The Southern Star (1969)

Simply Perfect

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I hope Orson Welles enjoyed himself far more than he and the rest of the cast did when Welles was in Africa making The Roots Of Heaven. On that location nearly everyone in the cast became ill and Eddie Albert almost died. But that was a much better film than The Southern Star.The title refers to a really big diamond that was found on the lands belonging to Harry Andrews who's an old Boer and old boor. While at a big clambake Andrews is throwing someone snatches the big jewel from under his nose and suspicion falls on Johnny Sekka who is a native and friend to fortune hunting George Segal. Segal is seeking his fortune by marrying Ursula Andress who is Andrews's daughter and that's not a match made in heaven. So when Sekka runs the rest of the cast is seeking him for their own agendas. One of them is Orson Welles who used to be Andrews's head of security which is a euphemism for the private police that Andrews employs. And the current head of security Ian Hendry is seeking the big rock and Ursula both.This is based on a Jules Verne novel, one of his lesser known works. Even being a Frenchman I doubt Verne meant any of the double entendres and only somewhat humorous lines that are present in this film. Someone decided this novel was good for satire and the results fell flat.The location cinematography of Senegal standing in for South Africa is the best thing The Southern Star has going for it. Also Orson Welles knew he was in one of those films he did for the money to finance his own work and had himself a bit of fun with his role.Not the best jungle feature out there.

'The Southern Star' is a cracking Adventure Caper based on a Jules Verne novel, It's set in the beautifully widescreen photographed plains of Africa Circa 1900. The title refers to a massive Diamond discovered by George Segal in a river bed,It is taken from Segal by pompous Kramer Harry Andrews, It is later snacthed by appealing African actor Johnny Sekka, with Segal's love interest and Kramer's daughter (the ravishing Ursula Andress) in tow the pair go off in search of the elusive stone, Ian Hendry is the pursuing former lover of Andress intent on claiming the stone, George Segal was at the fledgling height of his popularity here as ever he is always watchable what ever role he is cast in. Check out the 'revealing' river bathing scene with Ursula Andress it goes to show why she will always be remembered as the consummate Bond girl. Orson Welles has a small role as an over the top Gay/Camp Sgt Major. All in all 'The Southern Stone' is a great picture. i'm glad that it's finally available on DVD the quality is great.

I have seen this flick when I was in kid, in '87 or perhaps in '86--and on the big screen. Ursula Andress makes it worth watching at all ages.The director, Sidney Hayers, worked mostly for the TV--with such big--screen exceptions like Diagnosis: Murder (1975), The Trap (1966) and Night of the Eagle (1962)(which the genuine connoisseurs admire).The Southern Star (1969), with Ursula Andress, Orson Welles and George Segal, is a recommended African adventures outing, with some gusto and even excitement and a beautiful broad to justify the movie.It certainly doesn't resemble much the book which it claims it adapts; I remember a scene with two guys playing chess with small glasses of alcohol and drinking the pieces they were taking. The same scene is in a Greene novel.

The Southern Star is a very big diamond. Someone steals it. George Segal and Ursula Andress, pursued by Ian Hendry, all hampered by the dipsomaniac homosexual ex-Major Orson Welles, attempt to retrieve it, and have encounters with wildlife, humour and danger along the way.Typically for a 60s Africa movie, the best things about it are the wildlife shots.Ostriches cause amusing chaos, cobras are scary, hippos are much less frightening than they look, antelopes leap, lions are fierce - you know the sort of thing.Orson Welles, as usual, steals every scene he's in, and Harry Andrews's obvious enthusiasm for tribal music is a fairly eye-popping sight. Naturally, we have a lengthy scene in which Ursula Andress swims around naked in the lake for the cheesecake shots.The main action consists of Hendry and some henchmen tracking Segal and Andress through the jungle and is wholly unabsorbing.There's nothing objectionable or offensive about this movie, but there's nothing much to recommend it either.