Production Zulu (1964 film)

a break in shooting on location stars michael caine , stanley baker present.

cy endfield inspired make film after reading article on battle of rorke s drift john prebble. took actor stanley baker whom had made several films , interested in moving production. endfield , prebble drafted script, baker showed joseph e. levine while making sodom , gomorrah (1962) in italy. levine agreed fund movie, produced baker s company, diamond films. shot using super technirama 70 cinematographic process, , distributed paramount pictures in countries excluding united states, distributed embassy pictures.

most of zulu shot on location in south africa. mission depot @ rorke s drift recreated beneath natural amphitheatre in drakensberg mountains (considerably more precipitous real rorke s drift, little more 2 small hills). set british field hospital , supply depot @ rorke s drift created near tugela river amphitheatre in background. real location of battle 100 kilometres (60 mi) northwest, on buffalo river near isolated hill @ isandhlwana.

other scenes filmed within national parks of kwazulu-natal. interiors , scenes starring james booth completed @ twickenham film studios in middlesex, england. majority of zulus real zulus. 240 zulu extras employed battle scenes, bused in tribal homes on 100 miles away. around 1,000 additional tribesmen filmed second unit in zululand.

the film compared baker western movie, traditional roles of united states cavalry , native americans taken british , zulus respectively. director endfield showed western zulu extras demonstrate concept of film acting , how wanted warriors conduct themselves. has been rumoured due apartheid laws in south africa, none of zulu extras paid performance , that, consequently, endfield circumvented restriction leaving them animals, cattle, used in film. allegation incorrect, of zulu extras paid in full – main body of extras paid equivalent of 9 shillings per day each, additional extras 8 shillings, , female dancers less.

michael caine, @ stage in career playing bit parts, role of private henry hook, went james booth. according caine, extremely nervous during screen test part of bromhead, , director cy endfield told him worst screen test had ever seen, casting caine in part anyway because production leaving south africa shortly , had not found else role. caine believed fortunate film directed american (endfield), because no english director ve cast me officer, promise you, not one, due cockney roots.

caine s performance in zulu won him praise reviewers, , next film role star of ipcress file in reunited nigel green.

one technical problem armorers , director had deal concerned rifles used during filming. company unable obtain enough martini-henry rifles equip of extras, , had fill in no.1 mark iv enfields disguised socket bayonets used on martini-henrys. in scene @ 1:37:30 chard orders walking advance , volley fire ranks, cocking pieces can seen moving forward men shoot, , 1 kneeling man can seen working bolt on rifle. generally, in scene shot soldiers left, rifles being used enfields; in scene shot right, martini-henrys.

the budget of film has been subject of speculation. press related figures of $3 million , $3.5 million mentioned upon picture s american release. joe levine later revealed stanley baker had approached him script , budget in 1962, after filming of sodom , gomorrah. levine agreed finance picture $2 million. according records of british completion bond company, film finance, ltd., production finalized budget @ 666,554 gbp (approximately, $1,720,000) included contingency amount of 82,241 gbp, of 34,563 gbp had been used time picture had wrapped post-production (cost report #15, 18 october, 1963). have placed near-final negative cost @ 618,876 gbp (approximately $1,600,000).