The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Released Aug 18, 1952

1 hr. 57 min.

Adventure

List

75%

8 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The life of celebrated American writer Harry Street (Gregory Peck) flashes back before his eyes as he lies dying from a wound suffered at the foot of Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro. As he is tended to by his traveling companion, Helen (Susan Hayward), he recalls many things: his first wife and Paris literary inspiration, Cynthia Green (Ava Gardner) ; his second wife, Countess Liz (Hildegarde Neff) ; and his formative years with uncle Bill (Leo G. Carroll).

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Steve D

Nonstop downer with good acting,

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/23/24

Full Review

nick s

I couldn't get past half way. The actors were very good but the story seemed rudderless. There was a lot of dialogue, some of which felt redundant. I don't think the director was a disciple of the "show, don't tell" mantra. I'm sure it got better near the end but too much of a slog for me.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/20/23

Full Review

Russ G

Virtually anything showcasing Miss Gardner's beauty, with the possible exception of The Barefoot Contessa, is worth three stars. Susan Haywood is easy on the eyes, too; I've only seen her in B&W films before this but you have to see her in Technicolor. Peck portrays a 1st Class, OK, maybe 2nd Class, heel, but then Pappa Hemingway was no paragon of virtue, either. How any man could even think about jeopardizing a romance with Ava Gardner is rather implausible. If there's one everpresent flaw in this it's the use of sound stage shots with location backdrops; those might have been acceptable seven decades ago but they're visually distracting as they eye picks up the fakery immediately.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Oh what a stinker! I can't think of one redeeming quality. It's interminable. The plot is non-existent. It reminds me of the English Patient with the main character languishing on his death bed...only, he doesn't die; he only languishes and languishes and languishes...

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the worst quality prints of any film I've ever seen. Horrid acting and set design.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

s r

This one drawled in its ambition. I guess the producer just wanted to see Africa and Europe? Saw it on TCM.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Henry King

Director

Gregory Peck

Harry Street

Susan Hayward

Helen

Ava Gardner

Cynthia Green

Hildegard Knef

Countess Liz

Leo G. Carroll

Uncle Bill

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Kate Taylor

Globe and Mail

Rated: 3/4

Feb 10, 2012

Full Review

Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

It turns out to be a flawed, but not entirely unsuccessful, adaptation of Hemingway's short story. It appears the movie would have benefitted if it had stuck closer to its source material.

Rated: C

Sep 24, 2022

Full Review

Nell Dodson Russell

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Snows of Kilimanjaro gets off to one of the slowest starts I have ever seen on the screen, but when It does get going it manages to turn Into a picture well acted and beautifully presented In technicolor.

Dec 15, 2021

Full Review

Manny Farber

The Nation

The Snows of Kilimanjaro is mainly lacking in a sense of when enough is enough.

Nov 25, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The star-studded cast makes the flawed film watchable.

Rated: B-

Sep 11, 2009

Full Review

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

Plays better on the page than on stage or screen, but Peck and Gardner give it their all.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 16, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

The life of celebrated American writer Harry Street (Gregory Peck) flashes back before his eyes as he lies dying from a wound suffered at the foot of Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro. As he is tended to by his traveling companion, Helen (Susan Hayward), he recalls many things: his first wife and Paris literary inspiration, Cynthia Green (Ava Gardner) ; his second wife, Countess Liz (Hildegarde Neff) ; and his formative years with uncle Bill (Leo G. Carroll).

Director: Henry King
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 18, 1952, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2011

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