News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Rhodesian Spotlight

Issue

Issue No.

42

Length of issue (in feet)

1011

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. President of Portugal pays state visit
• 2. In the height of fashion
• 3. for african market only
• 4. Fish to provide sport and food
• 5. Strange Home For Orphans
• 6. More News from mighty kariba

Story

Story No. within this Issue

5 / 6

Summary

Rhodesian Spotlight synopsis: Major Gerry Taylor of the Northern Rhodesian Game and Tsetse Department has the world’s strangest Foundlings Home.
Rhodesian Spotlight Commentary - Major Gerry Taylor of Northern Rhodesia’s Game and Tsetse Department gathers a number of interesting trophies during the course of his job. For instance he had a lamp made from the skull of a record sized lion. But more fascinating still are the young creatures like this warthog which his Rangers find deserted or sometimes trapped. Mrs Taylor nursed this night ape back to health. Not all creatures become household pets though - the Gaboon Viper will have you ready for the mortuary slab in three minutes given half a chance, and even from the time they emerge from the egg young crocodiles can bite hard and are always on the war path. The Game and Tsetse Department does not trap animals, it looks after stranded young and returns them to the buch later. Of course they lead the life of Riley in the Taylor household and most are pleasant guests.
The Lichwa is peculiar to Northern Rhodesia and is in danger of being exterminated. One of the favourites is a young Zebra found deserted when the herd was dirven off by bush fire, but the star turn is Sammy the leopard, 9 months old and as playful as they come. He’s not really safe pet though, no leopard ever is. Sammy has a most uncatlike love of water and can even turn on the tap if one is not around to do it for him. Sammy knows a leopard can’t change his spots, he just tries to wash ‘em off.

Keywords

Domestic life; Animals

Written sources

Movietone boxfile no.1   Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Central African Film Unit

Length of story (in feet)

135

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name

British Film Institute (BFI)

Email

For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk

Web

http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web

Phone

020 7255 1444

Fax

020 7580 7503

Address

21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN

Notes

The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).

Series held

View all series held by British Film Institute (BFI)