Mogambo Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Mogambo Blu-ray Movie Review

Third world problems.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III February 22, 2026

It's déjà vu all over again: John Ford's Mogambo is a remake of Victor Fleming's steamy pre-code classic Red Dust, which just landed on Blu-ray last month from Warner Archive. Both are adaptations of the same material, but Ford's version (released 21 years later) is a more picturesque Technicolor production that changes most of the cast members and character names. It trades in the background, too: we're in the African savannah rather than a Vietnamese rubber plantation, which makes Mogambo as much a travelogue as a lightly smoldering love triangle between its three main characters. The film's stunning on-location shoot was greenlit after the huge success of MGM's King Solomon's Mines in 1950, and the studio stuck gold once again when Mogambo became one of 1953's top earners.

Need a synopsis? You'd get at least half of the way there by reading my review of Red Dust, as Mogambo really does share a significant amount of plot details but nonetheless is far from a shot-for-shot remake. The main similarity is that Clark Gable returns as the leading man: this time he's Victor Marswell, who oversees a remote African outpost with his business partner John Brown-Pryce AKA "Brownie" (Philip Stainton) and their alcoholic employee, Leon Boltchak (Eric Pohlmann). Victor's surprised to find a new guest in Eloise "Honey Bear" Kelly (Ava Gardner), who's waiting for the next boat out after missing a rendezvous. The elegant but sharp-tongued Eloise annoys Victor at first but she quickly grows on him, enough so that there's a mutual attraction... which is short-lived, because the next river boat arrives sooner than expected. Victor is dismissive of her departure as she's basically a trade-in for his new arrivals Linda and Donald Nordley (Grace Kelly and Donald Sinden), a married couple. The latter falls sick and Victor sees his chance to move in on the attractive Linda, but things get even more complicated when Eloise returns unexpectedly.

What follows is a game of catty one-upmanship between the girls and wild mood swings from surly Victor, who just can't seem to make up his mind about who or what he really wants. It's a different approach to the material than Red Dust took, with its steamy pre-Code sensuality and unavoidably darker tone. In contrast, Mogambo's lighter touch -- which is a byproduct of much stricter content enforcement -- makes it feel a bit more innuendo-heavy and playful than its more provocative predecessor, and its sunnier and more inviting Technicolor cinematography provides a warm and inviting backdrop for the more lightweight melodrama. (Mogambo is also a good 30 minutes longer, which accounts for the slightly more epic "travelogue" feeling implied earlier.) Although I prefer the more raw and condensed Red Dust overall, they're different enough films to be considered fairly equal for much different reasons despite the numerous similarities, including their shared borderline goofy ending actually feels more home in Mogambo.

Whichever version of the story you prefer, Warner Archive's Blu-ray efforts are equally spectacular on both Blu-rays. Unlike Red Dust, though, Mogambo's original camera negative still survives so it's certainly got the edge on this new 4K-sourced restoration, while its lossless audio and lightweight era-specific bonus features likewise contribute to a very pleasing all-around package that die-hard fans and newcomers will love. Pick your favorite, or buy 'em both.

Mogambo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a new 4K scan of its original camera negative, the extremely attractive Technicolor visuals of Mogambo absolutely sparkle with detail on Warner Archive's 1080p transfer, which as always has been polished to a shine without sacrificing grain or modifying its color palette. The outstanding on-location cinematography -- credited to both Robert Surtees and Freddie Young, both giants in the industry -- has likely never looked better, and possibly not even on first-run showings, as one look at these direct-from-disc screenshots should provide ample evidence that we're dealing with a true five-star effort in every sense of the word. Fine detail and color saturation are both superb, depth is frequently achieved, and the countless "glamour shots" of beautiful African landscapes and roaming wildlife make Mogambo as visually appealing as any carefully-shot nature documentary. As the screenshot above suggests, it's a picture-perfect effort overall that runs at a high and supportive bit rate with no perceivable imperfections along the way.

Mogambo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While a more wide-open soundstage would have indeed perfectly matched its lush visuals, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix -- which, as always, offers an evenly split presentation of its one channel source track -- does the job well enough with crisp dialogue, light background ambiance, and well-balanced effects that don't fight for attention with the film's sparse music, which features a few traditional African or African-inspired arrangements. (And if you're wondering why numerous sources list the famed Scottish poet Robert Burns as Mogambo's composer, it's because he wrote the famous poem and song "Comin' Thro' the Rye" which is used during the film.)

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

Mogambo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed artwork and a few era-specific extras.

• Land of the Ugly Duckling (8:55) - Another installment of James A. FitzPatricks's ongoing "Traveltalks" mini-documentaries, this unrestored but picturesque color piece briefly covers the life and career of acclaimed author Hans Christian Andersen by visiting notable landmarks and locations in Amsterdam and Denmark.

• Just Ducky (6:54) - A second lightweight but fun piece of 1953 pre-show entertainment, this memorable Tom and Jerry short was one of many included on last year's long overdue Golden Era Anthology.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:22) - This appropriately exotic promotional piece can also be seen here.

Mogambo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Although they're both adapted from the same source material, John Ford's Mogambo is more than just a prettier, longer, and tamer remake of Victor Fleming's steamy pre-code classic Red Dust. The plot details are similar but not identical, while character dynamics are different all around, especially among its three leads. While its likely you prefer one "version" over the other, they're both entertaining in their own right and often for completely separate reasons. You can't go wrong with either Blu-ray from Warner Archive, either, and their restoration of Mogambo especially impresses with its lush Technicolor visuals and exacting fine detail. Recommended to fans and first-timers.