Elephant Boy

1937 · adventure · drama · Alexander Korda · London Film Productions

Rudyard Kipling's short story "Toomai of the Elephants" comes to life in this exciting little movie from Sir Alexander Korda. The original material has been embroidered upon, but the changes from Kipling, who had died in 1936, actually give the slight tale more punch without destroying its integrity. Location shooting, personally granted by the Maharaja of Mysore on his private lands, gives a veracity to the film which no studio back lot could equal. In the title role, 13 year old, Sabu Dastagir in his film debut plays a young Elephant Boy who dreams of becoming a hunter like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather.