A prolific stage actor, Hardwicke was bestowed a knighthood in 1934 at the age of fifty-one, he was the youngest actor to receive such a honor. Cedric Hardwicke, a classically trained English actor, made his debut on London stages in 1912 aided by his association with George Bernard Shaw. Although it was later reinstated in 1958, the incident caused irreparable damage to Robeson's career he lived the rest of his life in seclusion until his death in 1976. A defiant, outspoken proponent of Soviet policy during the Cold War, Robeson battled with McCarthyism, a defiant act that eventually resulted in the revocation of his passport. But there was another side to Robeson that would have an adverse effect on his career. His version of "Ol' Man River" in the stage and film versions of Show Boat would forever link the man with the song. Yet it was Robeson's unmistakable bass-baritone voice that would make him legendary. Robeson then embarked on a stage career, making a name for himself in plays such as Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones four years later in 1928, he would wow London theatre audiences with his performance as Othello.
A tremendous athlete, he played professional football, as well as excelling in baseball, basketball, and track. The third black man to be admitted to Rutgers University, from which he graduated valedictorian in 1919, he also earned a graduate degree from Columbia University of Law.
In reality, Robeson was the quintessential Renaissance man.
Paul Robeson gives an amazing performance as the dignified Umbopa. Along the way, they encounter numerous life-threatening situations before being captured by a tribe of natives once ruled by Umbopa, their guide. Cedric Hardwicke plays Allan Quartermain, the legendary hunter, who has agreed to go along on the quest, and Roland Young stars as Commander Good, another member of the search party. Led by a noble African native, Umbopa, (Robeson), they delve deeper into uncharted territory. Directed by Robert Stevenson (no relation to Robert Louis), it is the story of a band of British explorers trying to find a missing adventurer who disappeared in search of the legendary diamond treasure known as King Solomon's Mines. But superior production values and a standout performance by Paul Robeson elevate the 1937 film above its descendants. Granted, the 1950 interpretation was memorable for its Technicolor scenery and the star duo of Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger and the 1985 remake - an Indiana Jones imitation - did have Sharon Stone. And what would a Robeson film be without singing?Īlthough versions of King Solomon's Mines would be released in 19, the 1937 offering is considered to be the most faithful to the book. Starring Paul Robeson and Sir Cedric Hardwicke, it featured vicious battle scenes between warring native tribes, an exploding volcano, and some ethnographic musical sequences. The film King Solomon's Mines opened in 1937, and was received with the same sort of anticipation and excitement that greeted any new book by Haggard.
It is rather surprising then that it took over fifty years for the first movie version to be produced. Advertised as "The most amazing book ever written", this fantastical adventure story was an immediate success. Rider Haggard and was intended as direct competition to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. In 1886, the book King Solomon's Mines was published.