I was fortunate enough to watch this film in its original CinemaScope format (THANK YOU, Fox Movie Channel!), and I'm glad I did. Jack Cardiff directed a TERRIFIC cast (Holden, Howard, Capucine, and Franklin) in this story about a mother who sends for her daughter's biological father when she fears that the daughter may be turning savage, the concern being reinforced by the fact that the girl's best friend is a full-grown lion with whom she has an EXTREMELY close friendship. The cast is terrific, especially Franklin, who is both irresistibly charming yet downright scary when she really taps into the African way of life. The direction, performances, Edward Scaife's beautiful widescreen cinematography of the African landscape and Malcolm Arnold's wonderful score make this film great.
