One of my favourite films of the Seventies,also the author of the piece referred to 'Massacre In Rome' as a non-sequitur,rubbish,this is another great movie!
Also interested to hear that Stephen Boyd was originally lined up for a part in the Wild Geese,he is the only famous person to hail from my hometown!
To address the question more closely... no, we drove through Angola in January 1970...Luanda, hot as hell and the Cubans had not yet started arriving. But everything changed after the "Revolution of Flowers" in Portugal (colonial owner of Angola).
I heard much later (in late 1976) that, by that time, the whole country was swarming with Cubans, some 50,000 of them (?) and about 4,000 - 5,000 Russian "advisors".
Glad we passed through there too early to meet the crowds!
Yes, thanks. I was on the Benguela opening, Op. Savannah, running up to Lobita in Dec 75. You're right about the Cubans. But if it hadn't have been for Nigeria recognising the communist MPLA, the country would not have been trashed like it was. Shame. People blamed the Portugese for getting out too quickly, but looking at Rhodesia now, it wouldn't have made any difference. I confine my African adventures now to helping with a hospital in Bansang in the Gambia. Still corrupt, but not stupid.
Regards,
HG
First saw 'The Wild Geese' on 16mm in a Blackpool hotel in 1979 on the eve of a film convention.Next day I bought a 50 minute 8mm version which concentrated on the action but also retained the basic plot. I still have that print but now watch the dvd version via digital projection.
As a footnote, for 18 years I lived in the small village that was Richard Burton's birthplace.
Yes the opening credits hooked me. I don’t think I’ve seen better.Originally Posted by blacknorth
You know, one of my absolutely favourite things about The Wild Geese is is the opening credits - the way the soundtrack opens with a little introductory flourish and the map of AFrica makes itself from the bottom of the screen up, and then the newsreel footage begins, all of it well-chosen and giving a great context to the Armatrading song.
It contributes greatly to a mood in the film that only fans seem to want to pick up on - a sense of sadness and lucklessness. The dark continent lit up by fire.
Anybody else love that title sequence - I think it's one of the greats.
I can remember going to see this at the cinema and thinking it was quite a long movie. recently I watched it on DVD that came free with one of the papers and thought it had been cut? Burton/Harris and Moore all appeared to me to be having a great time doing it and I just loved the whole cast with one exception ( the boy who played Harris son) that scene where he shout Yahoooooo! Just makes me cringe..
I agree one of the greats..
There are some different versions of it knocking about, I didn't get the paper release of it, but the original TV version had a number of cuts for violence and language.
The credits were by Maurice Bender who also did a number of Bond Movies, Gold, The Sea Wolves, and various others.
I always enjoy the film, and Richard Burton can do no wrong, but perhaps the cameo I most enjoy is Kenneth Griffith, the medical orderly. Given his interest in all things Zulu, its quite ironic how he meets his end.
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