# What was this movie (kid travelling solo through Africa)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-movie-kid-travelling-solo-through-africa/360717>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 14, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-movie-kid-travelling-solo-through-africa/360717 "2006-06-14T18:24:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-movie-kid-travelling-solo-through-africa/360717/1 "2006-06-14T18:24:26Z")

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For some reason, I recently recalled a movie I saw on TV as a youngster. The main character was a 10-to-12-year-old boy of British descent, who had to make his way from one part of Africa (Egypt?) down to Durban, South Africa. I think his parents had died and he knew he had an aunt down there. It may have been set around the time of World War II but I don’t recall the war being a major plot point beyond, perhaps, being the cause of his parents’ death. Or it may have been set just before or just after WWII.

I saw the movie probably 30 years ago, to give you a feeling for its vintage.

Anyone else remember seeing such a movie?

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-movie-kid-travelling-solo-through-africa/360717/2 "2006-06-14T18:32:28Z")

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“A Boy Ten Feet Tall” (original title “Sammy Going South”)

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-movie-kid-travelling-solo-through-africa/360717/3 "2006-06-14T18:52:36Z")

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[QUOTE=Slithy Tove]  
“A Boy Ten Feet Tall” (original title “Sammy Going South”)  
[/QUOTE]

Damn - that was _fast_ and yes, this looks to be exactly the movie I saw. I’ll have to see if Netflix has it available.