documentary series Queen Victoria's Empire - 2001 (an excellent programme) has some scenes of traditional African native dancing. It is at night around a campfire, so it is hard to see the details, but the costumes have some of the elements shown in King Solomon's Mines, and the drum rhythms are very similar.

Okay version of the classic tale has dated with the passage of time. Not the most action packed of the versions, most of this version is a straight forward journey to the mine. Things only get interesting towards the end when there is a battle for control of the kingdom guarding the mine, until then its mostly travel. For me the real problem is that hero Allan Quartermain is given very little to do but look stoic. To be certain Cedric Hardwicke is the perfect Quatermain, there is no doubt he is completely in control, no matter what is going on, the trouble is he doesn't do much to back up the stance (though to be fair I have no doubt he could do whatever he had to). Worth a look if you run across it, but not something one need search out