I saw this movie and enjoyed it when I was a kid and though it's no MARY POPPINS or anything, it will always hold a place in movie history as it marked the film debut of two time Oscar winner Jodie Foster as Samantha, who I heard many years later, got into a couple of close scrapes with that lion that endangered her life.
shareI kind of wondered what these people were thinking letting children near a large, potentially dangerous animal. I had the same concerns with the series, "Gentle Ben." These are wild animals and are unpredicatable. You wouldn't see directors and stage parents allowing this kind of thing these days.
*The shape-shifter is in and will take your calls now.
That's why TV is so boring nowadays compared to the '60s and '70s. Everything has to be extremely safe along with being politically correct left wing. The story lines nowadays are about as dependable as the sun coming up in the east and setting in the west.
shareWell, I am not a Liberal nor am I left wing. I just don't believe children should be put in danger for entertainment value.
*The Manitou is in and will take your calls now.
" . . . who I heard many years later, got into a couple of close scrapes with that lion that endangered her life."
That was either a case of rumor mongering or a different lion. The lion in this movie was the well known gentle animal performer Zamba. Zamba was an orphaned African lion cub owned by Ralph Helfer, an exotic animal trainer who owned a ranch called "Nature's Haven: Wild Animal Rentals" in Van Nuys, California that he opened in 1955.
The cub was named after the Zambezi River in Zambia, where he was found, almost near death by two of Ralph's friends Jack and Brini who were on a three-week Safari photographing the wildlife in Africa. Brini really got attached Zamba while they were nursing him back to health but they both knew their good friend Ralph would not only be the perfect person to raise Zamba but he had the property to do it when they brought him back to America.
The animal trainers of Hollywood in that time used cruel treatment in the training of their wild exotic animals in the entertainment industry. The trainers brought them in with cages, used the fear and intimidation of whips, guns and chairs to beat their animals into control.
But Ralph was going to raise Zamba as a member of the family; using his own animal training philosophy he called "Affection Training," emphasizing love, patience, understanding and respect.
Zamba grew into a magnificent lion that Ralph formed a special bond with and he trusted him completely. Because of Zamba's good nature and gentle disposition he became very well known in the entertainment world so many people called Ralph to make appearances with Zamba.
Ralph brought Zamba to help in many charitable organizations to raise funds many of them involved children and they were happy to help schools for orphans, the children's wards at various hospitals, the March of Dimes and the Red Cross, and many more. He also visited homes for the sick, old, and infirm and even attended Christmas parties. They were not above doing things for the less fortunate or doing things for the less fortunate or giving to the needy. They even rode in the Tournament of Roses Parade on a very large float that represented the days of the Roman Olympics. With a Colosseum, Circus Maximus and Gladiators.
Ralph brought Zamba on many different television series including the "Pet Set" Hosted by their Dear friend Betty White.
In the spring of 1960 Twentieth Century-Fox studio called Ralph about the need of a lion to work with a child actress Pamela Franklin for Zamba's first staring role in the movie "The Lion".
When Ralph first introduced Zamba to Pamela, a vibrant bright little lady, she just captured his heart immediately and they got along famously. Pam even helped Ralph take care of Zamba during all their time in Nairobi, Kenya while shooting the movie, which took a year to complete because of bad rain.
When Ralph returned to the States in 1962 he married Toni Ringo and they gave birth to a beautiful daughter Tana, which Ralph said was, and is, one of the greatest blessings God has bestowed on me! Tana was named after a river in Kenya, who from the very beginning had a special relationship with Zamba.
Because Ralph's own relationship with Zamba was so close and so trusting that he never thought twice about bringing his daughter around him. Zamba knew lots of baby animals, and he always treated Tana with the utmost gentleness and respect. He'd never lick her skin, for instance, only her clothes, as if he knew that his rough tongue would hurt her. And his claws were never out when he was anywhere near her. Zamba was not only Tana's God Father, but Guardian and constant companion as well.
Ralph's heart was filled with happiness to see Tana curled up against Zamba; it was like beauty and the beast, except to him they were both beautiful. Tana was probably one of the only children in the world who had a lion around as other kids had a family dog and it was not uncommon to see her riding on Zamba's back around the ranch.
On Zamba's eighteenth birthday he passed away peacefully and Ralph drove him to the far end of his ranch and buried him next to their favorite tree they called Old Lady.
Zamba was well known for his gentle disposition and love of children. He never attacked anybody.
" . . . who I heard many years later, got into a couple of close scrapes with that lion that endangered her life."
That was either a case of rumor mongering or a different lion. The lion in this movie was the well known gentle animal performer Zamba. Zamba was an orphaned African lion cub owned by Ralph Helfer, an exotic animal trainer who owned a ranch called "Nature's Haven: Wild Animal Rentals" in Van Nuys, California that he opened in 1955.
The cub was named after the Zambezi River in Zambia, where he was found, almost near death by two of Ralph's friends Jack and Brini who were on a three-week Safari photographing the wildlife in Africa. Brini really got attached Zamba while they were nursing him back to health but they both knew their good friend Ralph would not only be the perfect person to raise Zamba but he had the property to do it when they brought him back to America.
The animal trainers of Hollywood in that time used cruel treatment in the training of their wild exotic animals in the entertainment industry. The trainers brought them in with cages, used the fear and intimidation of whips, guns and chairs to beat their animals into control.
But Ralph was going to raise Zamba as a member of the family; using his own animal training philosophy he called "Affection Training," emphasizing love, patience, understanding and respect.
Zamba grew into a magnificent lion that Ralph formed a special bond with and he trusted him completely. Because of Zamba's good nature and gentle disposition he became very well known in the entertainment world so many people called Ralph to make appearances with Zamba.
Ralph brought Zamba to help in many charitable organizations to raise funds many of them involved children and they were happy to help schools for orphans, the children's wards at various hospitals, the March of Dimes and the Red Cross, and many more. He also visited homes for the sick, old, and infirm and even attended Christmas parties. They were not above doing things for the less fortunate or doing things for the less fortunate or giving to the needy. They even rode in the Tournament of Roses Parade on a very large float that represented the days of the Roman Olympics. With a Colosseum, Circus Maximus and Gladiators.
Ralph brought Zamba on many different television series including the "Pet Set" Hosted by their Dear friend Betty White.
In the spring of 1960 Twentieth Century-Fox studio called Ralph about the need of a lion to work with a child actress Pamela Franklin for Zamba's first staring role in the movie "The Lion".
When Ralph first introduced Zamba to Pamela, a vibrant bright little lady, she just captured his heart immediately and they got along famously. Pam even helped Ralph take care of Zamba during all their time in Nairobi, Kenya while shooting the movie, which took a year to complete because of bad rain.
When Ralph returned to the States in 1962 he married Toni Ringo and they gave birth to a beautiful daughter Tana, which Ralph said was, and is, one of the greatest blessings God has bestowed on me! Tana was named after a river in Kenya, who from the very beginning had a special relationship with Zamba.
Because Ralph's own relationship with Zamba was so close and so trusting that he never thought twice about bringing his daughter around him. Zamba knew lots of baby animals, and he always treated Tana with the utmost gentleness and respect. He'd never lick her skin, for instance, only her clothes, as if he knew that his rough tongue would hurt her. And his claws were never out when he was anywhere near her. Zamba was not only Tana's God Father, but Guardian and constant companion as well.
Ralph's heart was filled with happiness to see Tana curled up against Zamba; it was like beauty and the beast, except to him they were both beautiful. Tana was probably one of the only children in the world who had a lion around as other kids had a family dog and it was not uncommon to see her riding on Zamba's back around the ranch.
On Zamba's eighteenth birthday he passed away peacefully and Ralph drove him to the far end of his ranch and buried him next to their favorite tree they called Old Lady.
Zamba was well known for his gentle disposition and love of children. He never attacked anybody.