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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - W 3 Mins Read

    Wild Geese, The (1978)

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    Richard Burton, Roger Moore and Richard Harris are evidently enjoying themselves in this all-action adventure.

    They play ageing mercenaries hired by millionaire banker Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger) to rescue deposed African president Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona) – whose country has been seized by a corrupt general endangering Sir Edward’s massive holdings in the local copper mines – and put him back in power.

    If the captured Limbani can be brought to England alive, a counter-coup can be arranged which would safeguard Matherson’s substantial investment.

    Matherson hires the only man he knows who can raise a private army in a matter of days, Colonel Allen Faulkner (Burton).

    Faulkner’s team of “wild geese” are led by himself, ace pilot Shawn Fynn (Moore), brilliant tactician Rafer Janders (Harris) and iron-hard RSM Sandy Young (Jack Watson).

    The plan concocted by Janders is for the rescue mission to be dropped by parachute into the country and split into two units – one to attack the prison compound where Limbani is being held and bring him out, while the second unit goes on to take over a small nearby airfield where the mercenaries will await a plane to carry them and Limbani to freedom.

    wildgeese11

    All goes according to plan and the ‘wild geese’ meet up at the airfield, but back in London Matherson has been negotiating with the new dictator, General Ndofa, and orders the plane to bypass the now stranded mercenaries.

    Realising they have been double-crossed, Faulkner has to decide how to avoid massacre by Ndofa’s approaching troops.

    Frank Finlay portrays a slightly mad priest who is resident in Limbani’s village and ultimately provides the mercenaries with their only avenue of escape as the advancing African troops close in.

    Politically it’s a dog’s dinner of woolly liberalism and right-wing rhetoric – it was filmed in South Africa during the height of apartheid and was widely condemned on release for funding the apartheid regime in South Africa – but, as a firework display, the movie is often exciting.

    And the supporting cast of venerable British character actors – including Jack Watson, Ronald Fraser and Kenneth Griffith – get into the spirit of things just as much as the above-the-title stars.

    The theme song was composed and sung by Joan Armatrading.

    Colonel Allen Faulkner
    Richard Burton
    Lt. Shawn Fynn
    Roger Moore
    Capt. Rafer Janders
    Richard Harris
    Lt. Pieter Coetzee
    Hardy Kruger
    Sir Edward Matherson
    Stewart Granger
    RSM Sandy Young
    Jack Watson
    President Julius Limbani
    Winston Ntshona
    Sgt. Jesse Link
    John Kani
    Arthur Witty
    Kenneth Griffith
    Father Geoghagen
    Frank Finlay
    Thomas Balfour
    Barry Foster
    Mr Martin
    Jeff Corey
    Jock McTaggart
    Ronald Fraser
    Keith
    Percy Herbert
    Rushton
    Patrick Allen
    Sonny
    David Ladd
    Heather
    Rosalind Lloyd

    Director
    Andrew V McLaglen

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