The Hunters (1957): Cast, Plot & Where to Watch
The Hunters is a 1957 documentary directed by Robert Gardner, starring John Marshall as Narrator. It runs 1 hour 12 minutes. Rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Release year
- Runtime
- 1h 12m (72 min)
- Director
- Robert Gardner
- Genre
- Documentary
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Peabody Museum
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Hunters About?
The premise of The Hunters without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The ethnographic film follows four !Kung (Ju/’hoansi) men as they pursue a giraffe across Namibia’s Kalahari Desert. Shot by John Marshall during a 1952‑53 Smithsonian‑Harvard Peabody expedition, it also portrays everyday !Kung life—family bonds, social gatherings, storytelling, plant‑gathering, and small‑game hunting—providing a vivid snapshot of their culture at that time.
The Hunters Themes & Keywords
· 8 tags- national film registry
- expedition
- hunting
- giraffe
- native tribe
- spear
- anthropology
- africa
Where to Watch The Hunters
Rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
The Hunters Cast & Characters
John Marshall plays Narrator in The Hunters. Directed by Robert Gardner.
- Director Robert Gardner
- John Marshall as Narrator
The Hunters Plot Summary
What happens in The Hunters from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Narrated by John Marshall, the film follows Major Cleve “Iceman” Saville, a World War II ace who returns to combat during the Korean War with a clear itch to fly the legendary F-86 Sabre. His new assignment from Colonel “Dutch” Imil is to take command of a flight, a task that immediately places him in the company of a brash but talented newcomer, Lieutenant Ed Pell. On Pell’s very first mission, he abandons his element leader to chase a squad of MiG-15s, and tragedy follows when the other pilot is killed. Saville believes Pell should be reassigned, yet Imil overrules him, seeing in Pell a younger reflection of himself and trusting that Saville can temper the raw talent into maturity.
Full summary
The whole story of The Hunters, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Hunters?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who provides the narration for the film?
Seen The Hunters?
Movies Like The Hunters
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Lion Hunters, Dinosaur Hunters and Louis Theroux’s African Hunting Holiday.
The Hunters FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch and post-credit scenes of The Hunters, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Hunters?
The Hunters runs 1 hour 12 minutes (72 minutes).
When was The Hunters released?
The Hunters was released in 1957.
Who directed The Hunters?
The Hunters was directed by Robert Gardner.
More films by Robert Gardner Who is in the cast of The Hunters?
The Hunters stars John Marshall as Narrator.
Where can I watch The Hunters?
In the US, The Hunters is available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
Does The Hunters have a post-credit scene?
No. The Hunters has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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