King Solomon's Mines (1937)

Fortune hunter Patrick O'Brien has left his daughter Kathy (Anna Lee) and guide Umbopa (Paul Robeson) to trek across the desert in hopes of finding the fabled diamond mines of Solomon. Worried about her father, Kathy persuades hunter Allan Quartermain (Cedric Hardwicke) to lead a party to rescue him. This is a very fine adventure film, with much to recommend it. Plenty of excitement, a little romance, and a few well-sung songs help push the plot along. Footage shot in Africa enhance the atmosphere of this Gaumont-British film. 80 Minutes with a Dolby Digital soundtrack. Receiving no screen credit, stage actress Sydney Fairbrother is nothing short of terrific as the ancient, filthy witch doctor Gagool, 'older than the memory of the oldest man.' the scene in which she stalks about, calmly choosing those to instantly die, is a classic of mounting terror.