Mike Baker ELEPHANT WALK's plot is essentially that of Daphne Du Maurier's REBECCA. Elizabeth Taylor plays a new bride, plucked from London to be the mistress of an enormous tea plantation in Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka). Her husband, Peter Finch, blends into his old role as plantation Governor, in thrall to his dead father and the influence of his colonialist friends. The nights are spent drinking to excess as Taylor simmers in the bedroom, wearing a series of alluring nightgowns to be appreciated by nobody... Nobody, that is, apart from Dana Andrews's jaded plantation manager, destined to be the third point in the film's love triangle. Taylor is a fish out of water in her massive new home, the palatial Elephant Walk, so called because it was built by Finch's father right in the path of the route the elephants took to reach water. The symbolism here should be clear enough. The elephants want their path back and are stopped in their attempts by Finch's army of retainers, until a bout of cholera cuts down their numbers... Finch has a Mrs Danvers style manservant, who worships the old Governor as though he's still alive, not remembered a little too closely via his ostentatious mausoleum in the garden and his old study, which is locked at all times. Finch is fine as the boozy, weak willed lead, trapped by memories of his father and drinking to forget. Andrews plays the traditionally stolid American male presence, but it's Taylor's vehicle and despite being a little miscast (she's a bit too forthright to play a demure bride) stands out through sheer force of personality. The role was initially Vivien Leigh's, and some footage of her can still be seen in several long shots; sadly ill health removed her from the project. The film is essentially a pot-boiler, elevated by the Sri Lankan photography, the set built for the Elephant Walk 'bungalow' and a good cast, also the fact that any movie directed by William Dieterle can never really be boring. But it would have been better with Vivien Leigh, the star whose mental health problems removed her from a project that was made to fit around her. In her hands it would have been quite a different and potentially more interesting and definitely more complicated film, whereas with Ms Taylor its female presence is played straight and the script's sympathies - which really should lie with Finch's tragic daddy's boy - get lost.

Robert J. Maxwell It's a familiar template. An ordinary girl is swept off her feet by a millionaire who takes her to his exotic home where some sort of dread secret spell seems to prevail. Will the spell be broken and will the young girl finally win the love of her man? Did Joan Fontaine in "Rebecca"? Did Joan Fontaine in "Jane Eyre"? Did Eleanor Parker in "The Naked Jungle"? Don't they all? This particular mansion happens to be in Ceylon. It was built by the father of Peter Finch, who carved a plantation out of the wilderness, and it's Dad's spirit that hangs heavily over the sprawling joint. He must have been quite a man. The name of the plantation is Elephant Walk and the old chap deliberately built it across the path the local elephants must take to their watering hole when the rains fail.The rains fail.Of course, before the big destructive climax there must be domestic problems. Peter Finch loves his wife, Elizabeth Taylor. Who wouldn't? With her white dress, raven hair, and violet eyes, she's perfection in her innocent salacity. But Finch turns a bit gloomy now and then, as if channeling his father, and weekends turn into drunken parties with polo being played on bicycles, a tradition left over from Dad's day. And like all new wives, what Liz Taylor wants to do is clean house and get rid of all of her husband's old friends.Dana Andrews is the second male lead. He's there so that when she's at her wit's end, Taylor can consider running off with him to Paris. There is an elaborate dance with colorful native costumes to celebrate Finch's birthday. There is always an elaborate dance with colorful native costumes in these movies. The natives are superstitious (they're Theravada Buddhists) and easily frightened. They run away at the first sign of danger from cholera and they keep out of the way when crazed elephants are on the march -- all but the faithful Mammy, I mean Appuhamy, who shouts and waves his arms at the elephants -- "Go back! Go back!," even as they mow down the wall and destroy furniture deliberately like the Vandals they are. Appuhamy actually runs up and tries to push one of the elephants away from the mansion. He shouldn't have done that.It all ends happily with Manderley, I mean Elephant Walk, burning to the ground and the Old Master's domineering spirit with it. At one point, Andrews suggests to Taylor that they retire to the "bungalow." That's a Hindi word that English borrowed, along with a number of others like "jungle", "loot," "thug," and "khaki." They never did make it to the bungalow but I'm beginning to envy Dana Andrews. He got to smooch up the delicious Gene Tierney in "Laura" and now the unimpeachably nubile Liz Taylor. What makes HIM so hot?

glmoritz I watched "Elephant Walk" for the first time in about 30 years and was struck by how similar the story line is to the greatly superior "Rebecca." As others have said, you have the sweet young thing swept off her feet by the alternately charming and brooding lord of the manor, only to find her marriage threatened by the inescapable memory of a larger-than-life yet deeply flawed relative. You have the stern and disapproving servant, a crisis that will either bind the couple together or tear them irreparably apart, climaxed by the fiery destruction of the lavish homestead.Meanwhile, "Elephant Walk" also owes some of its creepy jungle atmosphere to "The Letter," the Bette Davis love triangle set on a Singapore rubber plantation rather than a Sri Lankan tea plantation.Maltin gives "Elephant Walk" just two stars, and IMDb readers aren't much kinder, but I enjoyed it despite its predictability. Elizabeth Taylor never looked lovelier, and Peter Finch does a credible job as the basically good man unable to shake off the influence of his overbearing father. Dana Andrews -- a favorite in "Laura" and "The Best Year of Our Lives" -- is wasted as Elizabeth's frustrated admirer. The real star is the bungalow, one of the most beautiful interior sets in movie history.

fimimix ....like everyone writes here, a good soap-opera. But, you gotta know the studios wanted to cash-in on the craze for these stories the general public had in that era. Major stars looked down their noses then;, today, you see them in commercials, even ! The studio spent a ton of money on gowns and sets, etc.As some folk have written here, there isn't much shaking for "Elephant Walk", except for constant hooting and threatening to stomp through the mansion by the elephants. Actually, the cinematography was the star of this film - so many potted plants !! Edith Head had "Liz" gowned-up beautifully; I doubt if she could have bent at the waistline in some of them. I was rooting for her to get the heck out of there when she discovered her hubby (Peter Finch) lived in his autocratic father's shadow and no one really liked "that white woman". Dana Andrews didn't add too much to the tale, and did you ever see so many servants ?? Soapy, indeed - but, it's a pleasant watch.....and a little funny in places to realize what we used to consider "epics". As others have written, a good family-film - the epidemic and the final assault by the elephants makes for a good ending. Twice is enough -