Sammy Going South (or as American audiences know it, A Boy Ten Feet Tall) is one fabulous movie about the Southland. The only thing, the “South” mentioned in Sammy is Durban, South Africa.
Sammy Hartland is a ten year old boy living in Port Said, Egypt during the Suez Crisis in the mid 1950s, when Egyptian President Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal which had been under the control and protection of the British government. Sammy’s parents are killed in an air raid so he travels on his own 4,500 miles to get to Durbin, South Africa where his aunt lives. Along the way, he escapes thieves, slave traders, and lives awhile with a diamond smuggler. He also learns to hunt and survive in the wild.
This film, released in the Spring of 1963, easily could have descended into a cute or maudlin little children’s story if not for a wise director and two remarkable actors: one a Hollywood legend, the other an eleven year London lad who starred in only two other films.
Alexander Mackendrick is the director. He was a pioneer at London’s Ealing studios where he made such classics as The Ladykillers, The Man in the White Suit, and Mandy. Perhaps his most famous film is The Sweet Smell of Success with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis.
Although his films reflect a variety of styles and genres, they all are studies of character and culture.
Sammy Going South is no exception.
One is captivated by the African way of life and the unsentimental, genuine portrayals of a boy and a great white hunter (the diamond smuggler). By the way, the smuggler is played by the splendid old actor, Edward G. Robinson.
Robinson is most remembered for his Warner Bros gangster pictures — Little Caesar, Brother Orchard, and Key Largo, for example. He made Sammy years after the peak of his career when he was 69 years old. In fact, he was still rebuilding his reputation after being wrongfully blacklisted by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee.
Incidentally, this movie proved to be a tough shoot for Robinson. He suffered a heart attack while filming in East Africa. Fortunately, he regained his health and professional standing to once again become a highly respected and successful actor. He followed Sammy with 15 more movies including The Cincinnati Kid with Steve McQueen.
As a matter of fact, shortly before his death in 1973, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences awarded Mr. Robinson an honorary Oscar. The inscription read,
To Edward G. Robinson, who achieved greatness as a player, a patron of the arts and a devoted citizen…in sum, a Renaissance man. From his friends in the industry he loved.
Sammy Hartland is played by the remarkable Fergus McClelland, a young actor who made only two other films. His performance makes Sammy much more than a children’s movie. This truly is an exciting adventure film for anybody of any age.
