The Wild Geese (1978)

A British multinational seeks to overthrow a vicious dictator in central Africa. It hires a band of (largely aged) mercenaries in London and sends them in to save the virtuous but ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

Reginald Rose (screenplay), Daniel Carney (novel)

Stars:

Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Burton	...	Col. Allen Faulkner
Roger Moore	...	Lt. Shawn Fynn
Richard Harris	...	Capt. Rafer Janders
Hardy Krüger	...	Lt. Pieter Coetzee (as Hardy Kruger)
Stewart Granger	...	Matherson / Sir Edward Matherson
Winston Ntshona	...	President Limbani
John Kani	...	Sgt. Blake Jesse
Jack Watson	...	R.S.M. Sandy Young
Frank Finlay	...	Fr. Geoghagen - The Priest
Kenneth Griffith	...	Arthur Witty
Barry Foster	...	Thomas Balfour
Ronald Fraser	...	Jock McTaggart
Ian Yule	...	Tosh Donaldson
Patrick Allen	...	Rushton
Rosalind Lloyd	...	Heather

Storyline

A British multinational seeks to overthrow a vicious dictator in central Africa. It hires a band of (largely aged) mercenaries in London and sends them in to save the virtuous but imprisoned opposition leader who is also critically ill and due for execution. Just when the team has performed a perfect rescue, the multinational does a deal with the vicious dictator leaving the mercenary band to escape under their own steam and exact revenge.

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Plot Keywords:

mercenary | rescue | revenge | escape | mission | 

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Taglines:

The Dogs of War. The Best D*** Mercenaries in the Business!

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Genres:

Drama | Action | War | Adventure

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK Switzerland

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agries hines

Filming Locations:

Tshipise, Northern Transvaal, South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 4,765,658 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Richmond Film Productions (West), Victory Films, Varius Entertainment Trading A.G.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (London premiere print) Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite the Apartheid laws being in force, all of the cast and crew of this film lived together in the mineral bath resort of Tschipise with no outside interference from the South African government.

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Goofs

During Witty's big action scene, at one point he calls out, "Come on you beauties, where are you?" Although that is the spoken line, the footage shows him, (partially concealed behind a bush), actually firing his weapon. The weapon sounds were removed from the brief footage and the dialogue inserted, but the gun-smoke and weapon shaking from the firing is visible.

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Quotes

Fr. Geoghagen, the Priest: Good luck to you, you Godless murderers.

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Connections

Referenced in Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge: Episode #1.1 (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Sammy's Theme"
"Dance of Death"
Written and Performed by Jerry Donahue & Marc Donahue (as Jerry and Marc Donahue)

User Reviews

Last Hurrah

A splendid old-fashioned action film, with all concerned giving it their best shot.

A few people have objected to the average age of the actors in this film, from Burton to Kenneth Griffiths - but they don't seem to realise that the age of these mercernaries is the point. The Wild Geese is about a generation of men who demobbed from the Army after the Second World War, were unable to make peace work, and who sold their services as soldiers in the world's troublespots to the highest bidder. The late 1970's would have been the time of life that their age at last compromised their work, and the film is a recognition of the last of them.

For me this film is like a beloved childhood toy, kept and never forgotten - when it aired recently on television I just didn't want it to end.

Brilliant, gloriously sentimental and the anti-thesis of PC. 10/10