view today and 74 year after the film come out sander of the river be a paradoxical film with the good and bad of british colonial attitude of the 19th century . it base on the first novel by edgar wallace and prolific british author who spend much time in africa during the latter 19th and early 20th century . sander play by leslie bank be the local administrator of an area of what be now nigeria and a man who be confidently shoulder the white man burden a he saw it . nevertheless he probably the best representative of his type in the area and someone the british see a the best in themselves . he take the trouble to study the language and culture of the various tribe in his area and mix in the local politics judiciously and fairly . when one of the tribal king and tony wane and start resort to the slave trade which the british fought vigorously to suppress and bank come up with his own instrument of enforcement . his instrument be rival king and paul robeson of a different tribe and on that the plot of sander of the river turn . robeson be over in the united kingdom at the time because he could not get the kind of film role he want in the usa with america hang up on stereotypical black . though the film be a salute to the judiciousness and fairness of british colonial role and robeson take the part because i believe it give him a chance to show the real africa . there be no way america be ever go to make this kind of film . after mgm near disaster with trader horn and american company shy from location shoot until there until the african queen and king solomon mine . though take place in the nigeria area and the film be shoot on location in the kenya colony and we learn that the first kenyan president and jomo kenyatta actually be an extra in this film . robeson get a chance to sing a couple of song write by mischa spoliansky and arthur winder and but be as good in the black idiom a gershwin porgy and bess . no way paul robeson would have sing them if they weren not . robeson be join in the vocal department by nina mae mckinney who score big in king vidor hallelujah and but be then unable to find decent role for a beautiful black singer . that would wait until lena horne come on the scene and not altogether satisfactorily do there . she play robeson wife and mother of his child and her capture by the rival king set off a potentially nasty blood bath . sander of the river though incredibly date should be see quite frankly because of that . robeson sing voice be at it best here and this be a picture of africa you would not get in tarzan film .