Born Free
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| Born Free | |
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| Directed by | James H. Hill Tom McGowan |
| Produced by | Sam Jaffe Bill Travers |
| Written by | Joy Adamson (book) Lester Cole (screenplay) |
| Starring | Virginia McKenna Bill Travers |
| Music by | John Barry |
| Cinematography | Kenneth Talbot |
| Editing by | Don Deacon |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | March 14, 1966 |
| Running time | 95 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Born Free is a 1966 motion picture written by Hollywood blacklisted writer Lester Cole using the pseudonym "Gerald L.C. Copley." His screenplay was based upon the true-life 1960 international bestselling book written by Joy Adamson about herself, her game warden husband, George Adamson, and Elsa, the orphaned cub lioness they raised while living in Kenya. In fact, George Adamson himself served as Chief Technical Advisor on the film [1], and he discusses his involvement in the film in his book, A Lifetime with Lions (1970).
The film depicts the dilemma the Adamsons eventually faced when their time in Kenya came to an end, forcing them to decide whether to place Elsa in a zoo, which Joy vehemently opposed, or to attempt to teach the domesticated lioness to hunt and fend for herself in the wild.
The film is noted for its soundtrack composed by John Barry; in addition to the score winning two Academy Awards, the title song became a pop music hit for Roger Williams and for Matt Monro who sang the title song in the film. Andy Williams also covered the song and released an album of the same name the next year.
The making of the film was a life-changing experience for actors Virginia McKenna and her husband Bill Travers who became animal rights activists and who were instrumental in creating the Born Free Foundation.
A sequel Living Free followed in 1972. The sequel is based not on the book by the same name, but on the third book of the series, Forever Free.
[edit] Principal cast:
- Mara the Lioness, Girl and Henrietta : Elsa
- Virginia McKenna : Joy Adamson
- Bill Travers : George Adamson
- Geoffrey Keen : Kendall
- Peter Lukoye : Nuru
- Omar Chambati : Makkede
- Bill Godden : Sam
Award wins:
- Academy Award for Original Music Score – (John Barry)
- Academy Award for Best Song – (John Barry (music) & Don Black (lyrics))
Award nominations:
- Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama
- DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures - (James H. Hill)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama – (Virginia McKenna)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song - Motion Picture – (John Barry)
- Grammy Award for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture - (John Barry)
[edit] External links
- Born Free website for the Born Free Foundation
- Website about Elsa
- Born Free at the Internet Movie Database
- The Born Free Lyrics
| Preceded by "The Shadow of Your Smile" from The Sandpiper |
Academy Award for Best Song 1966 |
Succeeded by "Talk to the Animals" from Doctor Dolittle |
