Howard Hill's "Tembo"?

[Savate]

So I'm watching this fun little film but was wondering....

The film has a narrative and is not strictly a documentary of the expedition to Africa, so my question is, are the shots of Hill taking a the different animals actual footage of the actual kill or are they all reenactments?

I just watched the one with the croc and that looked like a completely staged event from the way it was edited, but possibly the actual shot of Howard coming to full draw and releasing was actual "Live" footage?

[John3]

I quit watching when I thought the leopard scene was staged with a cat that was "tied" to that spot on the ground.  I slow moed it twice and then returned the DVD.


John III

[mike g]

Mr. Hill did shoot all those Animals....And then they had to stage another groupe of animals for the film....
    Remember these films where shot with an old hand cranked camera on wooden tri pods....
    They had to be staged in order to film them....
    One crew member a friend of Mr Hills was killed by one of the rouge Eliphants....
    So give the man a break....

[Savate]

Thanks Mike g.  I knew he had shot all those animals (i'd read all about it).  I was just wondering about the footage in the film.

Still really cool to see all the great footage from Africa.  My DVD also has a great short of HH making some great trick shots.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Amen, Mike! I think that judging Hill about how he made his film is like judging that tribe of Native Americans who ran the buffalo off cliffs, or judging George Washington for wearing different clothes to what we do.

[Charlie Lamb]

In the very beginning of the film it says quite clearly that the film "depicts" hunting animals with bow and arrow.

No doubt that Hill killed all the animals shown in fair chase or that some were "reinacted" for the sake of the film.

He's one of my heroes and always will be. I'll stand up for his honor in his absence and close this thread if bashing starts.

[Cody Roiter]

It was a diffent time back then and the only good cat was a dead one. Hill is still my hero and all ways will be.

[Highlandwarrior]

I think we need to keep in mind the time period and what they had to work with. It's like anything else now, we don't do it that way because we have the technology to do it better. Don't try to tell me for a second that if the world went to crap that anyone of us wouldn't put out bait or hunt at night to feed the little ones if we had to. This was the only way they knew and they did it. They were simply trying to promote bow hunting. Just my two cents

[toddster]

Good Points, we are kinda of spoiled by the great advancements in film and the quality now a days.  But am sure just about all of us in this age group remembers, Mutal of Omaha's "wild Kingdom", and how fascinated we was at the animals.  Just look at film in that decade and you will see the movie is quite good, rather typical of the day.  Alot of people forget that taking your phone or cam corder with your hanging off the end of your bow and shooting the actual shot did not exist.  do you really think that there are two camera's running on the hunter and the game being shot at the same time, even today?  This is called film editing and is quit nicely done.

[Savate]

I really enjoy the film and think its a great piece of history...I hope nobody thinks I was asking doubting (my hero) Howard Hill.    
I was just wondering if some of the footage included in the editing of the reenactment was from the original chase (I do believe at least the final elephant footage is).

I'm also now looking for any other film of great trad bowhunters to add to my colletion!  

Any suggestions?

[Danny Rowan]

Well said Charlie. The movie was made for entertainment and to promote bowhunting. Different times and of course some scenes had to be staged in order to get them on film.

Danny

[jeff w]

well said Cody.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

G'day Savate,

There are at least two other Hill movies. Check them out on  www.3RiversArchery  or  www.KustomKing.com  . Also, there is a good one about Art Young, the world's first-ever bowhunting movie. Then there're the Fred Bear movies. One of them shows Bill Negley getting his first bowkilled elephant. All these are available at the above two shops.

Cheers,

Ben

[Highlandwarrior]

The Fred Bear set is great although each one is pretty short, but definately worth getting. Bill Negley has a video, but it is hard to find. It is called "moments of truth" and you are supposed to be able to get it from this site:  http://www.oavideo.com/1684.htm  
I have not seen it but it should be good.

[Savate]

I just read about Negley's video in the last issue of TradBowHunter and really want to get it.

Thanks!

[Gary Logsdon]

I'm with Charlie on this one . . .

[Brian Krebs]

I am with Charlie too.

I have heard that the cameras were as heavy as 125 pounds- not sure of that; but they did have to use external light meters; and that ment that someone had to stand next to the leopard or elephant to get the correct reading to film.

 What was done was nessesary in my opinion.

I do kind of have reservations about having the brother of the kid that was eaten by a croc - sit behind a wall of twigs: where his brother was taken-- so that a shot opprotunity was there.

 But heck; we don't know how much is fact; and how much is not.....we do know he had a great time with his bow in Africa !!! I think that was the point of it all.......!!!!  

[Orion]

Talk about staging, look at almost any of the current day TV programs broadcast on Weekend mornings.  You don't see the fences, but a lot of those folks are shooting penned, tame animals.

[Terry Green]

Again....what Charlie said.