Elephant Walk (1954)

My Review

“Elephant Walk” is a drama movie about a British woman who moves to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) with her new tea plantation owner husband. After the initial enjoyment of an exotic location and luxurious accommodations wear off, the reality of an isolated life, a neglectful spouse, and local dangers hits home. Director William Dieterle put together an engrossing film with good production values, star performances, and good writing by John Lee Mahin. It was adapted from the 1948 novel “Elephant Walk” by Robert Standish.

The stars of the show are Elizabeth Taylor in top form as the new resident Ruth, Peter Finch as her hubby, Dana Andrews as the plantation manager, as well as Abraham Sofaer, Noel Drayton, Rosalind Ivan, Philip Tonge, Edward Ashley-Cooper, Leo Britt, and Abmer Biberman as the doctor. The watchable “Elephant Walk” struggled at the box office for Paramount Pictures. It was mostly filmed in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) with some scenes taken care of at the Paramount Studios in Hollywood.