The film opens with Peter Finch as his character "John Wiley" reciting offscreen the first few paragraphs of Robert Standish's novel Elephant Walk. Contemporary news items add the following information about the production: In October 1951, Dougfair Productions, a company owned by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Alexander Macdonald, acquired the screen rights to Standish's novel as a vehicle for Fairbanks and Deborah Kerr. In June 1952, Dougfair relinquished the property to Paramount in order to concentrate on television production, and Irving Asher, who had been stationed in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) during the war, was assigned to produce. Fairbanks, who had already made arrangements with the British, Ceylonese and Indian governments, agreed to stay on as a consultant, but the extent of his contribution to the final film has not been determined.
In January 1953, Paramount announced that Dana Andrews was to co-star with Vivien Leigh, after plans to co-star Leigh with her then husband, Laurence Olivier, fell through. Olivier, who had just starred in Paramount's Carrie, turned down the role after reading the script and meeting with Asher in London. According to modern sources, Olivier then recommended Peter Finch, a complete unknown in Hollywood, for the part. Elephant Walk marked Australian-born Finch's American motion picture debut. Principal photography began in Colombo, Ceylon, in early February 1953, but after the company returned to Los Angeles a month later, Leigh, who suffered from manic depression, had a complete breakdown and was removed from the film in mid-Mar. Although her doctors declared that the breakdown was the result of the long flight from Ceylon and Leigh's fear of flying, some contemporary reports, as well as modern sources, note that Leigh's erratic behavior was evident at the start of production.
A few days after Leigh's departure, Elizabeth Taylor, Jean Simmons and Claire Bloom were announced as Leigh's possible replacement. Paramount cast Taylor and paid M-G-M $150,000 for the loan-out. Modern sources claim that Asher had actually offered Taylor the role before Leigh, but that she had turned it down due to pregnancy. Because Taylor was about the same height as Leigh and the Ceylon footage featured Leigh only in long, establishing shots, most of the Ceylon footage (ninety percent, according to modern sources) was retained in the final film. In order to match up shots of Leigh and Taylor, Leigh's wardrobe had to be refitted or replaced, as Taylor was a bit heavier than Leigh, and Taylor had to wear a wig to cover her "poodle" haircut.
Elephants used in the picture were borrowed from the Cole Brothers Circus in Chicago. Emmy, a female elephant, was fitted with false tusks for the production, and a mechanical trunk was constructed for one of the stampede shots. Modern sources note that furniture on the plantation set was partially sawn away to facilitate its destruction during the rampage scene, but that the elephants initially balked at orders to wreck the place. A Hollywood Reporter news item adds E. A. Gould-Porter to the cast, but his appearance in the final film has not been confirmed. According to the Time review, the film's budget was approximately $3 million. Taylor required eye surgery after a piece of metal, thrown by a wind machine, damaged one of her eyes during a publicity still session, according to modern sources. On May 3, 1955, Joan Fontaine, John O'Malley and Les Tremayne appeared in a Lux Radio Theatre version of the story.
Released in United States April 1954
Released in United States June 10, 1991
Released in United States on Video June 10, 1991
Released in United States Spring April 1954
Vivien Leigh was replaced by Elizabeth Taylor but there are still some long shots of her in the film.
c Technicolor
Released in United States April 1954
Released in United States Spring April 1954
Released in United States June 10, 1991
Released in United States on Video June 10, 1991