Born Free

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Born Free

PG

1966

1h 35m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

88%

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17 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

At a national park in Kenya, English game warden George Adamson (Bill Travers) and his wife, Joy (Virginia McKenna), care for three orphaned lion cubs. After the two larger lions are shipped off to a zoo in the Netherlands, the smallest of the three, Elsa, stays with the couple. When Elsa is blamed for causing an elephant stampede in the nearby village, head warden John Kendall (Geoffrey Keen) demands the young lion either be trained to survive in the wilds of the Serengeti or be sent to a zoo.

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A.D. Murphy

Variety

07/06/2010

Gerald L. C. Copley has done a first rate adaptation of the true story of Joy Adamson, who with hubby George involuntarily domesticated several pet lions.

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

05/09/2005

Without minimizing the facts of animal life or overly sentimentalizing them, this film casts an enchantment that is just about irresistible.

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Pauline Kael

McCall's

09/20/2023

When it comes to animal movies, I'm as big a fool as anybody, and I stupidly hoped for a lot. The letdown was almost immediate: unfortunately for Born Free, the art of the film was not born yesterday.

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Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

12/28/2018

7/10

...a warm, melancholy tearjerker both immediate in its emotion and timeless in its theme.

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Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

01/09/2016

3.5/4

Director James Hill tackles the material in a manner that relies more on naturalistic behavior than cheap theatrics (i.e. no scenes of Elsa covering her eyes with her paws after a human does something imbecilic).

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

10/21/2015

4/5

Beautifully shot, brilliantly scored by John Barry and sensitively staged by director James Hill, this charming adaptation of Joy Adamson's bestseller is one of the great animal films.

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Frank C

@RT52755077 Aug 3

I missed this in 1966, as I was busy in the Navy. This is so well done, incredibly heart warming, and a true story to boot!

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Nicole H

@RT48352258 03/25/2025

I loved this movie growing up and the real story is so interesting

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Michael C

@Mikey2k200 07/12/2024

I cry so hard everytime I watch this and/or think about that ending. I'm a massive cat lover and it tears my heart out.

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stuart s

@RT58806048 04/16/2023

My parents took me to see this movie as a very young child soon after it came out. I still remember it today. A very touching movie. Five stars.

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Connor S

@CWSutherland 03/16/2023

You won't find more beautiful cinematography than on the continent of Africa or a more regal creature to tell the story of than a lion's.

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isla s

@RT89656869 09/02/2022

This is an interesting watch - I was aware of the rough story and I enjoyed watching it, knowing it stars some big names of its time (namely Virginia McKenna as Joy Adamson and Bill Travers as George Adamson). Knowing that its based on a true story made me more interested to see what happened and thus, obviously, adds an extra layer of authenticity to it, although I can't say I've read the book the film is based on. There are some funny things that happen with Elsa, as well as some worrying and sad things at other times. I suppose its a bit of a simple story but I certainly enjoyed it and its family friendly viewing. I liked that it didn't seem to be a dumbed down film for kids, for one thing. There are certainly endearing scenes, with Elsa sleeping next to the Adamsons and so on. I'd recommend this film as an interesting adaptation of a book based on a true story, which is suitable for family viewing.

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James Hill

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Tom McGowan

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Virginia McKenna

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Synopsis

At a national park in Kenya, English game warden George Adamson (Bill Travers) and his wife, Joy (Virginia McKenna), care for three orphaned lion cubs. After the two larger lions are shipped off to a zoo in the Netherlands, the smallest of the three, Elsa, stays with the couple. When Elsa is blamed for causing an elephant stampede in the nearby village, head warden John Kendall (Geoffrey Keen) demands the young lion either be trained to survive in the wilds of the Serengeti or be sent to a zoo.

Director: James Hill, Tom McGowan
Producer: Sam Jaffe, Paul B. Radin
Screenwriter: Joy Adamson, Lester Cole
Distributor: RCA/Columbia, Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Television
Production Co: Atlas Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG (Some Wild Animal Action|Brief Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 22, 1966, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Magnetic Stereo 6 Track
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)