ANIMAL FILMS OF MY SIXTIES CHILDHOOD: AS FREE AS THE WIND BLOWS

I've always been an animal lover.

In the Sixties I enjoyed seeing all the animal movies.

Music was important in these films and two theme songs have stayed with me since, both of them haunting and melodic:

Born Free sung by Matt Munro and Ring of Bright Water sung by Val Doonican.

Listening to these songs always brings a tear to my eye as it reminds me so vividly of my parents and their life with me in the 1960's.

These films were fresh, sunlit and hopeful, like the decade itself. OK there were problems and tragedies but overall the films recall a message of hope I think.

Although Born Free is the more famous film and made stars of Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, who would starred in Ring of Bright Water as well three years later, I became a great admirer of the actual book Ring of Bright Water [1960] in later life and I have an old early edition on my shelf now with lots of photographs of the house Camusfearna, where Gavin Maxwell lived with his Iraqui otter Mijbil. 

Camusfearna became a sort of symbol of a purer, simpler life for me in my later years, in the way that Findhorn, the Scottish commune had when I was in my late teens [I was an avid reader of Undercurrents magazine]. 

I have read Ring of Bright Water a number of times and have recently picked up a sort of sequel, Island of Dreams, by a fellow fan, who actually lived at Camusfearna, one Dan Boothby. Its part of my Summer reading pile.

Many other people lived at Camusfearna during Maxwell's tenure. One was the late Terry Nutkins, TV presenter on Animal Magic [along with the great Johnny Morris] in the 1980's among many other TV shows. 

Terry was just 12 when he joined Maxwell to look after his otters and eventually Maxwell became his legal guardian. Ring of Bright Water was written whilst Terry was a resident of Camusfearna. 

Sadly Terry Nutkins died young, aged just 66 as did Gavin Maxwell himself, aged just 55. This post is dedicated to them both and their remarkable lives.

Two other wildlife films from my childhood have made an indelible mark. 

Spencer Tracy's existential battle with the Blue Marlin in The Old Man and the Sea was cinematic drama par excellence. I will never forget the huge fish being strapped to the side if his boat. It may have been eaten by sharks as well but I'm unsure. Fishing films always seem to end badly for the fish.

I was always impressed that there was a Dinky or Corgi die-cast called a Marlin as well after seeing this film. I think i bought a beat-up one in the 90's and restored it for my toy stall.

The other film was Moby Dick.

Starring Gregory the Peck, this was Kaiju. Ahab Kaiju. Cap'n Ahab's epic struggle to tame the beast was also cinematic cream. I can see that huge white whale now as it breached next to the tiny Ahab dressed with his tall black hat in his rowing boat. How they did that I don't know.

I must have seen it on the telly as it was made in the 50's before I was spawned.  A forgotten classic really, I have never seen Peck's Moby Dick on the box since. 

Did you have fave animal films as a kid readers?