February 20, 1952 –
John Huston’s excuse for big game hunting, The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, opened in general release at Capitol Theater in NYC on this date.
Humphrey Bogart hated Africa immediately and was miserable, but Katharine Hepburn adored it, calling it “utterly divine.” Bogie complained about everything: the heat, the humidity, the dangers, the food. He recalled, “While I was griping, Katie was in her glory. She couldn’t pass a fern or berry without wanting to know its pedigree, and insisted on getting the Latin name for everything she saw walking, swimming, flying or crawling. I wanted to cut our ten-week schedule, but the way she was wallowing in the stinking hole, we’d be there for years.”
The Haus of Dcaligari 