| King Solomon's Mines | |
|---|---|
| Distributed by | Enigma Pictures |
| Directed by | Steve Boyum |
| Produced by | Russell D. Markowitz |
| Written by | H. Rider Haggard (novel) Steven H. Berman (television story) |
| Music by | Mark Kilian |
| Cinematography | William Wages |
| Editing by | Craig Bassett |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Release date | June 6, 2004 |
| Running time | 173 minutes |
King Solomon's Mines is a 2004 two-part TV miniseries loosely based on the novel King Solomon's Mines (1885) by H. Rider Haggard and previous film versions. Starring Patrick Swayze as Allan Quartermain (it is spelled Allan Quartermain in the credits, unlike the book, which has Allan Quatermain) and Alison Doody as Elizabeth Maitland, the film was produced by Hallmark Entertainment, and originally aired June 6, 2004 on Hallmark Channel.
Elizabeth Maitland hires American safari hunter Allan Quartermain to find her father Sam Maitland, who has been kidnapped by the Kukuanas as he had drawn a map to the location of the legendary mines. The Russian Tsar was funding Sam's efforts to locate the mines, and sends pursuers after Quatermain and company.
The film begins with Sam Maitland writing a letter to his daughter and sending her a package. He is then captured by the Kukuanas.
Quartermain and McNabb are leading a European businessman on a Safari to hunt elephants. Quartermain seems reluctant to kill all the elephants, but the businessman insists, and McNabb has Quartermain tied up. The adult elephant is wounded but escapes, and Quartermain warns the businessman that it will now come after him. Later that night, the businessman is killed by the elephant, which then destroys the camp.
Quartermain then goes to London to rejoin his son, but is told by the boy's grandparents that they are filing for custody as they believe that Quartermain is an unfit father. Quartermain is told by his lawyer that they will probably win. He leaves and goes to the bar.
While there, he is approached by Elizabeth Maitland and Captain Good to find her father. He refuses, not knowing who she is, and she leaves her father's card on the bar. On the way home, Captain Good stops to talk to an old friend and Elizabeth continues on. She is attacked, but the attackers are fought off by Quartermain, who came after reading her father's card and realising who she was.
When they get back to the hotel, they find her room has been ransacked. She reveals her father had sent her a map to King Solomon's Mines, and, despite Quartermain's scepticism about the map's authenticity, they leave for Africa.
In Africa, they join Sir Henry, one of Quartermain's old friends, and, along with some of Quartermain's African friends, they set out to find Sam.
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