Hatari!

Howard Hawks and John Wayne, the director and star of Red River and Rio Bravo, team up for this thundering comic adventure set in Africa, where a close-knit community of animal wranglers chase down exotic animals for zoos. The leader of the pack is the Duke, who has no problem with charging rhinos, but is nonplussed by the arrival of a female photographer (Elsa Martinelli), which signals a romantic subplot that, while dated, is still part of the old-fashioned fun. Other treats include Red Buttons' comic turn as driver Pockets, Hardy Krüger's exciting scene as rhino bait in one of the film's most thrilling sequences, and Henry Mancini's exotic score, highlighted by the delightful "Baby Elephant Walk." While the disc is extra-less, this 1962 crowd-pleaser has been given a pristine transfer and is presented in widescreen to preserve those breathtaking vistas. Incidentally, "Hatari!" means "Danger!" in Swahili. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)