Born Free / Living Free DVD – Geoffrey Keen, Edward Judd

Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 or region free DVD player in order to play Born Free Filmed in spectacular African settings we witness the real-life adventures of the late Joy Adamson her husband George and Elsa the lioness Living Free Set against the spectacular backdrop of East Africa this true adventure continues the story of Joy and George Adamson (Susan Hampshire Nigel Davenport) and Elsa the lioness they once raised and set free Elsa returns to the Adamsons because she is dying Joy and George are then faced with a painful decision should they shelter Elsa&39;s cubs from the dangers of the African wilds or should they set them free? A touching story of dedication and courage &39;Living Free&39; confronts the dilemma of letting go or holding on to what you love

Double bill featuring Elsa the lioness and her descendants. Shot on location in Africa, ‘Born Free’ tells the true story of Joy Adamson’s (Virginia McKenna) life in the wilderness with her husband George (Bill Travers), and the lion cub they raise together. Whilst in ‘Living Free’, Joy and George (this time played by Susan Hampshire and Nigel Davenport) come to the rescue of Elsa the lioness’ orphaned cubs and attempt to bring them to a nature reserve.

Born Free is a bona fide family classic. The tale of how Kenya game warden George Adamson and his wife Joy (on whose book the film is based, with Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers in the principal roles) adopted and raised three orphaned lion cubs, taking a particular shine to the one they call Elsa before helping her return to the wild, is familiar by now; so is John Barry’s Oscar-winning title song. And while the movie has its flaws (it contains references to “Bwana George” and such that would be considered frightfully un-PC nowadays), the animal footage, especially that of the lions in their various stages of development, is extraordinary and timelessly entertaining. The 1972 sequel doesn’t quite measure up to its predecessor but, in an era when most “family entertainment” tends toward the insipid at best, Living Free is still a worthwhile venture. Susan Hampshire and Nigel Davenport take over the roles of Joy and George Adamson, the British couple who, while stationed in Kenya, adopted three orphaned lion cubs. Living Free finds the dying Elsa, their favourite of the original three and now a mother herself, returning to the Adamsons, who must figure out what to do with Elsa’s three cubs, who develop an unfortunate appetite for domestic livestock. The film is on the slow side, but once again it’s the animals who steal the show; the footage of the young lions interacting with other beasts, from wild giraffes and rhinos to a pet dog, is remarkable. –Sam Graham