The Bengal Tiger
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Richard Martin
Edward Mulhare
Trevor Black
Warren Gorney
Axel Hubert
Peter Jensen
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Shot over a two-year period in India, this film documents the life of the wild Bengal tiger. Activities depicted include a tigress caring for her young cubs, two tigers engaged in mating foreplay, the stalking of various prey and the killing of a water buffalo by a tiger, and the slaying of a tiger by concealed hunters. Footage of other Indian wildlife, including birds, crocodiles, charging elephants and snakes, and a battle between a cobra and a mongoose, is also shown. The film concludes with a discussion of the tiger's status as an endangered species and its importance to the ecology of the Indian forests.
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The exact release date of the film has not been determined. In early August 1972, Variety reviewed a New York press screening of the film, while Esquire reviewed the picture in November 1972, and the Los Angeles Times reviewed it in June 1973, when it opened in Los Angeles.
As noted in press materials, the core twelve-man crew for this film, which was based in Bombay and New Delhi, included a camera team, production manager and several tiger trackers. Press materials also stated that the Indian government and "several wildlife groups" helped recruit "additional trackers, cameramen and vehicles" for the production. During filming, one crew member suffered a serious snake bite, and a tracker was killed by a charging bull elephant, according to press material. Reviewers, while complaining about the slow pace of the film and its lack of compelling action, praised its up-close, telescopic photography.
According to reviews, footage showing the tiger being shot by hunters was supplied by the Indian government. One review stated that the footage was shot in 1964, while another claimed it was shot in 1966. The film did not open in Los Angeles until June 1973. The American Cinema Editors (A.C.E.) organization awarded editor Axel Hubert a best feature documentary "Eddie" award for his work on the picture.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1972
Released in United States 1972
