# Hatari!

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1962 American adventure romantic comedy film by Howard Hawks

Hatari! Theatrical release poster by Frank McCarthy Directed by Howard Hawks Screenplay by Leigh Brackett Story by Harry Kurnitz Produced by Howard Hawks Starring John Wayne Hardy Krüger Elsa Martinelli Gérard Blain Red Buttons Cinematography Russell Harlan Edited by Stuart Gilmore Music by Henry Mancini Color process Technicolor Distributed by Paramount Pictures Release date June 19, 1962 (1962-06-19) Running time 157 minutes Country United States Language English Box office $12,923,077[1]

***Hatari!*** (pronounced [\[hɑtɑri\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Swahili), [Swahili](/source/Swahili_language) for "Danger!") is a 1962 American [adventure](/source/Adventure_film) [romantic comedy](/source/Romantic_comedy) film starring [John Wayne](/source/John_Wayne) as the leader of a group of professional game catchers in [Africa](/source/Africa).[2] Directed by [Howard Hawks](/source/Howard_Hawks), it was shot in [Technicolor](/source/Technicolor) and filmed on location in northern [Tanganyika](/source/Tanganyika_(1961%E2%80%931964)) (in what is now [Tanzania](/source/Tanzania)). The film includes dramatic wildlife chases and the scenic backdrop of [Mount Meru](/source/Mount_Meru_(Tanzania)), a dormant [volcano](/source/Volcano).

At the [35th Academy Awards](/source/35th_Academy_Awards), [Russell Harlan](/source/Russell_Harlan) was nominated for [Best Color Cinematography](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Cinematography) for his work on *Hatari!*, but the award went to [Freddie Young](/source/Freddie_Young) for his work on [*Lawrence of Arabia*](/source/Lawrence_of_Arabia_(film)).

## Plot

In Tanganyika, the Momella Game Company captures animals for [zoos](/source/Zoo) and [circuses](/source/Circus) using [off-road vehicles](/source/Off-road_vehicle), [lassos](/source/Lasso), and [cages](/source/Cage). The crew consists of [French](/source/France) owner Brandy de la Court; [Irish-American](/source/Irish-American) Sean Mercer, who heads the capture expeditions; retired [German](/source/Germany) [race car](/source/Auto_racing) driver Kurt Müller; [Mexican](/source/Mexico) [bullfighter](/source/Bullfighter) Luis Francisco García López; [Native American](/source/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States) [sharpshooter](/source/Sharpshooter) Little Wolf (a.k.a. "the Indian"); [zoophobic](/source/Zoophobia) former [New York City](/source/New_York_City) [cab driver](/source/Taxi) "Pockets"; and several native Tanganyikans. During the captures, Kurt and the Indian drive a herding [jeep](/source/Jeep) to force animals toward a larger [capture truck](/source/Pickup_truck) driven by Pockets.

An aggressive rhinoceros gores the Indian's leg during a pursuit, and the crew transports him to the [Arusha](/source/Arusha) hospital. French [marksman](/source/Marksman) Charles "Chips" Maurey approaches them, wanting the Indian's job. Kurt, offended, punches him. Realizing he is the only one present with the Indian's rare [blood type](/source/Blood_type), Chips agrees to undergo a [transfusion](/source/Blood_transfusion) to save the Indian, and Sean offers Chips a job.

Returning to their [compound](/source/Compound_(enclosure)), the crew finds [Italian](/source/Italy) [photographer](/source/Photographer) Anna Maria "Dallas" D'Alessandro has arrived. Everyone was expecting a male photographer, but as Dallas was sent by Momella's biggest client (the [Basel](/source/Basel) [zoo](/source/Basel_zoo)), Sean reluctantly allows her to accompany the crew on a [giraffe](/source/Giraffe) capture. Despite many rookie mishaps, Dallas enjoys herself, and everyone except Sean votes to let her stay.

The next day, Chips arrives and has a sharpshooting contest with Kurt before returning him the favor with a punch; afterward, the two become friends. Dallas and Sean gradually become mutually attracted, though Sean resists, as his first fiancée abandoned him. Meanwhile, Kurt and Chips pursue Brandy, and Pockets reveals to Dallas he secretly has feelings for Brandy, too. The Indian is released from the hospital, but is shaken by his experience and tries to talk Sean out of catching any more rhinos. Sean refuses, but agrees to at least wait until the end of the season after filling all the other orders.

The crew visits a village, where a [rogue](/source/Rogue_elephant) female [elephant](/source/African_bush_elephant) has just been killed by a [game warden](/source/Conservation_officer). Dallas immediately adopts the elephant's orphaned calf, despite Sean's protests. Chaos ensues when the crew obtains [goats](/source/Goat) to get [milk](/source/Milk) for the calf. Later that night, Dallas apologizes to Sean and coerces him into a kiss.

A second orphaned elephant calf suddenly shows up at the compound. A local group of [Waarusha people](/source/Arusha_people), impressed by how the elephants follow Dallas, adopt her into their tribe and name her "Mama Tembo" ("Mother of Elephants"). A few days later, a third elephant orphan mysteriously appears, infuriating Sean.

The crew captures a [zebra](/source/Zebra), an [oryx](/source/Oryx), a [gazelle](/source/Gazelle), a [leopard](/source/Leopard), and a [buffalo](/source/Cape_buffalo). During a [wildebeest](/source/Wildebeest) pursuit, the herding car blows a tire and flips over. Kurt's shoulder is [dislocated](/source/Dislocated_shoulder) and Chips' leg is badly [sprained](/source/Sprain) in the crash. Later the same day, Pockets falls off a tall fence and is unhurt, but Brandy shows the most concern for him out of the three, indicating whom she loves.

Pockets successfully launches a small rocket attached to a net to trap nearly 500 [vervet monkeys](/source/Vervet_monkey) in a tree, surprising everyone, including himself. A rhino is the only order left to fill, so the crew sets out and finds an angry bull rhino. Although he escapes their first attempt, they resume the pursuit and manage to safely capture him.

The hunting season ends. Dallas, fearing that Sean cannot move beyond his past fiancée's betrayal, writes a farewell letter and flees the compound. Helped by the crew and the three baby elephants, Sean tracks her to Arusha, where they reconcile. Sean and Dallas are married and prepare to spend their wedding night in Sean's room, until the baby elephants barge in and destroy the bed.

## Cast

- [John Wayne](/source/John_Wayne) as Sean Mercer

- [Hardy Krüger](/source/Hardy_Kr%C3%BCger) as Kurt Müller

- [Elsa Martinelli](/source/Elsa_Martinelli) as Anna Maria "Dallas" D'Alessandro

- [Red Buttons](/source/Red_Buttons) as "Pockets"

- [Gérard Blain](/source/G%C3%A9rard_Blain) as Charles "Chips" Maurey

- [Bruce Cabot](/source/Bruce_Cabot) as Little Wolf ("the Indian")

- [Michèle Girardon](/source/Mich%C3%A8le_Girardon) as Brandy de la Court

- [Valentin de Vargas](/source/Valentin_de_Vargas) as Luis Francisco García López

- [Eduard Franz](/source/Eduard_Franz) as Dr. Sanderson

- [Cathy Lewis](/source/Cathy_Lewis) as the voice of "Arusha Control" on the radio (uncredited)

- [Queenie Leonard](/source/Queenie_Leonard) as Nurse (uncredited, scenes deleted)

## Production

While *Hatari!* is bookended by the two attempts to capture a rhinoceros, it otherwise has a very loose script, and like many other works by [Howard Hawks](/source/Howard_Hawks), is principally structured around the relationships among the characters. At the start of production, all Hawks knew was that he wanted to make a movie about people who catch animals in Africa for zoos, which he saw as a dangerous profession that would allow for exciting scenes, the likes of which had never been seen on-screen before.[2] Much of the script was written by Hawks' favorite writer, [Leigh Brackett](/source/Leigh_Brackett), after the production returned from Africa with footage of the characters catching various animals, and before and during studio takes in Hollywood.

Hawks increased his knowledge of animal-catching by studying the work of famous [South African](/source/South_Africa) animal conservationist Dr. [Ian Player](/source/Ian_Player). In 1952, South Africa was eliminating large wild animals to protect livestock, and only 300 white rhinos survived. Player then invented his famed rhino-catching technique to relocate and save the [white rhinos](/source/White_rhino). His project was called Operation Rhino, and it was recorded in the renowned documentary film of the same name.[3][4]

Another source of inspiration for Hawks was famous animal photographer [Ylla](/source/Ylla), so he had Brackett add the character of Dallas to the script. Hawks said, "We took that part of the story from a real character, a German girl. She was the best animal photographer in the world."[3][5][6][7][8]

Hawks stated in interviews that he had originally planned to star both [Clark Gable](/source/Clark_Gable), who had just played a rough-and-ready wild horse catcher (who did his own stunts) in [*The Misfits*](/source/The_Misfits_(1961_film)), and Wayne in the film, until Gable's death ruled that out.

Much of the film revolves around scenes of the cast chasing animals in jeeps and trucks across the plains of [East Africa](/source/East_Africa). Ngorongoro farm, purchased by Hardy Kruger after the filming, served as the movie's setting. The animals pursued are all live, wild, and untrained. Capturing animals by chasing them down is banned today both due to concerns over strain upon all those involved in a chase (targeted and not) and the development of effective animal tranquilizers and powerful [dart guns](/source/Tranquilizer_gun) to subdue those ultimately selected.

According to director Howard Hawks, all of the animal captures in the film were performed by the actors themselves, not by stuntmen or animal handlers (although a stand-in, Mildred Lucy "Rusty" Walkley, was used for some scenes involving Elsa Martinelli's character[9]). When Hawks interviewed de Vargas, he said production would be very dangerous, as there would be no double, and showed de Vargas a documentary.[10] Government-licensed animal catcher Willy de Beer was hired by Hawks as a technical adviser, and his assistants and he worked with the actors on how to go about catching the animals.[11] During filming, the rhino really did escape, and the actors had to recapture it, which Hawks included in the completed film for its realism.

Much of the audio in the capture sequences had to be redubbed due to John Wayne's cursing while wrestling with the animals, and Hawks said Wayne admitted being scared during some of the action scenes, particularly those in which he is sitting in the exposed "catching seat" as a truck hurtles over terrain full of hidden holes and obstacles. According to Hawks, Wayne "had the feeling with every swerve that the car was going to overturn as he hung on for dear life, out in the open with only a seat belt for support, motor roaring, body jarring every which-way, animals kicking dirt and rocks, and the thunder of hundreds of hooves increasing the din in his ears."[12] One evening, though, while Buttons and Wayne were playing cards outside, a leopard came out of the bush towards them, but when Buttons mentioned the approaching leopard, Wayne reportedly simply said, "See what he wants."[13]

Filming in Africa was dangerous not just for the actors. De Vargas said de Beer was mauled by a loose baby leopard that sprang on him from a tree, and "came back with his arm covered in bandages and throat completely wrapped, but he just shrugged it off."[14]

As the animals frequently refused to make noise "on cue" (in particular, the baby elephants refused to trumpet inside populated areas), local Arusha game experts and zoo collectors were hired to do "animal voice impersonations" for the film.

Michèle Girardon spoke no English when she was cast, and according to a July 1961 *[LIFE](/source/Life_(magazine))* profile of the actress, she taught herself English while on the set.[15]

John Wayne wore a belt with the famed "Red River D" from his starring role in Hawkes' iconic *[Red River](/source/Red_River_(1948_film))* on its buckle, as he did in many of his movies. It can be clearly seen in the scene where Sean Mercer radios "Arusha Control" after the Indian is gored by the rhino at the start of the film, and again in the scene where Sonja (the cheetah) wanders into the bathroom while Dallas is bathing and introduces herself by licking Dallas and purring.

The memorable [Henry Mancini](/source/Henry_Mancini) tune "[Baby Elephant Walk](/source/Baby_Elephant_Walk)" was written for and first appeared in *Hatari!*.[16] Another memorable musical moment from the film is a duet of [Stephen Foster](/source/Stephen_Foster)'s "[Old Folks at Home](/source/Old_Folks_at_Home)" (a.k.a. "Swanee River"), with Dallas on piano and Pockets on harmonica.

## Reception

*Hatari!* grossed $12,923,077 at the box office,[1] $7 million of which came from U.S. [theatrical rentals](/source/Gross_rental).[17] It was the [seventh-highest-grossing film of 1962](/source/1962_in_film).

On review aggregator [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes), 65% of 26 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.7/10, earning it a "Fresh" score.[18]

[Jean-Luc Godard](/source/Jean-Luc_Godard) listed *Hatari!* as one of the best films of its year of release.[19]

The film was nominated by [American Film Institute](/source/American_Film_Institute) in its 2005 [AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores](/source/AFI's_100_Years_of_Film_Scores).[20]

## Novelization

Michael Milner adapted Leigh Brackett's screenplay for the film into a paperback novel published by [Pocket Books](/source/Pocket_Books) in 1962 as a tie-in to the movie. The novel goes into more detail about some aspects of the animal-catching, particularly Pockets' rocket-net project, as well as the pursuit of Brandy by Kurt, Chips, and Pockets.[21]

## Comic book adaptation

- [Dell](/source/Dell_Comics) Movie Classic: *Hatari!* (January 1963)[22][23]

## See also

- *[Hatari! Music from the Paramount Motion Picture Score](/source/Hatari!_Music_from_the_Paramount_Motion_Picture_Score)*, soundtrack album by Henry Mancini

- [List of American films of 1962](/source/List_of_American_films_of_1962)

- [John Wayne filmography](/source/John_Wayne_filmography)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-numbers_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-numbers_1-1) [Box Office Information for *Hatari!*](http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1962/0HTRI.php) The Numbers. Retrieved June 13, 2013.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-McCarthy572_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-McCarthy572_2-1) McCarthy, Todd. *Howard Hawks: the grey fox of Hollywood*, New York, Grove Press, 1997, pg 572, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8021-1598-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8021-1598-0)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Thomas_McIntyre_2012,_pg_70_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Thomas_McIntyre_2012,_pg_70_3-1) McIntyre, Thomas. "Fifty Years of HATARI! – The Story of Most Expensive Safari In the World." *Sports Afield*, May/June 2012, pg 70

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** McCarthy, pg 575

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Joseph McBride](/source/Joseph_McBride_(writer)), *[Hawks on Hawks](/source/Hawks_on_Hawks)* University of California Press, 1982, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-520-04344-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-520-04344-2), pg 143

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Peter Bogdanovich](/source/Peter_Bogdanovich), *The Cinema of Howard Hawks*, Museum of Modern Art-Doubleday, 1962

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Scott Breivold, [Peter Bogdanovich](/source/Peter_Bogdanovich) interviewer, *Howard Hawks: interviews*, University Press of Mississippi, 2006, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-57806-832-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-57806-832-6), pg. 38

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** McCarthy, pg 573

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [*Australian Woman's Weekly* December 5, 1962](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44555225)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** McCarthy, pg 577

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Stanley, Frank. "Hatari." *International Photographer: The Magazine of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences*, September 1961, Vol 33 No 9, pg 181

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** McCarthy, pg 582

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** McIntyre, pg 73

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** McCarthy, pg 579

1. **[^](#cite_ref-google_15-0)** [*LIFE*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ilQEAAAAMBAJ). Time Inc. July 21, 1961. p. 80. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0024-3019](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0024-3019). Retrieved January 31, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-pc23_16-0)** [Henry Mancini](https://digital.library.unt.edu/search/?fq=str_title_serial%3A%22The+Pop+Chronicles+%28John+Gilliland+Collection%29%22&sort=date_a&start=22) interviewed on the *[Pop Chronicles](/source/Pop_Chronicles)* (1969)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** "All-time top film grossers", *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*, January 8, 1964, pg 37.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Hatari!"](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hatari). *[Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes)*. [Fandango Media](/source/Fandango_Media). Retrieved January 14, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Jean-Luc Godard, Cahiers du Cinema Top 10's, 1956-1965"](https://letterboxd.com/thewizard/list/jean-luc-godard-cahiers-du-cinema-top-10s). February 17, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees"](http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** [*Hatari!*](https://www.amazon.com/Hatari-Michael-Milner/dp/B000BJUQP4). Pocket Books. January 1962.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** [*Dell Movie Classic:*Hatari!](https://www.comics.org/series/74205) at the [Grand Comics Database](/source/Grand_Comics_Database)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** [Dell Movie Classic: *Hatari!*](https://web.archive.org/web/2018010101/http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=311524) at the Comic Book DB (archived from [the original](http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=311524))

## External links

- [*Hatari!* Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykgf510OkwU) on [YouTube](/source/YouTube_video_(identifier))

- [*Hatari!*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056059/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [*Hatari!*](https://web.archive.org/web/1/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/22315/enwp) at the [TCM Movie Database](/source/Turner_Classic_Movies#TCMdb) (archived)

- [*Hatari!*](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/19931) at the *[AFI Catalog of Feature Films](/source/AFI_Catalog_of_Feature_Films)*

- [*Hatari!*](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hatari.htm) at [Box Office Mojo](/source/Box_Office_Mojo)

- [*Hatari!*](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hatari) at [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes)

- [hatari](https://web.archive.org/web/20060906223949/http://research.yale.edu/cgi-bin/swahili/lookup.cgi?Word=hatari&EngP=0) in the [Internet Living Swahili Dictionary](https://web.archive.org/web/20060820152345/http://www.yale.edu/swahili/)

v t e Films directed by Howard Hawks The Road to Glory (1926) Fig Leaves (1926) Cradle Snatchers (1927) Paid to Love (1927) A Girl in Every Port (1928) Fazil (1928) The Air Circus (1928) Trent's Last Case (1929) The Dawn Patrol (1930) The Criminal Code (1931) Scarface (1932) The Crowd Roars (1932) Tiger Shark (1932) Today We Live (1933) Twentieth Century (1934) Barbary Coast (1935) Ceiling Zero (1936) The Road to Glory (1936) Come and Get It (1936) Bringing Up Baby (1938) Only Angels Have Wings (1939) His Girl Friday (1940) Sergeant York (1941) Ball of Fire (1941) Air Force (1943) To Have and Have Not (1944) The Big Sleep (1946) Red River (1948) A Song Is Born (1948) I Was a Male War Bride (1949) The Big Sky (1952) Monkey Business (1952) "The Ransom of Red Chief" (1952) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Land of the Pharaohs (1955) Rio Bravo (1959) Hatari! (1962) Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) Red Line 7000 (1965) El Dorado (1966) Rio Lobo (1970)

Authority control databases International VIAF GND National United States France BnF data Poland Catalonia

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hatari!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatari!) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatari!?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.