The African Queen (1977 film) "Variety" opined that the leads "Both turn in pro jobs but are necessarily haunted by their predecessors." Though intended to be a pilot for a television series, it received disappointing ratings and was not picked up. The African Queen (1977 film) The African Queen is a television film which aired on CBS on March 18, 1977. It stars Warren Oates as Captain Charlie Allnut and Mariette Hartley as Rose Sayer, reprising roles originated by Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in the 1951 film of the same name. Rather than being a remake, the plot continues after the events of the
George Sayer became close friends to the extent that Lewis sought Sayer's advice when considering marrying Joy Gresham. On Lewis's death, Sayer was made a trustee of the Lewis estate. Sayer was also a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien. Excerpts from "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" were recorded in Malvern in 1952, at the home of George Sayer. The recordings were later issued on long-playing gramophone records. In the liner notes for "J. R. R. Tolkien Reads and Sings his The Hobbit & The Fellowship of the Ring", George Sayer wrote that Tolkien would relive the book