King Solomon’s Mines (1937)

Lewis would have been left equally cold to subsequent screen versions of Haggard’s story, all of which give Haggard hero Allan Quatermain a female foil (who is always, except here, a love interest), and none of which capture the deathly spell of the mountain tomb (though the classic 1950 version is the least objectionable on this point).

But the original 1937 adaptation, though dated, and hardly faithful (even the hero’s name is misspelled “Quartermain” in a handwritten note!), is still of interest to fans of vintage Saturday-matinee fare. Its production values and special effects are impressive for the period, and like the 1950 version it makes good use of authentic African locations and performers, with real African natives as extras. Only the evil witch doctor Gagool is played by a European (Sydney Fairbrother) in blackface — though she is nevertheless the only adequate Gagool in any screen version of the story.

As Quatermain, Cedric Hardwicke makes a rather professorial protagonist; but top billing rightly goes to Paul Robeson, son of a former slave and a celebrated performer and activist, who is an impressive presence as the mysterious Umbopa, and sings a few obligatory songs in his powerful baritone.