Ring of Bright Water
Encyclopedia
Ring of Bright Water is a British feature film
starring Bill Travers
and Virginia McKenna
in a story about a Londoner and an otter
living on the Scottish coast. The film was based upon a 1960
autobiographical
book of the same name by Gavin Maxwell
, featuring the stars of Born Free
, another movie about a close relationship between humans and a wild animal. The film has been released to VHS and DVD.
back from Iraq
and raised it in 'Camusfearna' (Sandaig
), on the west coast of Scotland
. He took the otter, called Mijbil, to the London Zoological Society, where it was decided that this was a previously unknown subspecies
, and it was named after him: Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli. The book and film title was taken from a poem by Kathleen Raine
, who said in her autobiography that Maxwell had been the love of her life.
) passes a pet shop on his daily walks about London and takes an interest in an otter
(particularly a river otter
, a male) in the window, eventually buying and naming the animal Mij. The otter wreaks havoc in his small apartment and together they leave London for a rustic cottage overlooking the sea on the west coast of Scotland. There they live as beachcombers and make the acquaintance of Dr. Mary (Virginia McKenna
) from the nearby village, and her dog Johnny. Mij and Johnny play in the water and bound across the fields together.
Mij's inquisitive and adventurous nature leads him some distance from the cottage to a female otter with whom he spends the day. Ignorant of danger, he is caught in a net and nearly killed. The humans find him and help him recover, later building a swimming pool for him so that he may swim at ease without getting into trouble.
Not long after, Merrill goes to London to look after some affairs and leaves Mary in charge of Mij. While being exercised afield, Mij is killed by a ditchdigger, who didn't realize he was a pet. Merrill returns and is crushed to discover the death of his beloved otter. Some time later, Merrill and Dr. Mary are surprised by a trio of otter youngsters approaching the cottage. He happily realizes they are Mij's children who have come to play in their father's swimming pool.
.
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
starring Bill Travers
Bill Travers
William Lindon-Travers was an English actor, screenwriter, director and an animal rights activist, known professionally as Bill Travers.-Life and career:...
and Virginia McKenna
Virginia McKenna
Virginia A. McKenna OBE is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner.-Early career:McKenna trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama then worked on stage in London's West End theatres before making her motion picture debut in 1952...
in a story about a Londoner and an otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
living on the Scottish coast. The film was based upon a 1960
1960 in literature
The year 1960 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 2 – Penguin Books is found not guilty of obscenity in the Lady Chatterley's Lover case in the United Kingdom....
autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
book of the same name by Gavin Maxwell
Gavin Maxwell
Gavin Maxwell FRSL, FIAL, FZS , FRGS was a Scottish naturalist and author, best known for his work with otters. He wrote the book Ring of Bright Water about how he brought an otter back from Iraq and raised it in Scotland...
, featuring the stars of Born Free
Born Free
Born Free is a 1966 British drama film starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, a real-life couple who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood, and released her into the wilds of Kenya. The movie was produced by Open Road Films Ltd. and Columbia...
, another movie about a close relationship between humans and a wild animal. The film has been released to VHS and DVD.
Background notes
Maxwell's book describes how he brought a Smooth-coated OtterSmooth-coated Otter
The Smooth-coated Otter is a species of otter, the only extant representative of the genus Lutrogale. The species is found from southern Pakistan and parts of the India east to Southeast Asia, and there is a disjunct population in Iraq...
back from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and raised it in 'Camusfearna' (Sandaig
Glenelg, Scotland
-Geography:Glenelg is located by the Kyle Rhea narrows, where Skye is closest to the mainland. Road access is by the 339m Bealach Ratagain from Shiel Bridge, on the main Inverness to Skye road....
), on the west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He took the otter, called Mijbil, to the London Zoological Society, where it was decided that this was a previously unknown subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, and it was named after him: Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli. The book and film title was taken from a poem by Kathleen Raine
Kathleen Raine
Kathleen Jessie Raine was a British poet, critic, and scholar writing in particular on William Blake, W. B. Yeats and Thomas Taylor. Known for her interest in various forms of spirituality, most prominently Platonism and Neoplatonism, she was a founder member of the Temenos Academy.-Life:Raine was...
, who said in her autobiography that Maxwell had been the love of her life.
Plot
Graham Merrill (Bill TraversBill Travers
William Lindon-Travers was an English actor, screenwriter, director and an animal rights activist, known professionally as Bill Travers.-Life and career:...
) passes a pet shop on his daily walks about London and takes an interest in an otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
(particularly a river otter
River otter
River otter may refer to:*River Otter, a river in Devon*European Otter*Japanese River Otter*Neotropical River Otter*North American River Otter, a common animal in North American waterways*Southern River Otter, found in Chile and Argentina...
, a male) in the window, eventually buying and naming the animal Mij. The otter wreaks havoc in his small apartment and together they leave London for a rustic cottage overlooking the sea on the west coast of Scotland. There they live as beachcombers and make the acquaintance of Dr. Mary (Virginia McKenna
Virginia McKenna
Virginia A. McKenna OBE is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner.-Early career:McKenna trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama then worked on stage in London's West End theatres before making her motion picture debut in 1952...
) from the nearby village, and her dog Johnny. Mij and Johnny play in the water and bound across the fields together.
Mij's inquisitive and adventurous nature leads him some distance from the cottage to a female otter with whom he spends the day. Ignorant of danger, he is caught in a net and nearly killed. The humans find him and help him recover, later building a swimming pool for him so that he may swim at ease without getting into trouble.
Not long after, Merrill goes to London to look after some affairs and leaves Mary in charge of Mij. While being exercised afield, Mij is killed by a ditchdigger, who didn't realize he was a pet. Merrill returns and is crushed to discover the death of his beloved otter. Some time later, Merrill and Dr. Mary are surprised by a trio of otter youngsters approaching the cottage. He happily realizes they are Mij's children who have come to play in their father's swimming pool.
Cast and characters
- Bill TraversBill TraversWilliam Lindon-Travers was an English actor, screenwriter, director and an animal rights activist, known professionally as Bill Travers.-Life and career:...
as Graham Merrill - Virginia McKennaVirginia McKennaVirginia A. McKenna OBE is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner.-Early career:McKenna trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama then worked on stage in London's West End theatres before making her motion picture debut in 1952...
as Mary MacKenzie - Peter JeffreyPeter JeffreyPeter Jeffrey was a British actor with many roles in television and film.Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence Alice and Arthur Winfred Gilbert Jeffrey. He was educated at Harrow School and Pembroke College, Cambridge but had no formal training as an actor...
as Colin Wilcox - Jameson ClarkJameson ClarkJameson Clark was a Scottish character actor who appeared in 22 films and made many appearances on television.-Career:...
as Storekeeper - Helena Gloag as Mrs. Flora Elrich
- W. D. Joss as Lighthouse keeper
- Roddy McMillanRoddy McMillanRoddy McMillan was a Scottish actor and playwright, possibly most famous for his comedy role as Para Handy for BBC Scotland television. He also played the lead role in Edward Boyd's private eye series, The View from Daniel Pike.The Glasgow-born McMillan's earliest theatre work began in the...
as Bus driver - Jean Taylor-Smith as Mrs. Sarah Chambers
- Archie DuncanArchie Duncan (actor)Archie Duncan was a Scottish actor born in Glasgow.Duncan's father was a Regimental Sergeant Major in the army and his mother a postmistress...
as Road mender - Tommy GodfreyTommy GodfreyTommy Godfrey was an English film and television actor, mostly playing working-class Cockney characters.His television credits included Love Thy Neighbour, Mind Your Language, The Avengers, Bless This House, Till Death Us Do Part, Z-Cars, Softly, Softly, The Goodies and On the Buses.His film...
as Ticket seller - Phil McCallPhil McCallPhil McCall was a Glaswegian actor who appeared in numerous films and television productions over a 40 year period.-Early life and education:...
as Frank - The Otter Actually two Wisconsin Otters owned and trained by Tom and Mabel Beecham of Phillips, Wisconsin
Documentary
Echoes of Camusfearna contains previously unseen footage of Gavin Maxwell with the otters and is introduced and narrated by Virginia McKennaVirginia McKenna
Virginia A. McKenna OBE is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner.-Early career:McKenna trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama then worked on stage in London's West End theatres before making her motion picture debut in 1952...
.