Living Free

1972 British film

Nigel Davenport
Susan Hampshire
Geoffrey Keen
Edward Judd
Peter Lukoye

CinematographyWolfgang SuschitzkyEdited byDon DeaconMusic bySol Kaplan

Production
companies

Columbia Pictures Corporation
Columbia Pictures
Open Road Films
Highroad

Distributed byColumbia-Warner Distributors
Columbia Pictures
NBC

Release date

April 15, 1972 (1972-04-15)

(Japan)

Running time

90 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglish

Living Free is a 1972 British drama film, written by Millard Kaufman and directed by Jack Couffer. It is starred by Nigel Davenport, Susan Hampshire and Geoffrey Keen.^[1] This film is a sequel to Born Free (1966), which was based on the 1960 book of the same name by Joy Adamson. The film Living Free is also based on a book by Joy Adamson; however, it is not based on the book of the same name but is instead based on the third book in the series, Forever Free. Singer Julie Budd sang the title song, composed by Sol Kaplan and Freddy Douglass.^[2]

Plot

After Elsa the lioness dies, her three lion cubs (Jespah, Gopa and Little Elsa) are forced to move to a game preserve and must learn to hunt on their own with the help of George Adamson and his wife, Joy.

Cast

Nigel Davenport as George Adamson
Susan Hampshire as Joy Adamson
Geoffrey Keen as Kendall
Peter Lukoye as Nuru
Shane De Louvre as Makedde
Robert Beaumont as Billy Collins
Nobby Noble as Bank Manager
Allaudin Qureshi as Bank Clerk
Charles Hayes as Herbert Baker
Jean Hayes as Mrs. Herbert Baker
Edward Judd as Weaver

Reception

The film was nominated for one Golden Globe Awards for Best English-Language Foreign Film.^[3]

Howard Thompson from The New York Times wrote: "'Born Free' history is repeating itself and the freshness and novelty wear thin. Still, these are enterprising, well-meaning adults, the animals—all of them — and the exotic scenery are diverting and the picture is clean as a lion's tooth, not that we've ever crawled up close for a look. "Living Free" is close enough to sensible entertainment for the children — and bright ones, too."^[4] Andy Webb from The Movie Scene gave the film two out of five stars and stated: "What this all boils down to is that "Living Free" whilst still an entertaining movie is not a patch on "Born Free". From the change in actors, through to the overlong recap and natural history lesson it just doesn't feel right. And whilst the storyline itself relays some of the emotion of Joy and George's battle to protect Elsa's legacy the connection to the emotion never really comes across from the acting or the way the movie is directed.^[5]

References

^ "Living Free (1972)". BFI. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
^ Passafiume, Andrea (2015). "Living Free (1972)". Turner Classic Movies.
^ "Awards for 1973". IMDB. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
^ Thompson, Howard. "Film: Elsa's Cubs Pad In:' Living Free' Tracks Trio Raised by Humans". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
^ Webb, Andy. "Living Free (1972)". The Movie Scene.