Lions d'Afrique

Original title: The African Lion

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Experience the thrill of the hunt and the heartwarming fun of a mother lion caring for her playful cubs as wildlife experts Elma Milotte and Alfred Milotte spend three years on the plains of... Read allExperience the thrill of the hunt and the heartwarming fun of a mother lion caring for her playful cubs as wildlife experts Elma Milotte and Alfred Milotte spend three years on the plains of Africa studying the king of beasts.Experience the thrill of the hunt and the heartwarming fun of a mother lion caring for her playful cubs as wildlife experts Elma Milotte and Alfred Milotte spend three years on the plains of Africa studying the king of beasts.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

625

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 wins total

Photos6

Top cast1

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Winston Hibler

Narrator

‘Snow White’ Stars Test Their Wits

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9:57

Storyline

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Trivia
After the scene where the rhino was stuck in the mud was shot, the filming team rescued the animal, but it charged at them after being freed.

Quotes
[first lines]
Narrator: From ancient times, the great landmass of Africa has been called the dark continent. The name came from the early map makers. They knew so little of this unexplored region, they left it a blank on their charts. For centuries it remained a land of mystery, for Africa - like an ancient fortress - was surrounded by natural barriers that kept civilization out. Across the north, a vast desert: the impassible Sahara. On the west, a dense jungle; a wall of tangled underbrush along the Congo. In the south, an arid bush country. And on the eastern shore, fever ridden swamps became a barricade to all who would invade this land. In time of course, explorers penetrated nature's blockade; and in the dark heart of Africa, they found a primitive paradise. It was neither desert nor jungle, but a broad plain broken by forests, deep lakes, and towering peaks. The dominating landmark is the highest mountain on the continent. It stands practically on the equator. This is Mount Kilimanjaro, rising 19,000 feet into the African sky. Its crest - thrusting through the clouds - wears a permanent mantel of snow. Here in its shadow, our story begins, for this is the realm of the African lion.

Connections
Edited into Le monde merveilleux de Disney: His Majesty, King of the Beasts (1958)

User reviews12

Featured review

7/10

Sex, Lions and Videotape

Another Disney Plus documentary, near the top alphabetically is "The African Lion" an addition to the "True Life Adventures" documentary series that was originally released in 1955, when animal documentaries were perhaps not as ubiquitous as they are now - indeed you can only imagine that for many this was their first ever look at African wildlife in their natural habitat.

Alfred and Elma Milotte spent three years filming the African Wildlife in three countries in Africa, Kenya, Tanganika (Now part of Tanzania) and Uganda. Their film focuses on African Lions and their behaviours but widens to show the rest of the ecosystem and how the animals interact with one another. Though the film is edited to provide a narrative of sorts, it's (thankfully) not the same cloying method as utilised with "A Tale of Two Critters".

Honestly, despite its age, I found myself sticking with "The African Lion" through to its conclusion and appreciating a lot of what I saw. It was edited to a really impressive orchestral score that I enjoyed and had some truly stunning visuals. The sky so full of locusts they reflect the sun and look like a flowing silver sea is something I hadn't seen before and that will stay with me.

Hidden cameras and High definition have, of course, surpassed this film in terms of showing the animal kingdom, but this was impressive for it's time and still retains some of that power today.