Published in 1948, South African writer Alan Paton’s novel put apartheid, his country’s policy of strict racial segregation, in the political conversation as few books had. A near miss in its first theatrical incarnation (the 1950 Kurt Weill/Maxwell Anderson musical LOST IN THE STARS*), then quickly followed by this film. Later, two more straight adaptations; on tv in 1958/another feature in ‘95, with the musical filmed in ‘74. None come off, they’re ‘worthy’ and slightly afraid of what they’ve gotten themselves into. But at least this 1951 attempt, a passion project for director Zoltan Korda, has real South African verisimilitude going for it, which helps counter the stiffness. Canada Lee, remembered from Alfred Hitchcock’s LIFEBOAT/’44, only made five films, staying mostly on B’way. (Orson Welles directed him in NATIVE SON.) Here he’s a rural minister on his first trip to Johannesburg, where people go, but never come back. His brother, sister and son all lost there one way or another. Mostly his son, whom he tries to find with help from a 24-yr-old Sidney Poitier, a fellow minister, but savvy to the ways of the city. (Watching these two, we might be witnessing a passing of the torch.) But once they do find the son, it’s worse than they could have imagined. A prominent anti-apartheid progressive murdered, a man whose family lives not far from the minister. By this point, the film has gained a fair amount of power and passion, somewhat overriding the dirge-like tone Korda holds to. Paton c-wrote the script, which may explain some of the problems. But the film still deserves a look, and not only for historical reasons.
LINK: *Here’s the title track from the original cast album of LOST IN THE STARS. Anderson with an aching lyric to match Weill’s genius. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygkCMrC5t0Q
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