Le Lion

I fell in love with this movie when I first saw it as a kid. I had the opportunity to watch it again recently and found that it was as captivating as I remembered it to be. However, what impressed me the most this time was not the story or the magnificent African scenery & animal footage, but this young girl's ability to play such a difficult role to perfection. Pamela Franklin (only 12 years old at the time I believe) stole every single scene out from under the film's big-name adult stars: Holden, Capucine and Howard. Her performance alone is enough reason to see this great drama if ever given the opportunity!

In this film, William Holden and Capucine play ex-spouses. Christine has invited her ex-, Robert, to stay with them in Kenya...and much of it is that she's worried about the sort of person their daughter, Tina (Pamela Franklin), is growing into being. It seems that Tina has 'gone native'...and spends most of her time with the wild animals near their home. The problem with this is her favorite is a wild male lion...a VERY dangerous creature who Tina has managed to tame! But there is a concern that sooner or later, Tina will be hurt or killed. But Christine isn't sure what to do and wants her ex-husband's advice. However, to complicate things, Christine has remarried and it sure seems like her new husband, John (Trevor Howard), is NOT pleased to see Robert! What's next?

Much of this film seems like a travelogue...showing the glories of African wildlife. I am not surprised, as Holden devoted much of his life to preserving African wildlife and he owned a huge piece of land in Kenya that was made into an animal reserve. I assume Holden wouldn't have made the film if it was about big game hunters or didn't respect the local people.

So is it any good? Well, I think it's worth seeing just to see the footage of the creatures. You'll see lots of lions, elephants, hippos, rhinos and more. As for the story, I just appreciate how different it is from other films...though the soap opera elements later in the film were just okay. Overall, I'd give this one an 8. Nice escapism in Africa and a most unusual movie...with a rather strange ending that will make you take notice!

The real star of THE LION is all of the footage devoted to wild life animals, especially the scene where game warden TREVOR HOWARD takes WILLIAM HOLDEN, CAPUCINE and PAMELA FRANKLIN on a wild ride through African landscapes filled with wild animals in their natural environment and makes a game of tag look like a dangerous stunt. Unfortunately, that fifteen minute segment is the highlight of an otherwise "girl loves wild animal but has to grow up" kind of story.

PAMELA FRANKLIN is charming and natural as the girl with her clipped British accent and clipped head of hair giving her a tomboyish appearance throughout. She carries most of the film with a convincing portrait of a girl who has to grow up and find relationships with people just as stimulating as her love for an overgrown pet lion.

WILLIAM HOLDEN was still attractive at this time, maturity sitting well on his features and quietly effective as the girl's biological father who has been summoned by his ex-wife (CAPUCINE) to see what he can do about their daughter and her excessive interest in all things wild.

The color cinematography is a visual delight with stunning vistas of the African plains (filmed in Kenya) and gorgeous sunsets, but the story is on less solid ground than the photography and is pretty predictable once Holden's presence kindles Capucine's interest in a romantic way. Still, there's enough material within the slight story to hold the viewer's interest and a nice background score by Malcolm Arnold helps things along.

Anyone who grew up during the MY FRIEND FLICKA and LASSIE COME HOME days will be reminded that this is simply transference of a typical household pet to an untamed lion, but with basically the same story and before long, lots of deja vu settles in.

In Kenya, a little girl (Pamela Franklin) lives really the African nature by befriending a fully grown lion and following native rites , as her mother (Capucine) , worried that her daughter may be turning into a savage , summons Tina's American father (William Holden) to help to return her to domesticity and the States (Conneticut) and as attempt to civilise this wild chid . Meanwhile, her veteran hunter stepfather (Trevor Howard) believes this is a marvellous environment for her to grow up in and her mom becomes increasingly concerned by her behaviour . Two Men Obsessed By a Woman Who Desired Them Both..."He'd tear you to pieces if I gave the word."

A cross-eyed savannah drama with a lot of wildlife , in which a little girl allegedly turns a Wild Child and adding a triangular romance among Holden-Capucine-Howard . The plot is light and simple , as a free small girl named Tina lives with her mother and stepfather on a wildlife reserve in Kenya but things go wrong when comes her biological father along with his fostered one . Quartet starring are frankly fabulous . Capucine is very good as the mummy who attempts to bring Tina back to civilization and give her a civilized upbringing . William Holden is fine as Tina's biological father , who is called and invited by his ex-spouse to come over from America in the hope that he can take her back to civilization to civilise this wild child ; ironically , in real life Holden liked Kenya so much that he decided to live there . Trevor Howard as the game warden stepfather who has to swallow his pride is pretty good . But is Pamela Franklin who steals the show as the little girl Tina whose best friend results to be a lion and along the way she embraces local customs . Special mention for colorful and brilliant cinematography by Ted Scaife . Shot on location in Kenya , being sumptuously photographed in exotic locations in the best travelogue style . As well as rousing , impressive mussical score by Malcolm Arnold , incuding an attractive and enjoyable leitmotif .

The motion picture was competently directed by Jack Cardiff . This cameraman/fillmaker made a few films as Dark of the sun, The girl on the motorcycle, Sons and Lovers ,My Geisha, Intent to Kill, The long ships , The liquidator , The Mutations , but his biggest successes were as a great cinematographer . As Cardiff become impressed with the use of light and color in paintings by the age of seven or eight, and described how he watched art directors in theaters painting backdrops setting lights. His friendship with Edward Scaife who photographed splendidly this The Lion and Ted Moore led them to work as camera assistants in this period when both worked in a camera department run by Freddie Young , who would also become a legendary cinematographer . Jack worked for Alfred Hitchcock during the filming of The skin game (1931). This led to his operating camera for the first Technicolor film shot in Britain , Wings of the Morning (1937). He finally was offered the full position of director of photography by Michael Powell for A matter of life and death (1946), ironically working in B&W for the first time in some sequences. His next assignment was on Black Narcissus (1947), where he acknowledged the influence of painters Vermeer and Caravaggio and their use of shadow. He won the Academy Award for best color cinematography for this film . Jack certainly got to travel when it was decided to shoot African Queen (1951) on location in the Congo and in Africa also filmed this The Lion (1962) .

There are two reasons for seeing The Lion. The first is for Pamela Franklin's performance as the twelve year old girl who has gone native as the British colonists used to say in every sense of the word. The second is because this gives today's audience an opportunity to view Africa as William Holden saw it and tried to preserve it.

The film may have been made so Holden had the excuse to stay at his famous Safari club which was a deluxe resort built in Kenya, partly financed by Holden. It was also a very large animal preserve and Bill Holden loved the place and took every opportunity to spend time there. Jack Cardiff who is the United Kingdom's most celebrated color cinematographer did some of his best work on The Lion as its director.

Oddly enough Holden casts himself as the outsider in the film. Years ago while he was making big money as a corporation attorney in the USA, his bored wife Capucine went on safari and fell in love with Africa and the safari guide Trevor Howard. She left Holden and married Howard taking her baby girl with her. Howard's raised her as his own and young Pamela Franklin is worrying Capucine now and she sends for Holden because of Franklin's behavior.

Pamela's companion is this full grown lion which she has raised since a cub and treats like a house pet. This isn't Clarence the Cross Eyed lion either, the male lion is fully functional in the wild. When Holden meets up with King as the lion is called, he gets a few anxious moments and appreciates Capucine's concern.

It's also possible Capucine is getting a little bored with life on a Kenyan game preserve as well, a fact Howard is becoming aware of. He does what he can to rattle Holden like playing tag at different times with an elephant and rhinoceros while the four cast members are in a jeep. The work is remarkably similar to the John Wayne/Howard Hawks classic Hatari which came out soon after.

The superb color cinematography of Africa plus Pamela Franklin's performance as a most disturbed child are the main reasons to see The Lion. It's not your usual kid's animal film, the child relates in an unhealthy way to The Lion and the adults have some very adult issues as well.

The Lion is your only real chance to see and appreciate the Africa that William Holden loved and tried to preserve, don't pass up an opportunity.