Elephant Boy

In India, an elephant boy (Sabu) wants to become a great man like his father and helps a British colonial conservationist (Walter Hudd) find and herd elephants.

A film project that began with producer Alexander Korda sending the great documentary filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty to the Mysore region of India to film for an Empire project. The result was 55 hours of geographic documentary footage, but no discernible narrative. Zoltan Korda took over, brought the production back to England and filmed a narrative around Rudyard Kipling's story, 'Toomei of the Elephants'. Much of Flaherty's footage is used in the film, but incongruously also sits beside some poor obvious fake elephant feet as in the 'Dance of the elephants' sequence. Nevertheless, both as a docudrama and a narrative film it comes off surprisingly well. One of Flaherty's other contributions was the discovery of Sabu who became a star after this film.

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.

In his first film, young Sabu introduces himself as "Toomai of the Elephants" before leading an expedition to find a herd of elephants in the jungles of India. Though this is based on an adventure story by Rudyard Kipling, it runs more like a documentary. There is much time spent on filming Sabu cavorting with his elephant "Kala Nag" and others. Sabu relies on acting natural and hasn't perfected his English; people found him highly appealing, but he's sometimes more of a liability, herein. Sabu and the Korda productions got better. "Elephant Boy" is for viewers who really, really like Sabu and/or a lot of elephants on screen.

**** Elephant Boy (4/5/37) Robert Flaherty ~ Sabu, Walter Hudd, Allan Jeayes, W.E. Holloway

Sabu Dastagir was a boy of ten when he was discovered by documentarian Robert Flaherty while in India filming April 1937's "The Elephant Boy." Sabu, an orphan in the little town of Mysore in British India, had absolutely no experience in acting, but he sure could ride an elephant. Sabu's father, a widow, was an elephant driver (a mahout), who taught his son all there was to know about riding at the royal elephant stables. When his dad died, Sabu, 9, was taken in by the stable owners as a ward. Flaherty and his scouting crew came upon the young boy at the stables, whose engaging personality and handsome looks made him a logical choice for the lead in the movie.

Flaherty was busy shooting 'B-Roll' for over a year filming elephants in their natural habitat in India when the producer and owner of London Films, Alexander Korda, sent his brother Zolta down to quicken the pace. Zolta, who himself specialized in directing exotic adventure motion pictures, was bowled over by the young Sabu. He and his brother signed Sabu to a contract. "The Elephant Boy" was adapted from the Rudyard Kipling short story 'Toomai of the Elephants.' Sabu, now 13, and his brother were brought to England to shoot the rest of the movie after the 'B team' finished filming him riding his elephant in India. For the London studio shoot, Korda borrowed elephants from several circuses and zoos in the area. Sabu and his surrounding cast delivered the dramatic story of a boy helping British hunter Peterson (Walter Hudd) round up a number of wild elephants to work in India's construction projects.

Film reviewer Kenneth Godwin praised "The Elephant Boy's" blending of the varying talents involved in the making of the motion picture.

"Sabu's debut film is a surprisingly successful hybrid, combining Flaherty's documentary observation with Zoltan Korda's storytelling to convey a child's eye view of life in Imperial India," notes Godwin. The New York Times film critic Frank Nugent was effusive about Sabu's first screen appearance. "Sabu, the Indian boy, is a sunny-faced, manly little youngster, whose naturalness beneath the camera's scrutiny should bring blushes to the faces of the precocious wonder-children of Hollywood," wrote Nugent. "He's a much better actor than the British players Mr. Flaherty tried to disguise behind frizzed beards and Indian names."

Sabu knew hardly any English when he introduced himself in the movie's long opening monologue of "The Elephant's Boys," and spoke phonetically. Sabu emerged as the first actor from India to have a popular British and Hollywood career.

I didn't like this movie at all Too much of the "hysterical elephant goes berserk" routine,and the horrid racket to go with it Sabu as the earnest,young Hindu boy was at best,cloyingly maudlin. The patronizing British Head Honcho was also a bit too much to take. I'm not even sure a child would like it.The pathetic elephant screams might be a bit scary. Parental Guidance Recommended (by me at least)