The Wild Geese
Encyclopedia
The Wild Geese is a British
1978
film about a group of mercenaries in Africa
. It stars Richard Burton
, Roger Moore
, Richard Harris and Hardy Krüger
. The film was the result of a long-held ambition of its producer Euan Lloyd
to make an all-star adventure film similar to The Guns of Navarone
or Where Eagles Dare
.
The film was based on an unpublished novel titled The Thin White Line
by Daniel Carney
. The film was re-named The Wild Geese after a 17th-century Irish mercenary army (see Flight of the Wild Geese
). Carney's novel was subsequently published under that title by Corgi Books.
The novel was based upon rumours and speculation following the 1968 landing of a mysterious aeroplane in Rhodesia
, which was said to have been loaded with mercenaries and "an African President" believed to have been a dying Moise Tshombe
.
Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton
), a British
mercenary and former army officer, arrives in London to meet the rich and ruthless merchant banker Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger
). The latter proposes an operation to rescue Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona
), imprisoned former leader of a central Africa
n country, who is due to be killed by the military dictator who overthrew him. Limbani, whose people believe he is already dead, is being held in a remote prison, guarded by ferocious African troops known as the "Simbas", under General Ndofa.
Faulkner provisionally accepts the assignment and sets about recruiting his officers, all of whom have worked with him on previous African operations. They comprise:
Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore
) is a former RAF pilot. He is working as a currency smuggler, but when he realises that he’s actually running drugs, he kills the mafia
drug dealer by making him eat his own tainted drugs and consequently has a death contract placed on his head. Matherson forces the crime boss to lift the contract at the last moment. In the original novel this was performed by Rafer Janders.
South Africa
n Pieter Coetzee (Hardy Krüger
), a former officer in the South African Army Special Forces turned mercenary, who only wants to return to his homeland and buy a farm, but can barely afford to pay his rent in London.
Rafer Janders (Richard Harris
), a former military officer turned mercenary, who is a highly skilled mission planner. He initially refuses the job, as he’s making some money as an art dealer and is planning a Christmas vacation with his son, Emile. But Faulkner persuades Janders to join the mission as the tactician and planner because Janders admires President Julius Limbani.
Retired R.S.M (Regimental Sergeant Major) Sandy Young (Jack Watson
), is asked by Faulkner, his former commanding officer, to serve as drill sergeant to train the troops and assist in recruitment. He is very willing, but his wife strongly disapproves.
With the tacit approval and support of the British government, the fifty soldiers are transported to an unspecified African location, equipped and mercilessly trained by Young. The day before the mission is to begin, Janders exacts a promise from Faulkner to watch over his son Emile, and take care of him should Janders die on the mission. Faulkner agrees.
The mercenaries are transported by plane and parachuted into the African country near Zembala Prison. Coetzee uses a powerful crossbow
with cyanide
-tipped quarrels to take out the prison sentries. The rest of the guards are killed silently with cyanide gas. They rescue Limbani, but he is clearly a sick man and is later hit by crossfire during the final battle scene. The group then makes its way to a small airfield to await pickup. But backers of the project, led by Matherson, reach an agreement with the Zembalese government concerning valuable copper
concessions, and the aeroplane due to collect them is ordered to 'pass them by' at the last minute. The abandoned mercenaries are forced to fight their way through hostile territory, pursued by the Simbas.
The relationship between Limbani and Coetzee develops from initial animosity: "I bleed red like you, white man; don't call me kaffir
" to one of understanding, as Coetzee comes to understand and appreciate Limbani's struggle, and realises that white and black must work together.
Fighting off armed attacks, ambushes and napalm
bombing, the mercenaries separate into two groups, and make their way to Limbani's home village, where they intend to provoke a revolution. Faulkner is forced to kill his own men who are gravely injured. Coetzee observes, "we can't leave them to the Simbas."
Coetzee is then killed while saving Limbani from an ambush, leaving another soldier to carry Limbani. Arthur Witty (Kenneth Griffith
), the unit combat medic, is killed while trying to fend off another ambush with his submachinegun, allowing the rest of the platoon to escape. Upon arrival at the village of his birth President Limbani meets with tribal elders from the region. They want to fight but Limbani counsels that they bide their time because the local population has no firearms to fight the dictator's army. An Irish
missionary
named Father Geoghan alerts them to the presence of an aging transport plane, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain aka "Dakota", to provide for their escape.
As the Simba troops attack, the group starts to board the plane. RSM Young, Major Janders, and Colonel Faulkner lead a delaying action against the Simbas while Fynn gets the plane started. While in the cockpit preparing the plane for takeoff, Fynn is shot in the leg, but manages to keep the plane moving. President Limbani is wounded while being placed on board the aircraft. CSM Young is shot dead running towards the plane as he continued shooting at the Simba troops. At the last moment Janders is wounded in the leg and can’t run fast enough to jump onto the already moving plane; he implores Faulkner to shoot him as he is running down the runway with mobs of Simba troops in chase. Faulkner cannot bear to shoot his friend, but there is no hope. As Janders cries out his son's name, " Emile! Emile!", Faulkner shoots him dead just as the plane takes off.
The plane is initially refused landing permission in nearby Rhodesia
, but after they provide proof that Limbani is aboard, they are given permission to land at Kariba
. But by the time they land, virtually out of fuel, Limbani has died of his wounds.
Several months later, having managed to return to London, Faulkner covertly breaks into Sir Edward's mansion, holds him at gunpoint and takes all the money from the wall safe in Matherson's study. This money comes to only half of the originally agreed payment for the rescue mission. Matherson attempts to bribe Faulkner into not killing him with an offer of the rest of the money due for the mission plus more. Faulkner declines the offer and shoots Matherson several times in the stomach with a pistol equipped with a sound suppressor in revenge for the betrayal of his soldiers alive and dead. He leaves Matherson lying dead on the floor of his study and departs with the money, walkig outside to meet a car driven by Fynn.
Faulkner fulfills his promise to Janders. In the closing scene, Faulkner visits Emile at his boarding school
. The film closes with Faulkner and Emile walking away as Faulkner says, "Let's talk about your father." Emile smiles at Faulkner, nods in agreement and starts walking along side of Colonel Faulkner.
Film Studios in Middlesex
. The 'rugby' scenes were filmed over a period of two days at Marble Hill Park in Twickenham
with extras drafted in from nearby Teddington
boys school. Marble Hill Close nearby Marble Hill Park was also filmed. The fictional country is said to lie on the border with Burundi
; Rwanda
and Zambia are also mentioned to be close by.
United Artists
were enthusiastic about the film, but insisted Lloyd give the director's job to Michael Winner
. Lloyd refused and instead chose Andrew V. McLaglen, son of Victor McLaglen
, a British-born American previously known mainly for making westerns. Euan Lloyd had a friendship with John Ford
who recommended McLaglen to direct the film. The finance for the film was raised partly by pre-selling it to distributors based on the script and the names of the stars who were set to appear. This would later become a more common practice in the film industry, but was unusual at the time.
, originally included an overture and end title music, but both of these were replaced by "Flight of the Wild Geese", written and performed by Joan Armatrading
. All three pieces are included on the soundtrack album, as well as the song "Dogs of War" that featured lyrics sung by the Scots Guards
to Budd's themes. Budd used Borodin
's String Quartet No. 2
as a theme for Rafer. The soundtrack was originally released by A&M Records
then later released under licence as a Cinephile DVD.
Irish
actor Stephen Boyd
, a close friend of Lloyd's, was originally set to star as Sandy Young, the Sergeant Major who trains the mercenaries before their mission. However, Boyd died shortly before filming commenced and Jack Watson
was chosen as a late replacement. He had previously played a similar role in McLaglen's film The Devil's Brigade
(1968).
Lloyd had offered the part of the banker Matherson to his friend Joseph Cotten
. However, scheduling difficulties meant that he also had to be replaced, this time by Stewart Granger. This was Granger's first film part since 1967
.
Burt Lancaster
originally hoped to play the part of 'Rafer Janders' who in Carney's book was an American living in London. However, Lancaster wanted the part substantially altered and enlarged. The producers declined and in his place chose Richard Harris
. Lloyd initially had reservations about casting Harris because of his wild reputation and hard drinking but reluctantly agreed to cast him as long as both Harris and Burton agreed to stop drinking for this film, having them survive on nothing but soft drinks for the duration.
Hardy Krüger was not the first actor considered for the role of 'Pieter Coetzee'. Lloyd originally thought of Peter van Eyck
and even Curd Jürgens
, but felt that "Hardy seemed to fit." Krüger was also impressed by the script scenes played with Limbani.
Lloyd hesitated before offering the role of 'Witty' (the homosexual medic) to his longtime friend Kenneth Griffith
, due to the homophobic nature of the role. When finally approached, Griffith said "Some of my dearest friends in the world are homosexuals!" and accepted the part.
Percy Herbert, who played the role of 'Keith', was a veteran of World War II, in which he had been wounded in the defence of Singapore
, then captured by the Imperial Japanese Army
and interned in a POW camp
.
Alan Ladd
's son David Ladd and Stanley Baker
's son Glyn Baker also had roles in the film.
Ian Yule, who played 'Tosh Donaldson', had been a real mercenary in Africa in the 1960s and '70s. He was cast locally in South Africa. He then brought his former commanding officer, Michael "Mad Mike" Hoare
, who had led the actual Wild Geese mercenary troops in the Congo Crisis
of the 1960s, to be the technical advisor for the film. Yule also acted as a technical advisor for the film.
John Kani
played 'Jesse Blake' a mercenary who had previously served with Faulkner and was struggling to live before the chance to work with Faulkner again. Palitoy based the Figure 'Tom Stone' (part of the Action Man team) on 'Jesse Blake' after looking at the Pre-Production photos and Posters of the film. Subsequently some modifications to the figure were made. Kani made his first debut role in the film after years of acting and stage performances with Winston Ntshona
. Ntshona was 'Limbani' in the film and continued to make many more films with Kani after The Wild Geese.
Rosalind Lloyd
, who played 'Heather', is Euan Lloyd's daughter. Her mother, actress Jane Hylton
, played 'Mrs. Young'.
, where it flopped.
The production was also the subject of controversy because of the decision to film in South Africa
during the apartheid regime, and because of the film's portrayal of black characters. There were protests by anti-apartheid campaigners at the film's London premiere.
The Wild Geese was chosen as "Dog of the Year" by film critic Gene Siskel
, who accused the movie of being "deadly dull" and claimed that it "exploits racism as some kind of sporting entertainment."
, based on the novel Square Circle (later republished as Wild Geese II), also by Daniel Carney. Burton was planning to reprise his role as Colonel Allen Faulkner, but he died before filming began. In the sequel, Edward Fox
played Alex Faulkner (the Burton character's brother), who is hired to break Nazi
war criminal Rudolf Hess
(played by Laurence Olivier
) out of Spandau Prison
so he can appear for a media interview.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
1978
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
film about a group of mercenaries in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It stars Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
, Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
, Richard Harris and Hardy Krüger
Hardy Krüger
Hardy Krüger is a German actor. He is thought of as one of the greatest German actors of the 1960s. He was born in Wedding, Berlin, German Reich...
. The film was the result of a long-held ambition of its producer Euan Lloyd
Euan Lloyd
Euan Lloyd is a British film producer.He began his career directing short travelogue documentaries, starting with April in Portugal in 1954...
to make an all-star adventure film similar to The Guns of Navarone
The Guns of Navarone (film)
The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American Action/Adventure war film based on the 1957 novel of the same name about the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean. It stars Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, along with Anthony Quayle and Stanley...
or Where Eagles Dare
Where Eagles Dare
Where Eagles Dare is a 1968 World War II action-adventure spy film starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood and Mary Ure. It was directed by Brian G. Hutton and shot on location in Upper Austria and Bavaria....
.
The film was based on an unpublished novel titled The Thin White Line
The Thin White Line (novel)
The Thin White Line is a novel by Rhodesian author Daniel Carney, it became better known when it was turned into the film The Wild Geese. At first Carney could not get his novel published, but for a chance meeting with film producer Euan Lloyd. Lloyd loved the story about Mercenaries in Africa on a...
by Daniel Carney
Daniel Carney
Daniel Carney was a white Zimbabwean novelist. Three of his novels have been made into films.-Biography:Daniel Carney was born in Beirut in 1944. In 1963 he settled in Rhodesia and joined the British South Africa Police, where he served for three and a half years...
. The film was re-named The Wild Geese after a 17th-century Irish mercenary army (see Flight of the Wild Geese
Flight of the Wild Geese
The Flight of the Wild Geese refers to the departure of an Irish Jacobite army under the command of Patrick Sarsfield from Ireland to France, as agreed in the Treaty of Limerick on October 3, 1691, following the end of the Williamite War in Ireland...
). Carney's novel was subsequently published under that title by Corgi Books.
The novel was based upon rumours and speculation following the 1968 landing of a mysterious aeroplane in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, which was said to have been loaded with mercenaries and "an African President" believed to have been a dying Moise Tshombe
Moise Tshombe
Moïse Kapenda Tshombe was a Congolese politician.- Biography :He was the son of a successful Congolese businessman and was born in Musumba, Congo. He received his education from an American missionary school and later trained as an accountant...
.
Plot
ColonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
), a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mercenary and former army officer, arrives in London to meet the rich and ruthless merchant banker Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger was an English-American film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas.-Early life:He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old...
). The latter proposes an operation to rescue Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona
Winston Ntshona
Winston Ntshona is a South African playwright and actor.Born in Port Elizabeth, Ntshona worked alongside fellow South African Athol Fugard on several occasions and played a minor role in Richard Attenborough's acclaimed film Gandhi....
), imprisoned former leader of a central Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n country, who is due to be killed by the military dictator who overthrew him. Limbani, whose people believe he is already dead, is being held in a remote prison, guarded by ferocious African troops known as the "Simbas", under General Ndofa.
Faulkner provisionally accepts the assignment and sets about recruiting his officers, all of whom have worked with him on previous African operations. They comprise:
Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
) is a former RAF pilot. He is working as a currency smuggler, but when he realises that he’s actually running drugs, he kills the mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
drug dealer by making him eat his own tainted drugs and consequently has a death contract placed on his head. Matherson forces the crime boss to lift the contract at the last moment. In the original novel this was performed by Rafer Janders.
South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Pieter Coetzee (Hardy Krüger
Hardy Krüger
Hardy Krüger is a German actor. He is thought of as one of the greatest German actors of the 1960s. He was born in Wedding, Berlin, German Reich...
), a former officer in the South African Army Special Forces turned mercenary, who only wants to return to his homeland and buy a farm, but can barely afford to pay his rent in London.
Rafer Janders (Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
), a former military officer turned mercenary, who is a highly skilled mission planner. He initially refuses the job, as he’s making some money as an art dealer and is planning a Christmas vacation with his son, Emile. But Faulkner persuades Janders to join the mission as the tactician and planner because Janders admires President Julius Limbani.
Retired R.S.M (Regimental Sergeant Major) Sandy Young (Jack Watson
Jack Watson (actor)
Jack Watson , was an English actor who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards....
), is asked by Faulkner, his former commanding officer, to serve as drill sergeant to train the troops and assist in recruitment. He is very willing, but his wife strongly disapproves.
With the tacit approval and support of the British government, the fifty soldiers are transported to an unspecified African location, equipped and mercilessly trained by Young. The day before the mission is to begin, Janders exacts a promise from Faulkner to watch over his son Emile, and take care of him should Janders die on the mission. Faulkner agrees.
The mercenaries are transported by plane and parachuted into the African country near Zembala Prison. Coetzee uses a powerful crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
with cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
-tipped quarrels to take out the prison sentries. The rest of the guards are killed silently with cyanide gas. They rescue Limbani, but he is clearly a sick man and is later hit by crossfire during the final battle scene. The group then makes its way to a small airfield to await pickup. But backers of the project, led by Matherson, reach an agreement with the Zembalese government concerning valuable copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
concessions, and the aeroplane due to collect them is ordered to 'pass them by' at the last minute. The abandoned mercenaries are forced to fight their way through hostile territory, pursued by the Simbas.
The relationship between Limbani and Coetzee develops from initial animosity: "I bleed red like you, white man; don't call me kaffir
Kaffir (racial term)
The word kaffir, sometimes spelled kaffer or kafir, is an offensive term for a black person, most common in South Africa and other African countries...
" to one of understanding, as Coetzee comes to understand and appreciate Limbani's struggle, and realises that white and black must work together.
Fighting off armed attacks, ambushes and napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
bombing, the mercenaries separate into two groups, and make their way to Limbani's home village, where they intend to provoke a revolution. Faulkner is forced to kill his own men who are gravely injured. Coetzee observes, "we can't leave them to the Simbas."
Coetzee is then killed while saving Limbani from an ambush, leaving another soldier to carry Limbani. Arthur Witty (Kenneth Griffith
Kenneth Griffith
Kenneth Griffith was a Welsh actor and documentary filmmaker.-Early life:He was born Kenneth Reginald Griffiths in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Six months after his birth his parents split up and left Tenby, leaving Kenneth with his paternal grandparents, Emily and Ernest, who immediately adopted...
), the unit combat medic, is killed while trying to fend off another ambush with his submachinegun, allowing the rest of the platoon to escape. Upon arrival at the village of his birth President Limbani meets with tribal elders from the region. They want to fight but Limbani counsels that they bide their time because the local population has no firearms to fight the dictator's army. An Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
named Father Geoghan alerts them to the presence of an aging transport plane, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain aka "Dakota", to provide for their escape.
As the Simba troops attack, the group starts to board the plane. RSM Young, Major Janders, and Colonel Faulkner lead a delaying action against the Simbas while Fynn gets the plane started. While in the cockpit preparing the plane for takeoff, Fynn is shot in the leg, but manages to keep the plane moving. President Limbani is wounded while being placed on board the aircraft. CSM Young is shot dead running towards the plane as he continued shooting at the Simba troops. At the last moment Janders is wounded in the leg and can’t run fast enough to jump onto the already moving plane; he implores Faulkner to shoot him as he is running down the runway with mobs of Simba troops in chase. Faulkner cannot bear to shoot his friend, but there is no hope. As Janders cries out his son's name, " Emile! Emile!", Faulkner shoots him dead just as the plane takes off.
The plane is initially refused landing permission in nearby Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
, but after they provide proof that Limbani is aboard, they are given permission to land at Kariba
Kariba, Zimbabwe
Kariba is a town in Mashonaland West province, Zimbabwe, located close to the Kariba Dam at the northwestern end of Lake Kariba, near the Zambian border. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 20,736....
. But by the time they land, virtually out of fuel, Limbani has died of his wounds.
Several months later, having managed to return to London, Faulkner covertly breaks into Sir Edward's mansion, holds him at gunpoint and takes all the money from the wall safe in Matherson's study. This money comes to only half of the originally agreed payment for the rescue mission. Matherson attempts to bribe Faulkner into not killing him with an offer of the rest of the money due for the mission plus more. Faulkner declines the offer and shoots Matherson several times in the stomach with a pistol equipped with a sound suppressor in revenge for the betrayal of his soldiers alive and dead. He leaves Matherson lying dead on the floor of his study and departs with the money, walkig outside to meet a car driven by Fynn.
Faulkner fulfills his promise to Janders. In the closing scene, Faulkner visits Emile at his boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. The film closes with Faulkner and Emile walking away as Faulkner says, "Let's talk about your father." Emile smiles at Faulkner, nods in agreement and starts walking along side of Colonel Faulkner.
Production
Principal filming took place in South Africa, with additional studio filming at TwickenhamTwickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
Film Studios in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. The 'rugby' scenes were filmed over a period of two days at Marble Hill Park in Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
with extras drafted in from nearby Teddington
Teddington
Teddington is a suburban area in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London, on the north bank of the River Thames, between Hampton Wick and Twickenham. It stretches inland from the River Thames to Bushy Park...
boys school. Marble Hill Close nearby Marble Hill Park was also filmed. The fictional country is said to lie on the border with Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
; Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Zambia are also mentioned to be close by.
United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
were enthusiastic about the film, but insisted Lloyd give the director's job to Michael Winner
Michael Winner
Michael Robert Winner is a British film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic for the Sunday Times.-Early life and early career :...
. Lloyd refused and instead chose Andrew V. McLaglen, son of Victor McLaglen
Victor McLaglen
Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen was an English boxer and World War I veteran who became a successful film actor.Towards the end of his life he was naturalised as a U.S. citizen.-Early life:...
, a British-born American previously known mainly for making westerns. Euan Lloyd had a friendship with John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
who recommended McLaglen to direct the film. The finance for the film was raised partly by pre-selling it to distributors based on the script and the names of the stars who were set to appear. This would later become a more common practice in the film industry, but was unusual at the time.
Soundtrack
The music, by Roy BuddRoy Budd
Roy Frederick Budd , was a British jazz musician and composer, known for his film scores.Born in Mitcham, Surrey, Budd became interested in music from an early age and had built up a vast musical repertoire by the age of eight...
, originally included an overture and end title music, but both of these were replaced by "Flight of the Wild Geese", written and performed by Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...
. All three pieces are included on the soundtrack album, as well as the song "Dogs of War" that featured lyrics sung by the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
to Budd's themes. Budd used Borodin
Alexander Borodin
Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five , who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music...
's String Quartet No. 2
String Quartet No. 2 (Borodin)
The String Quartet No. 2, written in 1881, by Alexander Borodin is a work in four movements:#Allegro moderato in D major and 2/2 time, with 304 bars;#Scherzo...
as a theme for Rafer. The soundtrack was originally released by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
then later released under licence as a Cinephile DVD.
Casting
Although Lloyd had both Richard Burton and Roger Moore in mind for their respective roles from a relatively early stage, other casting decisions were more difficult. As the mercenaries were mostly composed of military veterans (some of whom had fought under Faulkner's command before), it was necessary to cast a number of older actors and extras into these physically demanding roles. A number of veterans and actual mercenary soldiers appeared in the film.Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
actor Stephen Boyd
Stephen Boyd
Stephen Boyd was an Irish actor, from Glengormley, Northern Ireland, who appeared in around 60 films, most notably in the role of Messala in Ben-Hur.-Biography:...
, a close friend of Lloyd's, was originally set to star as Sandy Young, the Sergeant Major who trains the mercenaries before their mission. However, Boyd died shortly before filming commenced and Jack Watson
Jack Watson (actor)
Jack Watson , was an English actor who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards....
was chosen as a late replacement. He had previously played a similar role in McLaglen's film The Devil's Brigade
The Devil's Brigade (film)
The Devil's Brigade is a 1968 American war film based on the 1966 book of the same name co-written by American novelist and historian Robert H. Adleman and Col...
(1968).
Lloyd had offered the part of the banker Matherson to his friend Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
. However, scheduling difficulties meant that he also had to be replaced, this time by Stewart Granger. This was Granger's first film part since 1967
1967 in film
The year 1967 in film involved some significant events. It is widely considered as one of the most ground-breaking years in film.-Events:* December 26 - The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour airs on British television....
.
Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
originally hoped to play the part of 'Rafer Janders' who in Carney's book was an American living in London. However, Lancaster wanted the part substantially altered and enlarged. The producers declined and in his place chose Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
. Lloyd initially had reservations about casting Harris because of his wild reputation and hard drinking but reluctantly agreed to cast him as long as both Harris and Burton agreed to stop drinking for this film, having them survive on nothing but soft drinks for the duration.
Hardy Krüger was not the first actor considered for the role of 'Pieter Coetzee'. Lloyd originally thought of Peter van Eyck
Peter van Eyck
Peter van Eyck, born Götz von Eick , was a German-American actor.-Biography:...
and even Curd Jürgens
Curd Jürgens
Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens.-Early life:...
, but felt that "Hardy seemed to fit." Krüger was also impressed by the script scenes played with Limbani.
Lloyd hesitated before offering the role of 'Witty' (the homosexual medic) to his longtime friend Kenneth Griffith
Kenneth Griffith
Kenneth Griffith was a Welsh actor and documentary filmmaker.-Early life:He was born Kenneth Reginald Griffiths in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Six months after his birth his parents split up and left Tenby, leaving Kenneth with his paternal grandparents, Emily and Ernest, who immediately adopted...
, due to the homophobic nature of the role. When finally approached, Griffith said "Some of my dearest friends in the world are homosexuals!" and accepted the part.
Percy Herbert, who played the role of 'Keith', was a veteran of World War II, in which he had been wounded in the defence of Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
, then captured by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
and interned in a POW camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
.
Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd
-Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter...
's son David Ladd and Stanley Baker
Stanley Baker
Sir Stanley Baker was a Welsh actor and film producer.-Early career:William Stanley Baker was born in Ferndale, Rhondda Valley, Wales. In the mid-1930s his parents moved to London, where Baker spent most of his formative years...
's son Glyn Baker also had roles in the film.
Ian Yule, who played 'Tosh Donaldson', had been a real mercenary in Africa in the 1960s and '70s. He was cast locally in South Africa. He then brought his former commanding officer, Michael "Mad Mike" Hoare
Mike Hoare
Thomas Michael Hoare is an Irish mercenary leader known for military activities in Africa and his failed attempt to conduct a coup d'état in the Seychelles.-Early life and military career:...
, who had led the actual Wild Geese mercenary troops in the Congo Crisis
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu...
of the 1960s, to be the technical advisor for the film. Yule also acted as a technical advisor for the film.
John Kani
John Kani
Bonsile John Kani is a South African actor, director and playwright.He was born in New Brighton, South Africa.Kani joined The Serpent Players in Port Elizabeth in 1965 and helped to create many plays that went unpublished but were performed to a resounding reception.These...
played 'Jesse Blake' a mercenary who had previously served with Faulkner and was struggling to live before the chance to work with Faulkner again. Palitoy based the Figure 'Tom Stone' (part of the Action Man team) on 'Jesse Blake' after looking at the Pre-Production photos and Posters of the film. Subsequently some modifications to the figure were made. Kani made his first debut role in the film after years of acting and stage performances with Winston Ntshona
Winston Ntshona
Winston Ntshona is a South African playwright and actor.Born in Port Elizabeth, Ntshona worked alongside fellow South African Athol Fugard on several occasions and played a minor role in Richard Attenborough's acclaimed film Gandhi....
. Ntshona was 'Limbani' in the film and continued to make many more films with Kani after The Wild Geese.
Rosalind Lloyd
Rosalind Lloyd
Rosalind Lloyd is a British film and television actress.The daughter of film producer Euan Lloyd and actress Jane Hylton, her film credits include:* The Wild Geese* Inseminoid* Who Dares Wins....
, who played 'Heather', is Euan Lloyd's daughter. Her mother, actress Jane Hylton
Jane Hylton
Jane Hylton was an English actress who accumulated 30 film credits, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, before moving into television work in the latter half of her career in the 1960s and 1970s.-Career:...
, played 'Mrs. Young'.
Reception
The film was a considerable commercial success in Britain and other countries worldwide, but was hit by the collapse of its American distributor Allied Artists, and by the lack of an American star. As a result, the film was only partially distributed in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it flopped.
The production was also the subject of controversy because of the decision to film in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
during the apartheid regime, and because of the film's portrayal of black characters. There were protests by anti-apartheid campaigners at the film's London premiere.
The Wild Geese was chosen as "Dog of the Year" by film critic Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
, who accused the movie of being "deadly dull" and claimed that it "exploits racism as some kind of sporting entertainment."
Cast
- Richard BurtonRichard BurtonRichard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
(Colonel Allen Faulkner) - Roger MooreRoger MooreSir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
(Captain Shaun Fynn) - Richard Harris (Major Rafer Janders)
- Hardy KrügerHardy KrügerHardy Krüger is a German actor. He is thought of as one of the greatest German actors of the 1960s. He was born in Wedding, Berlin, German Reich...
(Lieutenant Pieter Coetzee) - Stewart GrangerStewart GrangerStewart Granger was an English-American film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas.-Early life:He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old...
(Sir Edward Matherson) - Winston NtshonaWinston NtshonaWinston Ntshona is a South African playwright and actor.Born in Port Elizabeth, Ntshona worked alongside fellow South African Athol Fugard on several occasions and played a minor role in Richard Attenborough's acclaimed film Gandhi....
(President Julius Limbani) - John KaniJohn KaniBonsile John Kani is a South African actor, director and playwright.He was born in New Brighton, South Africa.Kani joined The Serpent Players in Port Elizabeth in 1965 and helped to create many plays that went unpublished but were performed to a resounding reception.These...
(Sergeant Jesse Blake) - Jack WatsonJack Watson (actor)Jack Watson , was an English actor who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards....
(RSM Sandy Young) - Frank FinlayFrank FinlayFrancis Finlay, CBE is an English stage, film and television actor.-Personal life:Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, the son of Margaret and Josiah Finlay, a butcher. A devout Catholic, he belongs to the British Catholic Stage Guild. He was educated at St...
(Fr. Geoghagen, the priest) - Kenneth GriffithKenneth GriffithKenneth Griffith was a Welsh actor and documentary filmmaker.-Early life:He was born Kenneth Reginald Griffiths in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Six months after his birth his parents split up and left Tenby, leaving Kenneth with his paternal grandparents, Emily and Ernest, who immediately adopted...
(Medic Sgt. Arthur Witty) - Barry FosterBarry Foster (actor)Barry Foster was a British actor who appeared in numerous film roles and is known for his leading role as a Dutch detective in the ITV drama series, Van der Valk, which spanned five series over 20 years from 1972....
(Thomas Balfour) - Ronald FraserRonald FraserRonald Fraser was an English character actor, who appeared in numerous British films of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s whilst also appearing in many popular TV shows.-Background:...
(Sgt. Jock McTaggart) - Ian Yule (Sgt. Tosh Donaldson)
- Patrick AllenPatrick AllenJohn Keith Patrick Allen was a British film, television and voice actor.-Life and career:Allen was born in Nyasaland , where his father was a tobacco farmer. After his parents returned to Britain, he was evacuated to Canada during World War II where he remained to finish his education at McGill...
(Rushton) - Percy HerbertPercy Herbert (actor)Percy Herbert was an English character actor who often played soldiers, most notably in The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Geese and Tunes of Glory. However, he was equally at home in comedies and science fiction...
(Keith) - Rosalind LloydRosalind LloydRosalind Lloyd is a British film and television actress.The daughter of film producer Euan Lloyd and actress Jane Hylton, her film credits include:* The Wild Geese* Inseminoid* Who Dares Wins....
(Heather) - Valerie LeonValerie LeonValerie Leon is an English actress who had roles in a number of high profile British film franchises, including the Carry On series.-Early life:...
Croupier - Jane HyltonJane HyltonJane Hylton was an English actress who accumulated 30 film credits, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, before moving into television work in the latter half of her career in the 1960s and 1970s.-Career:...
(Mrs. Young) - Paul SpurrierPaul SpurrierPaul Spurrier , is a British former child actor on stage, television, and film, and a screenwriter and film director. He appeared in more than thirty different roles, with credits including Anna Karenina and The Lost Boys for the BBC, Tales of the Unexpected for Anglia Television, and the feature...
(Emile Janders) - David LaddDavid LaddDavid Ladd is an American producer and former actor.-Personal life:Ladd was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the son of Alan Ladd and Sue Carol and brother of Alana Ladd...
(Sonny Martinelli) - Jeff CoreyJeff CoreyJeff Corey was an American stage and screen actor and director who became a well-respected acting teacher after being blacklisted in the 1950s.-Biography:...
Mr. Martinelli - Chris ChittellChris ChittellChristopher John Chittell is an English actor best known for his role as Eric Pollard in ITV's Emmerdale, a part that he has played since 1986....
(Mercenary who stalls truck on the bridge) - Brook WilliamsBrook WilliamsBrook Richard Williams was an English stage actor who also made numerous film and television appearances in small roles....
(Samuels)
Sequel
After seven years the makers were persuaded to mount a sequel Wild Geese IIWild Geese II
Wild Geese II is a 1985 British action-thriller film, based on the 1982 novel The Square Circle by Daniel Carney, in which a group of mercenaries are hired to spring Rudolf Hess from Spandau Prison in Berlin. The film is a sequel to the 1978 film The Wild Geese, which was also adapted from a novel...
, based on the novel Square Circle (later republished as Wild Geese II), also by Daniel Carney. Burton was planning to reprise his role as Colonel Allen Faulkner, but he died before filming began. In the sequel, Edward Fox
Edward Fox (actor)
Edward Charles Morice Fox, OBE is an English stage, film and television actor.He is generally associated with portraying the role of the upper-class Englishman, such as the title character in the film The Day of the Jackal and King Edward VIII in the serial Edward & Mrs...
played Alex Faulkner (the Burton character's brother), who is hired to break Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
war criminal Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
(played by Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
) out of Spandau Prison
Spandau Prison
Spandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of its last prisoner, Rudolf Hess, to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine. The prison was near, though not part of, the Renaissance-era Spandau Citadel...
so he can appear for a media interview.