The Bushbaby (1969)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

John Trent

Writers:

Robert Maxwell (writer)
William Stevenson (novel)

Release Date:

November 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

A true-to-life adventure as big as Africa itself.

Plot:

The young daughter of a park ranger in Tanzania is distressed to learn that she and her father must permanently return to England...

Plot Keywords:

Pet | Africa | Nature | Journey | Animal

Cast

Margaret Brooks	...	Jackie
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Tembo
Donald Houston	...	John Leeds
Laurence Naismith	...	Prof. 'Cranky' Crankshaw
Marne Maitland	...	The Hadj
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Tilison
Jack Gwillim	...	Ardsley
Noel Howlett	...	Rev. Barlow
Tommy Ansah	...	Policeman
Jumoke Debayo	...	Bus Woman
Harold Goodwin	...	Steward
Charles Hyatt	...	Gideon
Willie Jonah	...	Police Sergeant
Simon Lack	...	First Officer
Victor Maddern	...	Barman

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | USA:G

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Movie Connections:

Version of "Sougen no chiisana tenshi busshu beibii" (1992)

A wonderful story of adventure and friendship through the wilds of Africa!

The Bushbaby was produced by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and originally released in 1969. The story was also adapted in 1992 as part of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater series, "Sougen no chiisana tenshi busshu beibii" ("Little Angel of the Grasslands: Bushbaby"). This film is rare and hard to find, for I don't believe it has ever seen the light of day on DVD and its last release may have been in 1993. Shame, because I am happy to say that this is a very sweet story of adventure and friendship through the wilds of Africa. Probably the only family film in my collection that ventures into that fascinating continent in such a fun and appealing way.

Based on William Stevenson's "The Bushbabies", the film is the story of a young girl named Jackie Leeds happily living in Kenya with her father and among many friends; her mother had been killed in the uprising of 1961. In the mid-sixties, Kenya had gained independence and found itself under a new government, for this reason, Jackie is dismayed to learn that she must now leave the country with her father and move to London. Not only is Jackie asked to leave the friends and the home she's known her entire life, but she must also leave behind the adorable bushbaby, an awkward creature resembling a small monkey, she's had as a pet for almost a year. As father and daughter wait on the boat after saying goodbye to their lifelong African friend Tembo, a crew member discovers that Jackie had sneaked the bushbaby into the boat. Though the man promises to keep her secret, he warns her that carrying the animal on the boat is illegal without a permit, and should it be discovered, the captain would likely throw him overboard, drowning him. Shocked, Jackie decides that she cannot risk the life of her dear friend and so sneaks out of the boat with the intention of setting the bushbaby free. Unfortunately, the boat leaves shortly after she gets off and Jackie finds herself in a great deal of trouble. Luckily for her, Tembo finds her and promises to help her set the bushbaby free and then return her to her father. However, before this can be done, the two of them will have to overcome certain challenges. When her father learns of her daughter's disappearance, word mistakenly gets out that she has been kidnapped and a manhunt for the one responsible begins. Tembo's life may be at risk unless Jackie is safely returned to her father and the entire mess can be cleared up.

Beautifully filmed featuring lovely African landscapes as well as sunrises, sunsets, a great variety of animals and wonderful African music, "The Bushbaby" is a delightful quality family film that should not be missed. I can't tell how well the film is adapted from the novel, for I've never yet read the novel, but it is certainly on my to-read list right now. Perhaps the only flaw I found with the film was that the relationship between Jackie and her pet bushbaby was not as tender and strong as I had imagined it to be, but it wasn't really disappointing. The acting is superb; Margaret Brooks is sensational as Jackie Leeds, I simply loved her character in the movie. The story is fast-pased and entertaining, I didn't find myself bored once during the course of the action. For a film set in 1969, I repeat, it is beautifully filmed, far beyond my initial expectations. I'm very glad to have this little treasure in my collection and hope that soon it'll be available to be added to many more family-film collections, for you won't find gems like this made nowadays.