Namu, the Killer Whale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Namu, the Killer Whale |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | László Benedek |
| Produced by | László Benedek, Lamar Boren, Ivan Tors |
| Written by | Arthur Weiss |
| Starring | Robert Lansing Lee Meriwether Robin Mattson |
| Music by | Samuel Matlovsky (original music), Tom Glazer (theme song) |
| Cinematography | Lamar Boren |
| Editing by | Erwin Dumbrille |
| Studio | United Artists |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | August 1966 |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Namu, the Killer Whale (also called Namu, My Best Friend) is a movie from 1966. It's about a killer whale (also known as an orca) that a scientist studies. The whale's mate dies, and at first, the people in the nearby town are afraid of the whale.
What's the Story About?
Hank Donner is a marine biologist. This means he's a scientist who studies ocean life. He is camping and studying animals in the ocean near a fishing town. One day, Hank and his helper, Deke, are watching gray whales. They see two fishermen, Joe Clausen and Burt, shoot at some killer whales.
A female killer whale gets badly hurt. She floats into the cove where Hank is and dies. Her mate stays close to her body, looking very sad. Joe and Burt want to kill the male whale too. But Hank stops them and sends them away.
Namu's New Home
Hank puts a net across the cove's entrance. This makes a safe space for the male orca. Hank starts to study the whale, who is named "Namu" in the movie's song. The people in the town don't trust Namu or Hank.
But Kate Rand, who owns a fishing store, and her young daughter Lisa are different. Lisa really likes Hank's work. As Hank keeps watching Namu, Lisa sometimes visits. Namu slowly gets over his sadness and starts to play with Hank.
A Dangerous Trick
Soon, Lisa brings some other kids to the cove. They throw food to Namu. But one boy, Nick, does something mean. He hides a fishing hook inside a piece of fish. When Namu swallows it, he feels a lot of pain and gets very upset.
After this, the townspeople get angry. They grab their weapons and march to the cove. They want to kill Namu.
Saving Namu
Hank quickly finds out why Namu is in pain. To show everyone that Namu is peaceful, Hank puts on his swimming gear. He jumps into the cove with Namu. Kate also joins him in the water. Seeing Hank and Kate swim with Namu finally makes the townspeople change their minds.
But Joe Clausen, who left the crowd, starts shooting from his boat. Hank tells Deke to open the net. Namu swims out and flips Joe's boat over. Instead of hurting Joe, Namu keeps him afloat. Hank and Deke then pull Joe out of the water. Once Namu is in the open ocean, he finds another group of orcas. He joins them and swims away into the sea.
Meet the Actors
Here are some of the main actors in the movie:
- Robert Lansing ... Hank Donner
- John Anderson ... Joe Clausen
- Robin Mattson ... Lisa Rand
- Richard Erdman ... Deke
- Lee Meriwether ... Kate Rand
- Joe Higgins ... Burt
- Michael Shea ... Nick
- Clara Tarte ... Carrie
- Edwin Rochelle ... Charlie
Movie Song
The movie has a special song called "The Ballad of Namu, the Killer Whale." It was written and sung by Tom Glazer.
See also
In Spanish: Namu, la ballena salvaje para niños
