Elephant Boy

• Directors: Robert Flaherty; Zoltan Korda
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Adventure
• Movie Type: Jungle Film, Adventure Drama
• Themes: Colonialism, Heroic Mission
• Main Cast: Sabu, Walter Hudd, Allan Jeayes, W.E. Holloway, Bruce Gordon
• Release Year: 1937
• Country: UK
• Run Time: 80 minutes

Plot

The unusual amalgam of documentary maven Robert Flaherty and pure-entertainment producer Zoltan Korda resulted in the 1937 money-spinner Elephant Boy. In his screen debut, eleven-year-old Indian-born Sabu plays the title character, a mahout named Toomai. When his father is killed by a tiger, Toomal is left alone and unprotected and not long afterward loses his beloved elephant to a sadistic "driver." Stealing back the pachyderm and heading into the wilderness, Toomal stumbles across a herd of wild elephants, which the British government has long been seeking. With visions of a huge reward in his head, Toomal offers to lead the authorities to the elusive herd -- whereupon the "dramatic" portion of the story gracefully gives way to the "documentary" portion. More intriguing than entertaining, Elephant Boy was nonetheless one of the most successful films of its kind. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Sabu - Toomai
• Walter Hudd - Petersen
• Allan Jeayes - Machua Appa
• W.E. Holloway - Father
• Bruce Gordon - Ram Lai

Wilfrid Hyde-White - Commissioner; D.J. Williams - Hunter; Harry Lane; Robert Flaherty

Credit

Robert Flaherty - Director, Zoltan Korda - Director, Charles Crichton - Editor, William W. Hornbeck - Editor, John Greenwood - Composer (Music Score), Muir Mathieson - Musical Direction/Supervision, Vincent Korda - Production Designer, Osmond H. Borradaile - Cinematographer, Alexander Korda - Producer, Akos Tolnay - Screenwriter, John Collier - Screenwriter, Marcia de Silva - Screenwriter, Rudyard Kipling - Book Author

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Gunga Din; African Treasure; The Drum; Kim; Chernaya Gora

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