The Naked Prey (1966)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Cornel Wilde

Writers:

Clint Johnston (writer)
Don Peters (writer)

Release Date:

14 June 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

Stripped, turned loose like a wild beast ... a manhunt of indescribable terror and screaming suspense!

Plot:

A group of men are on safari. One of the party refuses to give a gift to a tribe they encounter. The tribe is offended...

Plot Keywords:

Tribe | Safari | Hunter | Lion | Africa

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Cornel Wilde	...	The Man
Gert Van den Bergh	...	Man #2
Ken Gampu	...	Leader of the warriors
Patrick Mynhardt	...	Safari overseer
Bella Randles	...	Little girl
Morrison Gampu	...	Tribe leader
Sandy Nkomo	...	Warrior
Eric Mcanyana	...	Warrior
John Marcus	...	Warrior
Richard Mashiya	...	Warrior
Franklyn Mdhluli	...	Warrior
Fusi Zazayokwe	...	Warrior
Joe Dlamini	...	Warrior
Jose Sithole	...	Warrior
Horace Gilman	...	Warrior

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

South Africa | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:16 (1966) | Finland:(Banned) (1965-1975) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Africa

Company:

Sven Persson Films

Trivia:

The script was originally a true historical incident about a trapper named John Colter being pursued by Blackfoot Indians in Wyoming, but lower shooting costs, tax breaks and material and logistical assistance offered by South Africa convinced Cornel Wilde and the other producers to shoot the film there.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Wilde is surrounded by the snakes we plainly hear Rattlesnake sound effects. None of the snakes are rattlers since they aren't indigenous to Africa.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Where's Poppa? (1970)

Great tale of Survival and Evasion.

Not a lot of dialog in this one but it doesn't need it. Cornel Wilde is the manager of a charter safari to bag Elephants and encounters a group of local semi-friendly tribesmen who want a gift for their chief. Wilde says yes but his employer says no. The tribesmen a short while later cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war on the safari. Wilde is the sole survivor after the rampage and executions and because of his earlier good intentions to give a gift is allowed a head start into the jungle. After he reaches a designated point the chase is on. Superb character study of a man who must use all of his knowledge and resources to not only survive but evade.