Elephant Boy
Adventure • Drama • Family
Theatrical Release (US)
Overview:
In India, Toomai, a young mahout, helps lead the British on a large expedition to round up wild elephants.
Director:
Zoltan Korda
Status:
Released
Language:
English
Buget:
$0.00
Revenue:
Key words:
Cast
Sabu
~ as ~
Toomai
W.E. Holloway
Toomai's Father
Walter Hudd
Petersen
Allan Jeayes
Machua Appa
Bruce Gordon
Rham Lahl
D.J. Williams
Hunter
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Commissioner
Iravatha
Kala Nag (uncredited)
Harry Lane
Bit Part (uncredited)
Udham Singh
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
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This has something of a documentary about it as Sabu portrays the young "Toomai" - the "Elephant Boy" based on the Rudyard Kipling story published in 1893. When an elephant goes on the rampage, only the young boy - the son and grandson of a mahout - can calm it down and in so doing attracts the attention of the leader of a hunting party "Petersen" (Walter Hudd) who agrees to take him on a hunt. What now ensues is a series of adventures that cause the boy to grow up quickly - and sometimes quite harshly. It's one of those films that rather glorifies the Raj and objectifies the local population, but having been filmed on the private reserve of the Maharajah of Mysore, the photography and authenticity of the story helps give it extra credence that, perhaps, the rather banal dialogue compromises. Sabu used to be the Maharajah's stable boy, so if nothing else the film serves as an excellent springboard for this charming and engaging young actor to get to Hollywood. Interestingly ironic that is was nominated for the "Mussolini Cup" in 1937.... I would not call this an exciting film to watch but it is - of it's time - an interesting one.
