Bill Travers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Travers MBE
Bill Travers in 1966
Born	William Inglis Lindon Travers (1922-01-03)3 January 1922 Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, England
Died	29 March 1994(1994-03-29) (aged 72) South Holmwood, Surrey, England
Occupation	Actor screenwriter director animal rights activist soldier
Years active	1949–1992
Spouse(s)	Pat Rains ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1957)​ Virginia McKenna ​ ​ (m. 1957)​
Children	5
Relatives	Linden Travers (sister) Susan Travers (niece)

Bill Travers (born William Inglis Lindon Travers, January 3, 1922 – March 29, 1994) was a British actor, writer, director, and a strong supporter of animal rights. He is best known for his role in the movie Born Free, where he played a game warden who raised a lion cub. Before becoming famous in movies, he served in the British Army during World War II.

Early Life and Family

Bill Travers was born in a town called Houghton-le-Spring in England. His father, William Halton Lindon-Travers, managed theaters. Bill's sister, Linden, and her daughter, Susan, also became actresses. This meant that acting was a part of his family!

Military Service in World War II

Major Bill Travers MBE

When he was 18, Bill Travers joined the British Army. This was just a few months after World War II began. He was sent to India, which was under British rule at the time. He became an officer in 1942.

Bill served in a special unit in Burma. He got malaria while deep behind enemy lines. To avoid being captured, he pretended to be Chinese. He then walked hundreds of miles through the jungle to reach his friends.

In 1945, Bill became a major. He joined a secret group called Force 136. He was sent to Malaya (now Malaysia) to train local resistance fighters. He helped them make important plans.

After the war, Bill saw the terrible effects of conflict firsthand. He left the army in 1947. For his brave and important service, he received an award called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1946.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Acting

After leaving the army, Bill Travers decided to become an actor. He started performing on stage in 1949. His first movie role was in Conspirator in 1949. He had small parts in a few other films. Then he got a slightly bigger role in The Browning Version in 1951.

Becoming a Supporting Actor

Bill appeared in many movies as a supporting actor. These included The Planter's Wife (1952) and The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952). He also played Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (1954).

Geordie and Hollywood

Bill's big break came in 1955 when he starred in the movie Geordie. This film was very popular in both Britain and the US. Because of its success, a big Hollywood studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), signed him to a contract. They thought he would become a huge star!

MGM cast him in a large movie called Bhowani Junction (1956). He also played the main romantic role in The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957). In 1957, he married his second wife, actress Virginia McKenna. They starred together in a comedy called The Smallest Show on Earth (1957).

Even though he was in big Hollywood movies, they didn't always do well at the box office. So, the excitement for Bill in Hollywood started to fade.

Back in Britain

Bill and Virginia McKenna continued to make movies together in Britain. They starred in Passionate Summer (1958). Bill also tried to repeat the success of Geordie with a film called The Bridal Path (1960), but it wasn't as popular.

He also made a monster movie called Gorgo (1961). Bill and Virginia teamed up again for a thriller, Two Living, One Dead (1961). He also starred in a race car movie, The Green Helmet (1961).

Born Free - A Life-Changing Role

Bill Travers' most famous role was playing game warden George Adamson in the hit 1966 film Born Free. In the movie, he and his wife (played by Virginia McKenna) raised a lion cub named Elsa. This experience changed Bill and Virginia's lives forever. They saw how wild animals suffered when kept in zoos or taken from their natural homes.

After Born Free, Bill continued to act. He played the main role in a TV movie called The Admirable Crichton (1968), again with his wife.

Making Animal Documentaries

Bill and the director of Born Free, James Hill, made a documentary called The Lions Are Free (1969). This film showed what happened to the lions from Born Free after the movie.

Bill and Virginia made more animal movies. These included Ring of Bright Water (1969), which Bill also helped write. They then made An Elephant Called Slowly (1970). Bill helped write and produce this film too. He also directed and appeared in a documentary called The Lion at World's End (1971). This film was about a lion named Christian who was bought in a famous store and then returned to Africa.

Bill spent his later years making documentaries about animals. He wanted to show people the problems animals faced.

Animal Rights Campaigner

Because of his work on Born Free and his love for animals, Bill Travers and his wife Virginia became very passionate about animal rights. In 1984, they started the "Zoo Check Campaign." This campaign grew and became the Born Free Foundation in 1991.

Bill spent his last three years traveling around Europe. He visited many zoos that were not good for animals. He made a TV documentary that showed the terrible suffering of thousands of animals in these places. He worked hard to make people aware of these issues.

Later Life and Legacy

Bill Travers passed away in 1994 at the age of 72. He died from a heart problem while sleeping at his home in England. He left behind his wife, Virginia, and their children. Virginia McKenna continues his important work to help animals through the Born Free Foundation. Their son, Will Travers, is now the president of the foundation, carrying on his father's mission.

Film and TV Appearances

Filmography

Television Roles

• The Everglades (1962) - Rand in "The Hostage"
• Lorna Doone (1963) - John Ridd (11 episodes)
• Rawhide (1963) - Jeremiah O'Neal in "Incident at Two Graves"
• To the Manor Born (1980) - Arthur Smith (Tramp)
• Lovejoy (1992) - Final appearance

Images for kids

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  Bill Travers in 1966

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  Major Bill Travers MBE

See also

In Spanish: Bill Travers para niños