Opening: “Africa – the island of Casanga, off the West Coast – in the year 1700 A.D. The island had not yet attracted the attention of the slave traders on the mainland, but its people suffered as fierce an oppression under their hereditary queen Zinga – tyrant, despot, mistress of cruelty”. After a short prologue, in which the wicked queen’s son and his wife make their escape from the island and are taken into slavery, the action transfers to modern day London. There, John Zinga works as a docker. A gentle giant with a magnificent singing voice, his talent comes to the notice of operatic impresario Donezetti. Soon, John becomes a world-famous singer, but, tortured by thoughts of his roots, he eventually gives up his new career and determines to use his fortune on finding his real home and helping his own people.
Production Details
A Hammer production distributed throughout the United Kingdom and Irish Free State by British Lion Film Corp. Ltd., 76-78 Wardour Street, London W1 – S.W. Smith, Managing Director
Recorded on High Fidelity RCA Photophone
Black & White 80 minutes
UK Release – 17th August 1936
Studio:
British Lion Studios, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
Stills from the film
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Original Poster
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Footnotes
Will Hammer (Anthony Hinds’ father) and George Mozart, who both appear in this film, were among the original founders of Hammer Films.
Production supervisor H. Fraser Passmore was also on the board at this time.
The Director, J. Elder Willis, worked on later Hammer films as Art Director.
Arthur Eliot, who played a Trader here, was Capt. the Hon. Arthur Eliot, brother of the seventh Earl of St. Germans, he died in a London nursing home after undergoing an operation for appendicitis. A former West End club proprietor, army officer and theatrical manager. he had been married four times, and claimed to have had 80 jobs in 60 years. In his time he had been tram conductor, croupier, actor, steward, butler, stoker, private detective, and theatre lessee. Considered the ‘black sheep‘ of the family, they commented the “The only good thing you can say about Arthur is that he never actually went to jail.’