Editing Born Free

{{Short description|1966 British film by James Hill}}
{{About|the 1966 film}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Born Free
| image          = Born-Free-Poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[James Hill (British director)|James Hill]]
| producer       = [[Sam Jaffe (producer)|Sam Jaffe]]<br />Paul Radin
| screenplay     = [[Lester Cole|Gerald L.C. Copley]]
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Born Free (book)|Born Free]]''|[[Joy Adamson]]}}
| starring       = [[Virginia McKenna]]<br />[[Bill Travers]]
| music          = [[John Barry (composer)|John Barry]]
| cinematography = Kenneth Talbot
| editing        = [[Don Deacon]]
| studio         = [[Shepperton Studios]]
| distributor    = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1966|03|14|UK) (Royal Film Performance|1966|06|22|US|df=y}}
| runtime        = 95 minutes
| country        = United Kingdom
| language       = English
| budget         = $2 million<ref>{{Cite news|author=Champlin, C. |date=10 October 1966|title=Foreman hopes to reverse runaway|work=Los Angeles Times |id={{ProQuest|155553672}}}}</ref>
| gross          = $3.6 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)<ref>"Big Rental Pictures of 1966", ''Variety'', 4 January 1967 p. 8</ref>
}}

'''''Born Free''''' is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple [[Virginia McKenna]] and [[Bill Travers]] as [[Joy Adamson|Joy]] and [[George Adamson]], another real-life couple, who raised [[Elsa the Lioness]], an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood and released her into the wilderness of [[Kenya]]. The film was produced by Open Road Films Ltd. and [[Columbia Pictures]]. The screenplay, written by [[Hollywood Blacklist|blacklisted]] Hollywood writer [[Lester Cole]] (under the pseudonym "Gerald L.C. Copley"), was based upon Joy Adamson's 1960 non-fiction book ''[[Born Free (book)|Born Free]]''. The film was directed by [[James Hill (British director)|James Hill]] and produced by [[Sam Jaffe (producer)|Sam Jaffe]] and [[Paul Radin]].  ''Born Free'', and its [[Film score|musical score]], by [[John Barry (composer)|John Barry]], as well as the [[Born Free (Matt Monro song)|title song]], with lyrics by [[Don Black (lyricist)|Don Black]] and sung by [[Matt Monro]], won numerous awards.

==Plot==
In the Northern province of Kenya, British Game Warden George Adamson is forced to kill a man-eating lion and his lioness. He realises too late that the lioness was charging in defence of her three cubs and so, realising the cubs are now motherless, brings them home so he and his wife Joy can raise them. They name the cubs Big One, Lustika and Elsa. When the cubs become too old, Big One and Lustika are sent off to [[Rotterdam Zoo]] whilst George and Joy keep Elsa, having become especially attached to her.

Years later, George’s boss, John Kendall informs him that a lion in Kiunga has been killing goats in a local village. George is sent to kill the lion, which he does successfully, allowing him and Joy to enjoy a holiday with Elsa near the Indian ocean. When they return to the Northern Province, the Adamsons learn that Elsa has caused a massive elephant stampede. John says that they can no longer keep Elsa and must find a zoo. However, Joy instead wishes to set Elsa free, believing a zoo would make her miserable. John reluctantly agrees to give the Adamson three months to do so.

The Adamsons bring Elsa to the [[Meru National Park]] to begin her rehabilitation. They start off by trying to introduce her to a wild lion along with a kill. This does not go to plan as they return the next day only to find Elsa all alone. Elsa continually fails to make a kill, being attacked by a warthog during one attempt. Eventually, the Adamsons decide to leave Elsa for a week in the bush to encourage her to become more independent. However, they find her severely injured, possibly by wild lions. George now believes Elsa cannot survive so she must be sent to a zoo, which Joy opposes, wanting Elsa to have her freedom. This proves to be a good decision because Elsa eventually leaves for days at a time, making several kills by herself. When she comes into season, she is taken out for her final test: joining a wild pride. Despite initially being attacked, Elsa is accepted into a pride much to Joy and George’s relief.

A year later, the Adamsons return to Kenya in search of Elsa. They are delighted to discover that she has thrived as a wild lion and is now a mother to three cubs. However, Joy and George decide to let the cubs remain wild instead of hand-rearing them as they did with Elsa and her sisters.

==Cast==
* [[Virginia McKenna]] as [[Joy Adamson]]
* [[Bill Travers]] as [[George Adamson]]
* [[Geoffrey Keen]] as John Kendall
* Peter Lukoye as Nuru
* Surya Patel as the Doctor
* Geoffrey Best as Watson, a big game hunter
* Bill Godden as Sam

The film's credits list lions and lionesses Boy, Girl, Henrietta, [[Mara the Lioness|Mara]], Ugas, and "the Cubs".

==Production==
The film reunited the real-life couple Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna as a couple first seen together in ''[[The Smallest Show on Earth]]'' in 1957.

George Adamson served as chief technical advisor on the film and discusses his involvement in his first autobiography, ''Bwana Game'' (UK title, 1968), known in the US as ''A Lifetime with Lions''.<ref>[http://www.fatheroflions.org/Bibliography.html Bibliography – BooksFilmsMovies<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> According to [[Ben Mankiewicz]], who introduces the film on [[Turner Classic Movies]], the production unit mainly used wild lions.{{Citation needed|date=April 2018}}

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 were instrumental in creating the [[Born Free Foundation]].

One of the lions in the film was played by a former [[mascot]] of the [[Scots Guards]], who had to leave him behind when they left Kenya.<ref>{{citation|magazine=Life|author=Time Inc|title=A 'Born Free' Star Is Saved From Freedom|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=21AEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47|date=28 November 1969|publisher=Time Inc|pages=47, 48}}</ref>
The producers also acknowledged the help received from Emperor [[Haile Selassie I|Haile Selassie]] of Ethiopia and the [[Uganda Game and Fisheries Department|Game Department of Uganda]].
==Release==
The film premiered as the [[Royal Film Performance]] on 14 March 1966 at the [[Odeon Leicester Square]] with ''[[Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree]]'' as the second feature.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=27 January 1966|page=9|title=Royal Film Performance}}</ref>
==Critical response and box-office==
''Born Free'' received critical acclaim. Review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports that 88% of 17 film critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.1 out of 10.<ref>{{cite web|title=Born Free|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/born_free/|work=[[Flixster]]|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=21 September 2023}}</ref>

''[[The Times]]'' of London's film critic found the lions delightful but felt the scenes involving the humans lacked a sufficient story and that Hill "must bear some of the blame for the embarrassment provided by the humans to the fore."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=15 March 1966|page=13|title=Other People's Lions|author=Our Film Critic}}</ref>

[[Vincent Canby]] waxed enthusiastic about the film, writing in ''[[The New York Times]]'', "Almost from the opening shot – a vast expanse of corn-coloured African plain where lions feed on the carcass of a freshly killed zebra – one knows that Joy Adamson's best-selling book ''Born Free'' has been entrusted to honest, intelligent filmmakers. Without minimising the facts of animal life or overly sentimentalising them, this film casts an enchantment that is just about irresistible."<ref>{{cite web|last=Canby|first=Vincent|title=The Screen: Honesty and Humor Make 'Born Free' a Fresh and Moving Film: Biography of Lion Has Documentary Flavor|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E01EFD61231E53ABC4B51DFB066838D679EDE|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=18 December 2012|date=23 June 1966}}</ref>

The film was one of the most popular movies at the box office in Britain during 1966.<ref>{{cite news |title=Most popular star for third time |work=The Times |location=London, England |date=31 December 1966}}</ref>

==Accolades==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[39th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Music Score]]
| [[John Barry (composer)|John Barry]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1967 |title=The 39th Academy Awards (1967) Nominees and Winners |access-date=September 4, 2011 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110020832/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1967 |archive-date=2014-11-10}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Song]]
| "[[Born Free (Matt Monro song)|Born Free]]" <br> Music by John Barry; <br> Lyrics by [[Don Black (lyricist)|Don Black]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[19th Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| [[James Hill (British director)|James Hill]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1960s/1966.aspx?value=1966 |title=19th DGA Awards |publisher=[[Directors Guild of America Awards]] |access-date=June 3, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Genesis Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Classic Film Award
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[24th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/born-free |title=Born Free |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=June 3, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| [[Virginia McKenna]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song – Motion Picture]]
| "Born Free" <br> Music by John Barry; <br> Lyrics by Don Black
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[9th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]]
| [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media|Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Show]]
| John Barry
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/9th-annual-grammy-awards |title=9th Annual GRAMMY Awards |publisher=[[Grammy Awards]] |access-date=March 23, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[Laurel Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Sleeper of the Year
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| 
|-
| Top Female Dramatic Performance
| Virginia McKenna
| {{draw|5th Place}}
|-
| Top Song
| "Born Free" <br> Music by John Barry; <br> Lyrics by Don Black
| {{draw|5th Place}}
|-
| [[National Board of Review Awards 1966|National Board of Review Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|Top Ten Films]]
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1966/ |title=1966 Award Winners |publisher=[[National Board of Review]] |access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref>
|}

The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2004: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs]]:
** "[[Born Free (Matt Monro song)|Born Free]]" – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/songs400.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees |access-date=2016-08-06}}</ref>
* 2005: [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores]] – Nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf |title= AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees |access-date=2016-08-06}}</ref>

==Sequels and spinoffs==
The book ''Born Free'' (1960) was followed by two other books, ''Living Free'' (1961) and ''Forever Free'' (1963). A film sequel titled ''[[Living Free]]'' was directed by [[Jack Couffer]] and released in 1972. While deriving its name from the second book, the film was based on the third book in the series. It starred [[Susan Hampshire]] and [[Nigel Davenport]] as Joy and George Adamson although the film was not as well-received as its predecessor.

A documentary follow-up to ''Born Free'', titled ''The Lions Are Free'', was directed by [[James Hill (British director)|James Hill]] and [[Bill Travers]] and released in 1969. The film follows ''Born Free'' actor [[Bill Travers]] as he journeys to a remote area in [[Kenya]] to visit [[George Adamson]], and several of Adamson's lion friends.

In 1974, a 13-episode American television series was broadcast by [[NBC]], titled ''[[Born Free (TV series)|Born Free]]'', starring [[Diana Muldaur]] and [[Gary Collins (actor)|Gary Collins]] as Joy and George Adamson. The series was later followed by the 1996 television film ''[[Born Free: A New Adventure]]'' directed by [[Tommy Lee Wallace]] and starring [[Linda Purl]] and [[Chris Noth]]. Joy and George Adamson do not appear as the main characters in the story. It spawned a TV series in 1998, but none of the episodes aired in the U.S.

''[[To Walk with Lions]]'' (1999), directed by [[Carl Schultz]], depicts the last years of George Adamson's life as seen through the eyes of his assistant, [[Tony Fitzjohn]]. George is portrayed by [[Richard Harris]], and [[Honor Blackman]] makes a brief appearance as Joy.

On 28 September 2010 BBC Four ran a number of programs to mark the 50th anniversary of the publishing of the book, Born Free.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC4 Icon Films Commission|url=https://iconfilms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Press-Release-The-Born-Free-Legacy-approved-and-sent.pdf |access-date=16 June 2024}}</ref>   These included a new one hour documentary entitled 'The Born Free Legacy'.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Born Free Legacy|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tzm01}}</ref>   It explores the story behind the book 'Born Free' about the lives of Joy and George Adamson with the orphaned lion cub Elsa.   It then looks at the huge impact the book, and the subsequent 1966 movie had on the growing wildlife conservation movement.   It includes archive footage and clips of interviews with the Adamson's as well as various contributions from people including Virginia McKenna, Tony Fitzjohn (George Adamson's long time assistant) and Sir David Attenborough.

On 1 February 2011 the long running BBC series [[Natural World (TV series)|Natural World]] broadcast episode 10 of series 29 which was entitled 'Elsa: The Lioness that Changed the World'.<ref>{{cite web|title=Natural World series 29 Ep10 - Elsa: The Lioness that Changed the World|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ybvz1}}</ref>   This episode, narrated by actor Richard Armitage, looked back at Elsa's life and legacy, and the work done by George Adamson to rehabilitate lions into the wild following the making of the Born Free film.<ref>{{cite web|last=Armitage|first=Richard|title=Elsa: The Lioness that changed the World|url=https://www.richardarmitageonline.com/elsa/elsa-introduction.html |access-date=9 June 2024}}</ref>      A slightly shortened version of this episode, this time narrated by the conservationist Chris Morgan, under the title ''Elsa's Legacy: The Born Free Story'' was also shown as part of the ''[[Nature (TV series)|Nature]]'' TV series , released on [[PBS]] stations in January 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ray|first=Rachel|title=Elsa's Legacy: The Born Free Story, Nature on PBS – US TV review|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8246070/Elsas-Legacy-The-Born-Free-Story-Nature-on-PBS-US-TV-review.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=18 December 2012|date=7 January 2011}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Christian the lion]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.bornfree.org.uk/ Born Free website] for the [[Born Free Foundation]]
* {{IMDb title|0060182|Born Free}}
* {{TCMDb title|23970|Born Free}}
* {{AFI film|id=22316|title=Born Free}}

{{James Hill}}

[[Category:1966 films]]
[[Category:1966 children's films]]
[[Category:1960s adventure drama films]]
[[Category:British children's adventure films]]
[[Category:British adventure drama films]]
[[Category:British films based on actual events]]
[[Category:1960s children's drama films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Environmental films]]
[[Category:Films scored by John Barry (composer)]]
[[Category:Films adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Films directed by James Hill (British director)]]
[[Category:Films set in Australia]]
[[Category:Films set in Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Films set in Kenya]]
[[Category:Films set in the British Empire]]
[[Category:Films about orphans]]
[[Category:Films about lions]]
[[Category:Films shot in Kenya]]
[[Category:Films that won the Best Original Song Academy Award]]
[[Category:Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award]]
[[Category:1960s children's adventure films]]
[[Category:Films based on non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1966 drama films]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s British films]]
[[Category:English-language adventure drama films]]
[[Category:Films about big cats]]