Ring of Bright Water (film)

Ring of Bright Water is a 1969 British-American feature film starring Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna. It is a story about a Londoner and his pet otter living on the Scottish coast. The story is fictional, but is adapted from the 1960 autobiographical book of the same name by Gavin Maxwell. It featured the stars of Born Free, another film about a close relationship between humans and a wild animal.

Directed by Jack Couffer. Produced by Joseph Strick. Written by Jack Couffer and Bill Travers. Based on Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell.

The stars of BORN FREE in a new adventure with a mischievous otter. (taglines)

Graham Merrill

• [repeated line] Mij!
• Escape the rat race?
• [on a train] Come, steady now, Mij.
• It's not the easiest thing in the world to travel by train with an otter.
• [trapped on roof of his cottage after Mij knocks ladder over] What an idiot I am!

Colin Wilcox

• You can't keep an otter in London it's too cruel! For the humans, I mean!
• Well, you've made one or two changes I see. Is it to keep otters in and humans out, or the other way round?

Others

• Mary MacKenzie: [about her dog's devotion to Mij] I don't think he realizes he's a dog!
• Road mender: [horrified at his mistake] I-I thought it was just an otter!

Dialogue

Graham: It could have broken your arm!

Mary: Yes, but the cygnet was caught in the wire, you see.

---

[Graham is about to buy fish]

Fishmonger: You want any shark as well?

Graham: [remembering his mistake] No, no shark at all!

---

Mary: [while hunting whale sharks] I thought you said it wasn't dangerous!

Graham: Well, it has teeth. That's what they said in the book.

Taglines

• The Stars of BORN FREE Shine Even Brighter
• A motion picture for every family... everywhere!
• The stars, the warmth, the pleasure of Born Free.
• The stars of BORN FREE in a new adventure with a mischievous otter.

Cast

• Bill Travers as Graham Merrill
• Virginia McKenna as Mary MacKenzie
• Peter Jeffrey as Colin Wilcox
• Jameson Clark as Storekeeper
• Helena Gloag as Mrs. Flora Elrich
• W. D. Joss as Lighthouse keeper
• Roddy McMillan as Bus driver
• Jean Taylor-Smith as Mrs. Sarah Chambers
• Christopher Benjamin as Fishmonger
• Archie Duncan as Road mender
• Tommy Godfrey as Ticket seller
• Phil McCall as Frank
• Joyce McClain as Stunt woman
• Two Wisconsin otters owned and trained by Tom and Mabel Beecham of Phillips, Wisconsin portrayed Mij the otter.