Bunny Allen
Encyclopedia
Frank Maurice Allen known as "Bunny Allen" was born on 17 April 1906 in Upton Cum Chalvey
, Buckinghamshire
, England died January 14, 2002 on Lamu Island
was a renown white hunter and safari
guide in Kenya
.
. He was educated at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
.
He arrived in Kenya
in 1927 to join his two brothers. He found work managing a farm for Mervyn Soames where he took guests out shooting. His bush expertise drew respect from the locals and he became a hunting partner of Denys Finch Hatton
. He took part in three Royal Safaris including one where he caputred cheetah
by driving alongside them as they ran and jumping on their backs.
During World War II he enlisted and was later commissioned in the King's African Rifles
serving in the Battle of Madagascar
and the 6th East African Campaign
finishing the war as a Captain.
as well as The African Queen, Where No Vultures Fly
and Nor the Moon by Night
. He gained fame by working on John Ford
's Mogambo
and acted as Clark Gable
's double during action scenes.
Upton, Slough
Upton is a suburb of Slough in Berkshire, England. Until the local government reforms of 1974 it was in Buckinghamshire. It was one of the villages that developed into the town.-History:...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England died January 14, 2002 on Lamu Island
Lamu Island
Lamu Island is a part of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya.Lamu Old Town, the principal inhabited part of the island, is one of the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlements in East Africa. Built in coral stone and mangrove timber, the town is characterized by the simplicity of structural forms...
was a renown white hunter and safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
guide in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Biography
Allen earned the nickname "Bunny" from a Gypsy hunting companion in England for his proficency in snaring rabbits in Windsor ForestWindsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a large deer park of , to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century...
. He was educated at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School is a selective state grammar school accepting girls and boys aged 11–18 located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated on West Street, close to the town centre and also accepts students from nearby towns...
, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Marlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
.
He arrived in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
in 1927 to join his two brothers. He found work managing a farm for Mervyn Soames where he took guests out shooting. His bush expertise drew respect from the locals and he became a hunting partner of Denys Finch Hatton
Denys Finch Hatton
Denys George Finch Hatton was a big-game hunter, and the lover of Karen Blixen , who wrote about him in her autobiographical book Out of Africa first published in 1937...
. He took part in three Royal Safaris including one where he caputred cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
by driving alongside them as they ran and jumping on their backs.
During World War II he enlisted and was later commissioned in the King's African Rifles
King's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
serving in the Battle of Madagascar
Battle of Madagascar
The Battle of Madagascar was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy-French-controlled Madagascar during World War II. It began on 5 May 1942. Fighting did not cease until 6 November.-Geo-political:...
and the 6th East African Campaign
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
finishing the war as a Captain.
Film work
Allen returned to hunting in 1946 and through his famous clients on safaris was discovered by Hollywood where he acted as a technical adviser to MGM's King Solomon's MinesKing Solomon's Mines (1950 film)
King Solomon's Mines is a 1950 adventure film loosely based on the 1885 novel King Solomon's Mines by Henry Rider Haggard, starring Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger and Richard Carlson. It was adapted by Helen Deutsch, directed by Compton Bennett and Andrew Marton and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
as well as The African Queen, Where No Vultures Fly
Where No Vultures Fly
Where No Vultures Fly is a 1951 British film. It was released under the title Ivory Hunter in the United States. It was directed by Harry Watt and starred Anthony Steel and Dinah Sheridan. The film was inspired by the work of the conservationist Mervyn Cowie...
and Nor the Moon by Night
Nor the Moon by Night
Nor the Moon by Night is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Joan Brickhill, Michael Craig, and Anna Gaylor....
. He gained fame by working on John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
's Mogambo
Mogambo
Mogambo is a 1953 film directed by John Ford, featuring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Donald Sinden. The film was adapted by John Lee Mahin from the play by Wilson Collison....
and acted as Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
's double during action scenes.
Books
- Allen, Bunny & Claassens, Harry The Wheel Of Life: A Life Of Safaris And Romance Safari Press, 2005
External links
- Last of the Great White Hunters http://www.salon.com/wlust/feature/1998/03/19feature.html