Elephant Boy – 1937 | 80mins | Drama | B&W

Plot Synopsis

A Korda family production, with director Zoltan’s brothers Alexander (producer) and Vincent (art design) helping to translate Rudyard Kipling’s tale of colonial India to the screen.

It stars 13-year-old Indian boy Sabu as Toomai, a mahout who has a winning way with elephants. Following the death of his father by a tiger, Toomai is left alone with only his beloved elephant Kala Nag for company. The elephant is given to another driver over Toomai’s pleadings, the new driver is sadistic and proceeds to treat the elephant callously – the elephant responds by injuring his new owner. A death sentence is pronounced on the pachyderm, so Toomai steals him late one night. Together the elephant and Toomai head into the wilderness until stumbling across a herd of wild elephants that the British government has long been seeking. With visions of a huge reward in his head, Toomai agrees to lead government official Walter Hudd to the elusive herd of beasts. Apart from the strike of a tiger it’s not exactly edge-of-the-seat stuff, padded out with enjoyable wildlife footage and outstanding natural scenery.