It could have been worse. As it is, at least some of the actors are excellent, especially Christopher Lee as the only elegant mermber of the party, a dashing French hunter in Africa leading the others into the depths of the jungle to solve the mystery of Cornel Wilde's brother's mysterious death. Cornel Wilde himself appears to be a somewhat rowdy Canadian, and it takes some time for Donna Reed to find any charm in that drunken buccaneer. Leo Genn appears to be a somewhat sanctimonious missionary, but he is too good and placid to be true, and he never made the seminary. There is one more interested party in the treasure hunt, but most interesting are the natives and their behaviour, especially their music - the trumpeteer Eddie Calvert has a guest performance in this colourful safari film, where you also see all kinds of other animals, the hippopotami and the crocodiles being the most impressive seconded by giraffes, and of course there is a tame chimpanzee. It's not a bad film, there is some excitement and charm to it, the jungle environments are terrific with their hidden dangers, and it's not too long. It's an entertainment with a fresh and nice dialogue, that at least should leave you happy and content afterwards when the curtain has fallen on the exotic drama of how an African sect could be manipulated out of the jungle.

As Hollywood produced films about Africa now had to be shot in Africa for realism's sake since King Solomon's Mines and The African Queen I suppose that Cornel Wilde and Donna Reed were grateful for the safari adventure they got courtesy of Columbia Pictures for filming Beyond Mombasa. The location shooting in Mombasa and in the rest of what was then Kenya colony is this film's biggest asset.Wilde is in Africa having been sent for by his brother who even made hotel reservations in Mombasa for him. Upon arrival he finds kindly missionary Leo Genn and his anthropologist niece Reed breaking the bad news about his brother's death at the hands of a revived cult of the Leopard. Wilde thinks it might have been the very real Mau Maus, but Genn says it's the leopard crowd.Determined to get to the bottom of things, Wilde goes with Genn and Reed into the interior of Kenya, Beyond Mombasa to find where his brother might have found uranium. Their guide is another partner of the brother Christopher Lee and they're to join yet a third partner Ron Randell near the mine. I can't say any more lest I spoil a most ridiculous plot turn. All I can say is that one of the cast has truly gone native.I suppose a good safari is a good enough reason to be in one stinker of a movie.

It is not clear exactly who this film was aimed at.Filmed in technicolour in Africa,with interiors in the UK with a largely British cast.The two main leads are American.So maybe this was made for the American as well as the British market.The story is rather strange.It seems to be utilising elements of the then current Mau mau uprising in Kenya and renaming them the Leopard people.Instead of seeking independence they are being led by a dotty English missionary,played by Leo Genn in a very unsatisfactory wig,to protect a uranium mine.In the meantime Wilde and Reed are having a truly tiresome romance.Some good location scenes but that is about all of interest.

George Marshall directs this Columbia Pictures East African travelogue. Matt Campbell(Cornell Wilde) makes the trip to Mombasa, Kenya too late for his brother's funeral. He discovers his brother did not die of natural causes, but murdered. Matt would like to know who murdered him; but unsympathetically would like to know more about the location of a mine that his sibling wrote him about. Early on arrival, Mr. Campbell meets with a missionary, Ralph Hoyt(Leo Genn)and Hoyt's niece Ann Wilson(Donna Reed)and joins them on safari and search for the valuable mine. This is not a gold mine, nor diamond mine; but a uranium mine. Several attempts are made on Matt's life and he knows someone seriously does not want him to locate the mine. As the safari travels beyond Mombasa, natives speak of a white man being killed by a legendary tribe of "leopard men". This action adventure seems a bit longer than the quoted running time of an hour and thirty minutes. Sure some scenes may have been drawn out a bit; and any violence is not very shocking. Banter between Wilde and Reed at times is playfully humorous. Horror film veteran Christopher Lee plays a shady Frenchman. Also supporting are Ron Randall and Dan Jackson. This film was indeed filmed in Mombasa, Kenya.