AIR FRANCE 1960s WEST AFRICA TRAVELOGUE MOVIE FLYING HOLIDAYS

[Music] At last, our great dream is coming true. Our plane is landing in big game territory. In a few hours of comfortable travel, Air France has literally put Africa at our feet. We're going to undertake the fascinating experience of a safari. [Music] The luxurious erins of Brazil welcome us. [Music] in our tropical outfits. Here we are transformed into big game hunters. [Music] [Music] And so off for a whiskey on the terrace overlooking the great African city below. [Music] Darkest Africa, mysterious, inviting, no more than a few miles away, with its rivers flowing swift and deep. [Music] Only yesterday it was the Africa of Stanley and Living Stone and the French explorer Savono de Bradza. They traveled in an unknown world, a world teameming with wild and dangerous beasts. Into the wilderness they advance to the obsessive rhythm of native chance. They brave the dangers of hostile nature and the wizards enchantments. [Music] [Music] Somebody together. But air travel has revolutionized everything. We were consumed with impatience. And now at last, we're comfortably installed in a new Air France plane on our way to Fort Aku, headquarters for our forthcoming journey into the bush. At this first stopping place, our white hunter is awaiting to greet us. He has taken care of all the material aspects of our expedition. He has gathered the equipment, the staff, the provisions, and last but not least, he guarantees us every possibility of a splendid bag. At the doorstep of adventure at last, goodbye all. Our little caravan consists of a British Jeep and an American Dodge truck. We'll carry everything we need to make life in the bush comfortable. CS, mosquito netting, portable showers, and a refrigerator. A native beater, a cook, and a boy accompany the white hunter and ourselves. Kiabe is only a few hours away over an excellent track. Kiabe is one of the last villages in Africa where the native women have plate lips. This barbaric custom began in the old days to discourage slave traders from stealing the local women. Today, the French government protects the young girls. The administration has outlawed the custom. Let's stop for a moment in the midst of this gaudy, busy crowd. An extraordinary spectacle. This blending of folk art and commerce. I'm going to do it. [Music] But we must dee off. The big game is there waiting for us. Our trail runs between huge antills across the immense yellow and green savannah dotted with bright red flowers. [Music] And now we come to the auk, a branch of the great shotty. We cross it by ferry. A rather delicate operation, but in Africa they take such things as a matter of course. [Music] A local beauty decked out in all her jewelry observes us with a touch of curiosity. The first lap of our journey in the bush draws to a close. This is the traveler's shelter at Golongoso, one of a score of huts which the game administration has built across the gamelands of Africa. This is where we'll spend the night. The next day at dawn, the boy awakens us. [Music] While we're dressing, David, our expert cook, prepares the bread for the day. [Music] He bakes it under live coals in a very primitive oven, but the result is a magnificent, crisp, and sweet smelling loaf. Time to check our weapons. First, the doublebarreled sporting rifle for big game, and for smaller game, a repeating carbine. The sporting rifle's caliber is 13 mm. The carbine bullets, ranging from 5 to 9 mm, don't look very impressive next to the larger rifles bullets. [Music] Ready? All right, let's go. [Music] The beater seems to know his business. He has just discovered fresh tracks. A herd of demolish antalopes is trotted this way. We're going to try to chase them over the plane. [Music] But the first thing we see is a herd of giraffes. We'll leave them to their peaceful lunch. [Music] Only after a 2 hours march do we see our damalisks. But have they caught wind of us? Silently we make a long detour to take them by surprise. [Music] Our friend Jack has just taken a magnificent series of shots. [Music] With such a target, I admit my instincts are not quite so peaceable. The herd has scattered, but we managed to hit one analopee. It's a fine demolisk weighing over 650 lb. It will make an impressive trophy. But the heat is beginning to rise from the plane. So, we decide to go back to the Dodge truck. No more hunting for today. [Music] Our reward will be a long, cool drink. See those animals rushing across the plane? We soon realize why. A brush fire. Devastating. Dangerous. [Music] Not tomorrow, but the day after. We'll move on. The refrigerator, the CS, tables, and chairs will all be loaded into the Dodge truck. We'll leave the traveler's hut to advance still deeper in the bush. This time on the search for buffalo, elephants, and lions. Farewell to Golongoso. We have left the trail and strike out across country. [Music] The animals here are not accustomed to men. At our approach, some take flight, others, supremely indifferent, hardly bother to turn away. In this pastoral landscape, we come across a troop of gazels. But they are too small for our guns. Even our photographer feels he should save his shots for more impressive targets. [Music] And just then our patience is rewarded. For here is a really worthwhile target. These buffalo are among the most dangerous animals in darkest Africa. This is no time to be nervous, but if we should be, the white hunter is with us, and you can be sure he will not miss. We drive through the bush. The African landscape offers us its treasures one by one. Here are guinea foul. and rhinoceros. But not to be shot, the law forbids it. [Music] at our overnight camp. Our staff is already hard at work. Our laundry will be as crisp and white as though it were done in New York. The shower bath is rather rudimentary, but fully appreciated. [Music] This kind of safari is all right. Comfort combined with adventure. [Music] And the adventure seems to be just starting. The guide and the beater have found shaggy hair on the tall grass. Hair from a lion's mane. [Music] A few hours later, we come upon them. A splendid pair of young lions. Now's the time for a good photo. [Music] After that, we really need a drink. [Music] The boy has thought of everything, even the ice cubes. to complete our bag. All we need now is an elephant or two. A few days later, we finally reached the herd we'd been told about. A few male elephants with their female and young. Some first class photos will complete our growing collection. [Music] We meet an old man. He begs us to kill the leopard which is decimating the village flocks. Our white hunter questions him. The hungry beast has taken refuge in a tree, ready to leap at any moment. One good shot and that's the end of him. The enemy has been destroyed. The village explodes with relief and joy. So frantic is the excitement that the leopard seems to have come to life again. To express their gratitude, the villagers give us a TomTom festival. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] This was the last image we carried home of our legendary safari. [Music] We all felt rather nostalgic, but we vowed to come back soon. [Music] Once more, we'll roam through these romantic hunting grounds. We'll taste the heavy excitement of adventure in the heart of darkest Africa once again. Adventure in wilderness luxury which Air France brings to our very door. [Music]