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The Wild Geese (1978)

R | | Action, Adventure, Drama | 11 November 1978 (USA)
The Wild Geese Poster
A British banker hires a group of British mercenaries to rescue a deposed African President from the hands of a corrupt African dictator.

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

Reginald Rose (screenplay), Daniel Carney (novel)

Stars:

Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris | See full cast & crew »
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1 win. See more awards »

Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Burton ... Colonel Allen Faulkner
Roger Moore ... Lt. Shawn Fynn
Richard Harris ... Capt. Rafer Janders
Hardy Krüger ... Lt. Pieter Coetzee (as Hardy Kruger)
Stewart Granger ... Sir Edward Matherson
Winston Ntshona ... President Julius Limbani
John Kani ... Sgt. Jesse Link
Jack Watson ... R.S.M. Sandy Young
Frank Finlay ... Father Geoghagen
Kenneth Griffith Kenneth Griffith ... Arthur Witty
Barry Foster ... Thomas Balfour
Ronald Fraser ... Jock McTaggart
Ian Yule ... Tosh Donaldson
Patrick Allen ... Rushton
Rosalind Lloyd ... Heather
See full cast »
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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. Written by Richard Young <richy@vnu.co.uk>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

paratroop | bird | fowl | value | operative | See All (173) »

Taglines:

The Dogs of War. The Best Damn Mercenaries in the Business! See more »

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller | War

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

Switzerland | UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1978 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Wild Geese See more »

Filming Locations:

Tshipise, Limpopo, South Africa See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Richmond Film Productions (West), Victory Films, Varius Entertainment Trading A.G. See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (London premiere print)| Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the crew worked with Richard Harris on Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) and would often reminisce about it with him. Alas, Harris didn't remember any of it. "That shocked me. They were hilarious stories, and I didn't even have the joy of remembering my own exploits." See more »

Goofs

Several Simbas are seen being catapulted high into the air by hand grenade explosions. No standard issue grenade has the power to do this. See more »

Quotes

[after womanizer Sean Finn fails at a simulated parachute drop]
RSM Sandy Young: That was LUDICROUS, sir. You're jumping from an aeroplane, not a whorehouse window. Do it again.
See more »

Alternate Versions

NBC edited 12 minutes from this film for its 1982 network television premiere. See more »

Connections

Featured in Profile: Hardy Krüger (1978) See more »

Soundtracks

Flight of the Wild Geese
Written and Performed by Joan Armatrading
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much are the mercenaries paid for rescuing Limbani?
Q: Why does Sir Edward Matherson abandon the mercenaries in Africa?
Q: How realistic is this film?
See more »

User Reviews

An action film that really delivers the goods !!
26 November 2000 | by Batjac - 49 – See all my reviews

Allegedly, loosely based on the incredible adventures of "Mad Mike" Hoare and his mercenary unit operating in the Belgian Congo in the early sixties rescuing Westerners and stemmimg tribal violence..."The Wild Geese" is a real "Boys Own" adventure that races along like a good action film should !

Ageing mercenary leader Allan Faulkner (Richard Burton) is hired by wealthy, but unscrupulous, merchant banker Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger in an oily performance) to rescue an imprisoned African leader, Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona) from terrorists and turn him over to his own people...at stake are copper mine concessions in Africa worth millions !!

Burton enlists the aid of war time pals, Capt. Rafer Janders (Richard Harris) debonair pilot Lt. Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore), ex-South African troubleshooter Pieter Coetze (Hardy Kruger) and 'tough as nails' RSM Sandy Young (Jack Watson) as well as about 40 other mercenaries to engage on one last adventure for truth, justice and a very large paycheck.

Burton & Co. parachute into darkened Africa and all goes well....until a double cross emerges and the Wild Geese are running for their lives....outgunned and outmanned by the pursuing brutal, machete-wielding Simba troops

When the action commences in "The Wild Geese"...it comes thick and fast...the film is filled with gritty firefights, fast paced entertainment and colorful use of African savannah / veldt locations for the battle scenes....highly recommended for fans of the action / war genre !!

Just when is this film going to come out on DVD ???
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