An Elephant Called Slowly

An Elephant Called Slowly is a 1969 Morning Star Productions Ltd. feature film starring Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna as themselves in a story about the couples reallife adventures with three young African elephants while housesitting in Kenya. George Adamson of Born Free, makes an appearance as himself. The soundtrack features several wellknown musical numbers by Bert Kaempfert. The film was written by Travers and director James Hill, and has been released to VHS and DVD.

One morning, the couple rise to find three young elephants lumbering about the grounds and wreaking havoc like juvenile delinquents. The couple name the two largest elephants Kadengi and Jaspar, and the smallest one pole pole Swahili for Slowly Slowly. The couple visit Game Wardens George Adamson and Charles Mutiso Ali Twaha who suggest the couple have been adopted by the three elephants and recommend they make friends. At home, pole pole has moved in and made herself comfortable the couple create a wallow on the grounds for her, travel to the river for a swim, and take evening walks with her. When their housesitting duty comes to a close, Travers and McKenna are confident the three elephants will join a herd in the vicinity. Cast includes Joab Collins as Henry, and Raffles Harman.Although Howard Thompson of The New York Times found the first half hour slow, he thought Travers and McKenna personable, and approved the film for childrens writing, Its ideal for theto 11year age bracket. The critic also noted, the picture is a tame, dramatically uneventful affair, nowhere near as finished or forceful as Born Free. Frail and even rambling in structure, the picture edges purposefully into the wilds for some magnificently authentic animal footage...The only jolt, handled discreetly, is the sight of some jungle wild dogs finishing off a gazelle. ........

Source: Wikipedia