After the death of his mother, adventurous Wyoming teenager Jay North (as Terry Bowen) travels to India. He hopes to live there with his father, intrepid animal trapper Clint Walker (as Hugh Bowen). Noticing the lad's resemblance to his deceased mother, Mr. Walker is initially happy to have his son around. But, Walker quickly reveals a dark, moody personality. Walker becomes violent and young North is sent packing to live with his grandparents. However, North immediately jumps off the train and runs into the jungles of India. He must not like grandparents or Wyoming. After a couple of run-ins with nature, North gets his life saved by Indian teenager Sajid Khan (as Raji). The lads become fast friends. When young Khan's father dies, he and North try to fulfill the older man's dying wish. They must bring the sacred white elephant child of "Maya" to a temple, or die trying...
"Maya" is an uncommon adventure movie for young audiences. The film is full of stunning on-location visuals, beautifully contributed by director John Berry and Gunther Senftleben. The former was blacklisted as a Communist in the US due to the squealing of fellow director Edward Dmytryk (a US Un-American Committee member); the latter worked mainly on television. There is an atypically prolonged violent sequence, considering the intended audience. Walker's tightly-attired "housekeeper" looks like she's handier in the bedroom. The villain I.S. Johar (as One-Eye) makes a girl smoke. And, most startling, is a generous view of North's buttocks, as the former "Dennis the Menace" appears in a nude scene. North and Khan have a high degree of cross-continental cuteness. Their on-screen chemistry continued in a short, but well-remembered "Maya" TV series (1967-1968).
******* Maya (5/26/66) John Berry ~ Jay North, Sajid Khan, Clint Walker, I.S. Johar
"Maya" is an uncommon adventure movie for young audiences. The film is full of stunning on-location visuals, beautifully contributed by director John Berry and Gunther Senftleben. The former was blacklisted as a Communist in the US due to the squealing of fellow director Edward Dmytryk (a US Un-American Committee member); the latter worked mainly on television. There is an atypically prolonged violent sequence, considering the intended audience. Walker's tightly-attired "housekeeper" looks like she's handier in the bedroom. The villain I.S. Johar (as One-Eye) makes a girl smoke. And, most startling, is a generous view of North's buttocks, as the former "Dennis the Menace" appears in a nude scene. North and Khan have a high degree of cross-continental cuteness. Their on-screen chemistry continued in a short, but well-remembered "Maya" TV series (1967-1968).
******* Maya (5/26/66) John Berry ~ Jay North, Sajid Khan, Clint Walker, I.S. Johar