The sort of "high adventure" aging
lead men did by carloads during the 70's that were run-off from hits beginning
with The Guns Of Navarone. Impossible missions were made possible with a right
combination of international names and funding gathered global, The Wild Geese
and kin customized for a worldwide market. I'd see these and wonder how much more Richard Burton and
Richard Harris could withstand, their constitutions beat down by years at tippling.
How cruel was it to issue uniforms and prop guns to hard-lived
players at an end of tethers? But, of course, it's Burton, Harris, and company that make Wild
Geese fly. To preserve them better, we'd as soon limit Burton-Harris input to
dialogue they did so well, and leave action to faceless and falling
mobs under direction of Andrew V. McLaglen, who'd done as much stateside for
John Wayne and was efficient, if not inspired. "Guest stars," as in
folk who complete work in a couple days, would look in on international
co-ops like The Wild Geese, thus Stewart Granger as remind of what he-men of
the 40-50's were lately up to. Being it addresses Africa tensions, there is
political airing here/there in The Wild Geese, which I sped mostly past,
Hardy Kruger my cue to fast-forward. There's a Blu-Ray out that's said to be
fine, but I saw The Wild Geese on Epix, looking just OK, but not
exceptional, being first fifteen-minutes that turned into an
entire-length sit.
I recall seeing this on first theatrical release and thinking it first rate of kind. First time I had ever seen Richard Burton outside of his very stuffy and/or erudite roles and thought that he successfully pulled off the central action hero role in "The Wild Geese" in the tradition of Frank Sinatra performing similar duties in "Von Ryan's Express."
Burton had done the action hero thing within the past 9-years before THE WILD GEESE. Starting in 1969 with WHERE EAGLES DARE, followed by RAID ON ROMMEL in 1971 & THE BATTLE OF SUTJESKA in 1973. I saw GEESE at the drive-in in Kailua, HI first run.
Harry Enfield spoofed this (and other all-star war films of the period) in his mockumentary "Sir Norbert Smith: a Life," in which the fictional Norbert co-starred with "Peter O'Pissed" and "Richard Smashed" in "Dogs of Death," where he and his comrades gulped copious shots of liquor inbetween gunning down Nazis.
4 Comments:
I recall seeing this on first theatrical release and thinking it first rate of kind. First time I had ever seen Richard Burton outside of his very stuffy and/or erudite roles and thought that he successfully pulled off the central action hero role in "The Wild Geese" in the tradition of Frank Sinatra performing similar duties in "Von Ryan's Express."
Burton had done the action hero thing within the past 9-years before THE WILD GEESE. Starting in 1969 with WHERE EAGLES DARE, followed by RAID ON ROMMEL in 1971 & THE BATTLE OF SUTJESKA in 1973. I saw GEESE at the drive-in in Kailua, HI first run.
What's in a name? Hardy Kruger is the last man standing.
Harry Enfield spoofed this (and other all-star war films of the period) in his mockumentary "Sir Norbert Smith: a Life," in which the fictional Norbert co-starred with "Peter O'Pissed" and "Richard Smashed" in "Dogs of Death," where he and his comrades gulped copious shots of liquor inbetween gunning down Nazis.
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