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Wilding Picture ProductionsWheels Across Africa (Part I) (ca. 1936)

Armand Davis leads motor expedition in Africa, powered by Dodge cars.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Wilding Picture Productions
Sponsor: Dodge Division, Chrysler Corporation
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Africa: Exploration; Car culture; Ethnography: Africa

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: lancrey - - June 1, 2006
Subject: Very interesting
Interesting movie. For those who know Africa, things have changed a lot, but you can still find people with tribal scars in Congo or Cameroon, and glass-eaters and snake-charmers in Morocco, although there is a huge difference in the way these arts are practiced today. Also fascinating is the document of the use of domestic elephants, a fact that is very rare in Africa (although african elephants had been used by Hannibal circa 246 B.C when he crossed the Alps enroute for Rome).


The actual journey started in february 1935 in Belgium, where it was back in june 1936. Here is a quote from a belgian site where reference can be found:

"Roosevelt's cousin off to Congo. Mr. Armand Denis, and his wife, Mrs. Leila Roosevelt Denis, a cousin of the United States President, left London this morning on seperate expeditions to the Congo. They will drive motor-vans across the Sahara to the Belgian Congo, thence Mr. Denis will proceed to film gorillas, while Mrs. Denis continues her journey to Capetown and back to London after a tour of Africa. Photo shows: Mr. Armand Denis and his wife Mrs. Leila Roosevelt Denis photographed prior to their departure from the Savoy Hotel on the first stage of their expeditions. 19/2/1935".

Three photos of Denis (not Davis !) and his wife can be found on the same site : http://www.cegesoma.be/pls/opac/plsp.getplsdoc?rn=3173&lan=N&htdoc=general/opac_dsc.htm

Reviewer: Spuzz - - May 1, 2005
Subject: Wheeels across Africa...
48 minute!! travelogue that doesnt appear not a bit too long as a caravan of 4 people plus 2 Dodge trucks rumble across the African continent! I liked this one, as it's early (1936) travelogue approach and it's equal treatment of the natives there (unlike some of the films here) were positives for me. The caravan goes through slow, sand, grass and jungle and view lots and lots of animals, heck, they even bag a lion! Not too sure why they NEEDED to do that, but oh well, it'll give them something to talk about back home I guess. Reccomended!

Reviewer: Toasije - - August 8, 2003
Subject: For educational purposes.
Quick "mosaique" of the africa of the 36, mixing people and wildlife. Conceptually simple but not offensive, the main interest is educational, it can be used to show western ideas about Africa, in "ante-bellum" period. Some impressive images of tropical forest populations are remarcable.

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