S.O.S. Rhino
(1961)
Also known as: Bolt from the Blue
Deep in the Madi District of Uganda, Ken Randall and his experienced team enter into a dangerous struggle, chasing down a crash of endangered white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) ready for relocation into the Murchison Falls National Park.
Cameramen John Buxton and Chiels Margach skillfully capture the whole battle as the trucks batter across the uneven terrain. Perched atop the bucking vehicles, their footage brings to life the thrilling chase, demonstrating the brute force of these huge creatures, and the struggle involved in lassoing 3 and a half tons of rhinoceros.
A tense score from John Dankworth emphasises the raw action, the production having, in the words of Survival founder Colin Willock, “roar, dust and danger in every frame”. The second ever production from the unit, S.O.S. Rhino was widely acclaimed, putting Survival firmly on the map in the competitive world of wildlife cinematography.
Colin Willock
