Elephant Killed in 'Elephant Walk Scene'

If memory serves me correctly, the article in which I read the account of
Wayne killing that elephant during the filming of "Hatari!" was from an earl-
ier interview with him that was reprinted in Guns Magazine during the summer of 1980. If you can find issues of this magazine from that period you will find that article in it along with a photo of John Wayne and the .458 Winchest-
er Magnum rifle he used to kill that elephant during the filming of that scene.

I don't believe it either. Sounds like the kind of story people make up to cause trouble.

http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/

And after a quick glance at the Rhino hunting scene today, it's PAINFULLY obvious that the "stars" were NOT involved in ANY high-speed capture sequences.

1. ALL shots of the actors during the chase are medium shots that NEVER show an animal! Duh. All you see is people pulling on ropes and poles which are no doubt attached only to bored grips (stagehands) who are simulating a rhino while they stand there with a bored look on their face and cigarette hanging out of their mouth.

2. ALL shots of animals running near people (roped or not) are distant shots with no recognizable faces. There are a few rare exceptions where you may see Kruger or Buttons behind the wheel of a vehicle, but the animal is ALWAYS STANDING STILL restrained with ropes, the vehicle is STANDING STILL. EVERYTIME.

3. If a director had actual medium or close-up shots of stars actually wrangling animals, they would use it subtantially - it would be some of the most exciting footage ever filmed. Unfortunately, in the case of this movie, it doesn't exist, because it never happened.

People, people, its a movie, and promoters/producers lie to sell tickets. Enjoy the fantasy, but don't fall for the stories.

That a stunt man was used instead of Wayne in some scenes in "Hatari!" is indisputable. This was done on all of his films, of course. And it seems quite sensible and logical not to expose the actors to the uneccessary danger of injury by the wild, unpredictable animals, BUT...

In scenes towards the end of the film, when the group finally captures a rhinoceros, Wayne himself is seen very close to the rhino in many of the medium shots when the struggling animal is roped between the trucks. There are several other points in the film in which it is obvious, by virtue of the fact that Wayne's face can be seen, that he got very close to some of the wild animals.

True enough.

This is an urban legend, if you can even call it that, since no one's ever heard of it.
There is no such article referenced in any shooting magazine. When this comes up on the various film and Wayne boards, it's always a different magazine that's mentioned.
There is no mention of this article or the subject in any Wayne memorabilia book or article I've ever seen.

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My father, Paul Helmick directed the animal catching scenes. A man named Willy de Beer and his experienced crew were hired to supervise and do the actual capture of the animals. Some of the dangerous scenes that needed actors used stuntmen, notably Cary Lofton and Ted White as doubles for the actors. Apparently, Mr. Wayne and some of the other actors did participate in some scenes. Their plan was to film the professionals catching the animals, then come back with the actors and do some close up shots. They were allowed to hold a captured animal for only a few minutes before it was let go. In one unfortunate incident, a cape buffalo was captured (maybe by the Wildlife Service?) and transported to another location to shoot a capture scene, but the animal died in the transport truck. I believe there was a serious accident when a Jeep hit a gully. I would love to ask my father about some of the questions brought up here, but he is no longer with us. He does have a few pages about making Hatari in his memoir, "Cut, Print, and That's a Wrap".

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