Hotter than Blazes! Continued...

When we last left Charlie Allnut and missionary Rose Sayer in scenes from the great classic, African Queen, Charlie had stripped to his long underwear and slipped down into the water from his boat to repair a damaged motor. 

Holding his breath down underwater, Charlie inspects the motor: 

 

Finding the problem, he heads to the surface. I guy can hold his breath only so long.  Rose anxiously awaits....

 

Rose helps Charlie, now in soggy long johns, back into the boat. 

What to do now? You probably remember if you've seen this film in the past.

Regardless whether you remember or not, or if you've never laid eyes on this movie,

 it's time to find this classic with two of the best actors of all time on any number of streaming services.

 Hotter than Blazes! 

"Last week, Chris, you posted in your blog, Union Suit Fan, a union suit fan in his union suit,* appearing outside, in Hawaii!

In the movie, African Queen, Humphrey Bogart stripped to his long underwear before jumping off his boat to fix the outboard motor which had been damaged as he and Katharine Hepburn slipped first into rapids and then over a small waterfall.

As Katharine looked on, Bogie slipped out of his shirt and pants and then, in just his long johns, jumped overboard. I'm betting the temperature in Africa for him was hotter than the Union Suit Fan experienced there in Lana'i, Hawaii. 

A fan of Bogie and your blog, Union Suit Fan, for many years, Kenny of Kankakee, IL"

Union Suit Fans: after receiving this email from Kenny regarding the photograph posting of the Hawaiian tourist standing out doors in only his red union suit admiring the palm tree view, I remembered the part of the movie he referenced. Sure enough, when I went back and watched the film, African Queen, the boat of Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) headed right towards and into the rapids!

Charlie and his passenger, Methodist missonary, Rose Sayer (Katherine Hepburn) survived the rapids and made their way to calmer water. But the boat had taken on a lot of water and it's motor was damaged. After bailing out the water and determining there was no leakage to the vessel...

....Charlie decided there was only one thing to do. He would have to view the motor underwater. Having no other choice, he stripped to his long underwear and jumped into the water. To continue their journey, he would have to repair his boat's motor.

Long Underwear in the heart of Afica in 1914? Charlie probably wore union suits in winter climates, then changing into two piece long underwear or BVD's in late spring and summer, like most men and boys of his era. Back then, many men typically wore long underwear regardless of where in the world they traveled. Boxer shorts and briefs were non-existent.

So what is next for Rose and Charlie?

Stayed tuned as we find out what happens to the drenched, underwear clad hero and his passenger next week in more exciting scenes from this great 1951 classic.

Thanks to Horizon Pictures and United Artists, John Huston, director and all the actors and crew who brought this movie to the big and, later small, screens!

 

*Here's the photo of the Hawaiian tourist outside in his union suit that Kenny spoke of:

And he's not the only one who enjoys wearing a union suit in a warm climate. How about Dave in his long johns out surveying the scenery in Arizona, posted May 4, 2021: 

And then there's Torrie's boyfriend, Jeff, following nature's call in Flagstaff Arizona, posted in Union Suit Fan on May 21, 2018: 

Now just who are the somebodies out to catch the backsides of these guys in the heat wearing warm long red union suit underwear?!

"The Best Things in Life are Dirty!"

At least that was the initial lyrics of a great scene in the classic musical western, Paint Your Wagon, that I've been featuring over the past month. This is the fourth and final posting of my favorite union suit scenes in this film.

It dawned on the boys that an untold amount of gold was seeping through wooden floor cracks of the many saloons and cat houses in their village. That happened as men haphazardly paid for booze and women with gold dust earnings when taking a break from the back-breaking work of mining.

Ben Rumson, Partner and three buddies worked day and night building underground tunnels, all over town, in order to retrieve the gold lost beneath the floors of the establishments.

It was hot, dirty work so Ben soon stripped down to only his union suit, boots and top hat before going back to work: 

 

And then, it was fun and games, drinking and mishaps

as the guys looked forward to being rich beyond their dreams! 

 

 

Ben enjoys a mud bath that turns his red union suit to brown:

But then: Yikes, they had dug so tenuously, the tunnel walls began to cave in around them!  And suddenly, the town buildings shifted and started falling into the tunnels. Danger!

Men escaped, running into the street or jumping out of windows. Many caught barefoot and clad only their long underwear, out and away from the several brothels where they had been entertained: 

And the boy who Ben befriended and introduced to the finer things in life, whiskey, cigars, and women, came tumbling out the two story bedroom window in his union suit, still in bed with his lady friend:

 

Thanks again to Alan Jay Lerner Productiions and Paramount Pictures and to the great actors, directors and those who made this terrific film!