Hunting Big Game in Africa (1909)

Promoted as authentic safari footage, this early Selig production stages a lion hunt in California rather than Africa. Using animals from Selig’s game preserve and employing a Roosevelt look-alike for cutaways, the film presented itself as a record of Theodore Roosevelt’s celebrated expedition. In reality, it was one of the earliest “fake documentaries,” blending staged action and exotic branding to satisfy audience demand for Roosevelt’s big-game exploits.

Released May 21, 1909 25 min None+

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Short

Keywords: mdblist.imdb-short, imdb.taxidermy, imdb.lion, imdb.safari, imdb.rug, aspectratio.1-33-1

Production Companies: Selig Polyscope Company

Country: United States
Production Country: United States
Languages: No Language, English