Man-Eater of Kumaon

Man-Eater of Kumaon is a 1948 American adventure film directed by Byron Haskin and starring Sabu, Wendell Corey and Joanne Page. The film was made after the success of the Jim Corbett book Man-Eaters of Kumaon, published by Oxford University Press in 1944.

The film was not based on any of the stories of the Corbett's bestselling book, but used a fictional plot. The credits also state that "the character of The Hunter is a fictional one, and is not meant in any way to portray the author on whose book this motion picture is based." The film was a box office flop, although some interesting footage of the tiger was filmed. Corbett is known to have said that "the best actor was the tiger".

Prologue
"The Kumaon jungle of Northern India is known as "tiger country." Here the tiger is rivalled only by famine as a potential threat to human existence." "Yet, human beings are not the natural prey of tigers. It is only when tigers are injured or infirm that, to satisfy their hunger, they are compelled to become man-eaters." ...Jim Corbett

Narration
"Those of us who have spent most of our lives in India, have watched men from all over the world come here to hunt the tiger. They come for many reasons. Some searching for tiger, others searching something within themselves. One such hunter was this American. He came here with his unhappiness, hoping that in the jungle, he would find a solution"

Plot
John Collins is visiting India. While he hunts a much feared man-eating tiger, he learns from native customs and understands the approach to life of native couple Narain and Lali.