Elephant Boy (1937)

Directors:

Robert J. Flaherty
Zoltan Korda

Writers:

Rudyard Kipling (story)
John Collier (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

5 April 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family

Plot:

This black and white movie is based on Rudyard Kipling's "Toomai, of the Elephants", in which a small...

Plot Keywords:

Elephant | India | Jungle | Based On Novel

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Sabu	...	Toomai
W.E. Holloway	...	Father
Walter Hudd	...	Petersen
Allan Jeayes	...	Machua Appa
Bruce Gordon	...	Rham Lahl
D.J. Williams	...	Hunter
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Commissioner (as Hyde White)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Iravatha	...	Kala Nag (uncredited)
Harry Lane	...	Bit Part (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert J. Flaherty		(as Robert Flaherty)
Zoltan Korda

Writing credits
Rudyard Kipling		(story "Toomai of the Elephants")
John Collier		(screenplay)
Ákos Tolnay		(screenplay collaboration) (as Akos Tolnay) &
Marcia De Silva		(screenplay collaboration)

Produced by
Alexander Korda	....	producer

Original Music by
John Greenwood

Cinematography by
Osmond Borradaile

Film Editing by
Charles Crichton

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Flaherty	....	assistant director
Teddy Baird	....	assistant director (uncredited)
John Pommer	....	second assistant director: England (uncredited)

Art Department
William Hutchinson	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
H.G. Cape	....	sound recordist
A.W. Watkins	....	recording director
John W. Mitchell	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Peter Ellenshaw	....	assistant matte artist (uncredited)

Editorial Department
William Hornbeck	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	musical director
Lionel Salter	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• London Film Productions

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1937) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Dr. Hauser & Company (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Anglo-American Film Corporation (1943) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Film Classics (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Deutsche London-Film Verleih (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Regina Distribution (1937) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2012) (France) (video)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (USA) (laserdisc)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Cwm Bychan, Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

Company:

London Film Productions

Movie Connections:

Spin off "Elephant Boy" (1973)

Excellent adventure: Sabu's first film role

Wonderful little film adapted from Rudyard Kipling's story Toomai of the Elephants. Kipling's work always makes fine films, even if his British colonialism makes it somewhat dated. This particular film features an unpleasant master-servant relationship between the white man, Petersen (Walter Hudd), and the Indians. But, if you can get past that, and I think most mature people should be able to see the class system in its proper historical light, the movie is very enjoyable. Robert Flaherty discovered Sabu, later to star in such great films as The Thief of Bagdad, The Jungle Book, and Black Narcissus. Sabu is very good, though his English is sometimes difficult to understand. This was Flaherty's only narrative film - I expect that he directed the nature parts of the film and Zoltan Korda directed the actors. The best moments feel just like Flaherty's masterpieces, including a wonderful opening bit (discounting the unnecessary prologue) where Sabu, his elephant, and a monkey echo each other's movements as they all wake up in the morning. The cinematography is quite beautiful, as is the musical score. 8/10.