MovieChat Forums > The African Queen (1952) Discussion > Awesome representation of Canadians!

Awesome representation of Canadians!

posted 7 years ago by Sewaat
2 replies | jump to latest

Now I know that Charlie was supposed to be an Englishman, but I am just pleased as punch that the writers decided to make him Canadian in the movie. And to think, all because Bogart couldn't do a Cockney accent.

They could have just as well made him American, but it seems only fitting that a "Canuck" would be assisting a British missionary to fight back against the Germans. The UK and Canada have always had a very close relationship after all so that makes total sense. Had Charlie been American, I just don't feel the chemistry between him and Rose would have been as endearing. I like to think my country has a very special bond with the UK and those two to were the personification of that relationship.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I'm 20 years old and have been watching TV and movies my entire life, but I've never really seen any decent, well represented Canadian characters who weren't being played solely for laughs.

America loves to poke fun at us Canadians in most shows and films so that they always come off as the stereotypical "What'cha talkin' aboot, eh?" thus, portraying us as being very slow, dumb and naive people.

But to my delight, this was not the case with The African Queen as I feared it would be. Charlie Allnut was such a great and lovable character. It just filled my heart with joy seeing a Canadian character finally being portrayed in a fair and realistic way, as we actually are: fair, honest, kind and hard working. And yes, we do love our liquor but who doesn't? 

Great stuff.

[–] vinidici 7 years ago

I guess I'm a litte slow on the uptake, here, but I don't know of many films or TV shows that poke fun at Canadians. (Northern Exposure, with its Holling Vincoeur character, doesn't count, because that was an off-beat "dramedy" and EVERYONE was a bit quirky in that show.)

For another movie that paints Canadians in a positive light:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034578/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

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[–] smcbee27 7 years ago

I agree. Except in purposefully written comedies Canadians aren't written poorly by Americans in general. We certainly don't perceive Canadians as stupid! Why else would so many of us like to live there! We may get the dialect wrong but as a Southerner I assure you that happens to many, if not most groups. I don't believe it is meant as demeaning or an insult, simply an overused generalization of an area based on assumptions if not ignorance. I often have people comment that I don't sound like I'm from the south. They expect what's on telly to be true and with some it is accurate. I notice that especially in British television Southerners, and especially Texans, have a very distinct dialect that goes beyond a southern drawl. It's not an insult. At most a mistake.