Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Namu, the Killer Whale

  • 1966
  • PG
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
353
YOUR RATING
Robert Lansing, Robin Mattson, and Lee Meriwether in Namu, the Killer Whale (1966)
AdventureDramaFamily

Robert Lansing and Lee Meriwether star in this warm and compelling family drama about a compassionate scientist who forms an unlikely friendship with a magnificent killer whale.Robert Lansing and Lee Meriwether star in this warm and compelling family drama about a compassionate scientist who forms an unlikely friendship with a magnificent killer whale.Robert Lansing and Lee Meriwether star in this warm and compelling family drama about a compassionate scientist who forms an unlikely friendship with a magnificent killer whale.

  • Director
    • Laslo Benedek
  • Writer
    • Arthur Weiss
  • Stars
    • Robert Lansing
    • John Anderson
    • Robin Mattson
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    353
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Laslo Benedek
    • Writer
      • Arthur Weiss
    • Stars
      • Robert Lansing
      • John Anderson
      • Robin Mattson
    • 9User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos

    Namu, the Killer Whale (1966)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Lansing
    Robert Lansing
    • Hank Donner
    John Anderson
    John Anderson
    • Joe Clausen
    Robin Mattson
    Robin Mattson
    • Lisa Rand
    Richard Erdman
    Richard Erdman
    • Deke
    Lee Meriwether
    Lee Meriwether
    • Kate Rand
    Joe Higgins
    Joe Higgins
    • Burt
    Michael Shea
    • Nick
    Clara Tarte
    • Carrie
    Edwin Rochelle
    Edwin Rochelle
    • Charlie
    • Director
      • Laslo Benedek
    • Writer
      • Arthur Weiss
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    On Moonlight Bay
    6.9
    On Moonlight Bay
    Flipper
    6.3
    Flipper
    The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
    7.2
    The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
    Whale Rider
    7.5
    Whale Rider

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sadly, Namu died soon after the film was made; incredibly, from drowning.
    • Goofs
      When Hank gets in the water with Namu wearing a wet suit, he is not wearing a scuba tank. In the next scene, the tank is visible. In the following scene, he is not wearing the tank again.
    • Connections
      Referenced in The A-Team: Incident at Crystal Lake (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      The Ballad of Namu the Killer Whale (Live and Let Live)
      Written by Tom Glazer

      Sung by Tom Glazer

    User reviews9

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Memorable, touching film
    Ivan Tors produced many films and TV shows that nudged the audience to treat other species with respect and wonder. This was a novel film in its time that introduced audiences to the "Killer Whale" as a potential friend rather than threat. Based on a true story and very well made (lots of great location photography). The cast is low-key and everything is handled in a convincing manner. This was typical of the Tors approach. It's well-done material- not overly sentimental, with a respect for science and a plea to evolve as a species. It's the sort of movie that one doesn't see these days in a sea of CGI fantasy and family films that are merely bad comedy. Seeing this as a kid it made a lasting impression.
    helpful•4
    1
    • modern_fred
    • Jun 6, 2010

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 1, 1966 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Namu, My Best Friend
    • Filming locations
      • San Juan Islands, Washington, USA
    • Production company
      • Ivan Tors Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Robert Lansing, Robin Mattson, and Lee Meriwether in Namu, the Killer Whale (1966)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Namu, the Killer Whale (1966) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.