The Naked Prey (1966)

Director:

Cornel Wilde

Writers:

Clint Johnston (writer)
Don Peters (writer)

Release Date:

14 June 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

Stripped, turned loose like a wild beast ... a manhunt of indescribable terror and screaming suspense!

Plot:

A group of men are on safari. One of the party refuses to give a gift to a tribe they encounter. The tribe is offended...

Plot Keywords:

Tribe | Safari | Hunter | Lion | Africa

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Cornel Wilde	...	The Man
Gert Van den Bergh	...	Man #2
Ken Gampu	...	Leader of the warriors
Patrick Mynhardt	...	Safari overseer
Bella Randles	...	Little girl
Morrison Gampu	...	Tribe leader
Sandy Nkomo	...	Warrior
Eric Mcanyana	...	Warrior
John Marcus	...	Warrior
Richard Mashiya	...	Warrior
Franklyn Mdhluli	...	Warrior
Fusi Zazayokwe	...	Warrior
Joe Dlamini	...	Warrior
Jose Sithole	...	Warrior
Horace Gilman	...	Warrior

Directed by
Cornel Wilde

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Clint Johnston		writer
Don Peters		writer

Produced by
Sven Persson	....	co-producer
Cornel Wilde	....	producer

Original Music by
Edwin Astley		(uncredited)
Andrew Tracey		(uncredited)
Cornel Wilde		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
H.A.R. Thomson

Film Editing by
Roger Cherrill

Makeup Department
Trevor Crole-Rees	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Basil Keys	....	production supervisor
John D. Merriman	....	production manager (as John Merriman)
Dawie Van Heerden	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bert Batt	....	assistant director

Art Department
Edu Masuch	....	construction manager
Andrew T. Motjuoadi	....	painter: title backgrounds

Sound Department
Luke Broadley	....	assistant sound recordist
James Chapman	....	sound recordist
Len Shilton	....	dubbing mixer
Les Wiggins	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Sturgess	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Freda Thompson	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Archie Ludski	....	music editor
Andrew Tracey	....	musical advisor
Edwin Astley	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Muirne Van Wyk	....	continuity (as Muirne Mathieson)

Production Companies

• Sven Persson Films
• Theodora Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Paramount Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

South Africa | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:16 (1966) | Finland:(Banned) (1965-1975) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Africa

Company:

Sven Persson Films

Trivia:

Wilde said in interviews at the time that scene in which his character turns and is narrowly missed by a spear was an accident that could have been gruesomely real, but the scene worked and was kept.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After he first puts his clothing on by the thorn bushes you can clearly see a house in the background, on his left side by his arm.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Where's Poppa? (1970)

Simple Story.....And It Works

Boy, this is about a simple an action story as you're going to find, but it works, and has its interesting moments. Almost the entire film is devoted to a safari guide/hunter being chased (for the kill) by members of a angry tribe. Those tribe members had been insulted by an obnoxious member of the safari group and this good-guy guide (Cornell Wilde) has to run for his life.

Along his escape for survival, we, the viewers, are treated almost to a National Geographic-type tour of the African jungle with many wild animals, crocodiles, poisonous insects, snakes and - the most species of them all: naked women!

The film looks dated here and there but it's now over 40 years old. There is not much English dialog in here, but it's not needed.