In 1960, Joy Adamson published a book called Born Free, based on her (and her husband, George Adamson) experience raising the lioness Elsa. The book was followed by two others, Living Free (1961) and Forever Free (1963).
Reception
Carole Horst from Variety magazine wrote: "Brandis and Richards (“Jurassic Park”) make a cute couple, and Noth and Purl do their best with the thin characters given them. Director Tommy Lee Wallace does keep things going, and cinematographer Johann Scheepers’ lensing is pretty. But the South African locations could have been used more effectively, and some scenes look like they were shot on a soundstage. Footage of animals roaming around the savanna is clumsily intercut with reaction shots of the actors, creating a jarring effect."[1] Tom Gliatto from People magazine gave the film a C− and said: "The word “adventure” is used with impudent liberality. As with its famous 1966 movie predecessor, this two-hour production involves Elsa, a tamed lioness who needs to be reeducated to survive in the wilderness, but huge chunks of the story are devoted to Jonathan Brandis (seaQuest) in the role of a sulky American teen whose widowed father is doing viral research in Africa (where the movie was shot). But this isn’t Born Free—it’s Tiger Beat."[2]
