Any Zulu and Zulu Dawn film fans?

Sad day.

Ronald Pickup has died aged 80

Played lieutenant Charlie Harford in Zulu Dawn.

Trying to think of which actors of both films are still with us.

Michael Caine- Bromhead

Phil Daniels-private Pullen (Quadraphenia Eastenders)

Paul Copley- private Storey (has been in Corrie recently)

Chris Chittell-Colonel Milne (Eric Pollard in Emmerdale)

Dai Bradley-private Williams (Billy Casper in Kes)

James Faulkner- lieutenant Melville

Michael Jayston- Colonel Crealock

 

Interesting story about Zulu. Cy Endfield and Stanley Baker who were behind the film were prevented by apartheid law at the time for properly recompensing in cash terms the Zulu's who took part in the film...the scene with the cattle was then dreamed up and put into the film , despite having no historical basis...the animals were then left behind for the benefit of the Zulu people.

 

Another Zulu fact.

Michael Caine initially auditioned for the part of private Hook (played by James Booth) and was later given the part of Bromhead.

 

I suppose many of you will also know that the portrayal of Henry Hook as a drunken lazy soldier was completely inaccurate. He was a lay preacher in reality.

 

Lots of factual inaccuracies in both films.

In Zulu neither Bromhead or Chard took the decision to stay and fight the zulus.

That idea came from a James Dalton who barely featured in the film.

 

Zulu was the very first film I saw at the bug hut. I was in awe of the big screen. I stayed for the second showing and went back on another day. ( 3 times in one week) 7/8 yrs old at the time.

 

Pickup is dead but quite a few others keep on truckin'

 

Zulu Dawn was a stellar cast but why was Burt Lancaster cast as Colonel Durnford?

Then to counter that Peter O'Toole was perfect for Chelmsford.

 

Saw it in ritz pictures near tarn end

 

I thought Zulu was a weird film because it depicted a massacre of British troops at Rourke's Drift. However the British won that battle and the Zulu King went in exile and was later captured.

Zulu Dawn was just crap because you knew it was about the British getting their arses kicked. It reminded me of a Bridge Too Far.

 

The book Zulu Rising by Ian Knight knocks both films out of the park.

Based on true events from both sides.

Makes a mockery of the films.

 

At Rorke's Drift the British lost about 17 men out if a total of approximately 140.

The zulus.lost about 400 out of a force of approximately 3500 impis.

 

Thanks I’ll give that a read

 

Really good long book. The first half approx 350 pages or so gives the history of the settlers and political history. The second half is both battles in depth.

 

Zulu...one my fav films.....other inaccuracies were that the regiment were based in Warwickshire (although did recruit around the brecon beacons) i think they declared around 20% were welsh and therefore unlikely to belt out "sons of harlech!". They became a welsh regiment around 3 years after the Rourkes drift battle.
Also broadhead was pretty deaf and not well respected as a decent officer by his peers. As you say dalton was the real hero organizing the defence and had over 20 active years experience in the army before joining the commersariat branch. It was the press who had him decorated (vc) nearly 12 months after the battle, after first hand reports from those who were there.
Wonderful film though...always enjoy it around christmas time.

 

Zulu film myths.

The zulus and British never sang to one another. Was put in purely for entertainment purposes.

When you first saw the zulus on the hillside.the film crew didnt have enough zulu extras so what they did was nail 10 sheilds to a long length of wood and had a zulu stood either side carrying it so when you saw 12 zulus in the distance in battle formation there was actually only 2.

The final glorious battle scene at the redoubt at the end of the film never took place.
Skirmishes took place overnight then by about 3am they petered out completely has they had got wind of Chelmsford making his way towards them.
Also it wasn't as pleasant an ending as the film makes out. When daylight began to break the British went out to the injured zulus and either shot,bayonetted or hung them.

 

Sergeant Bourne was also mis cast.

He was not a tall middle aged muscle bound character. In fact he was in his early 20s and had just come out of the equivalent of Sandhurst training school and was small in stature.

 

It was also claimed that the awarding of 12 vc's in one battle was a political spin to detract from the brits getting their arses kicked at isandwander (spelling) earlier that day.
Disraeli (the prime minister) was very anti lord chelmsford and had told him directly not to engage with the zulu (who had no wish to have a war with the brits). However he engineered his way to contact with them (he was also a fav of the queen) but he should really have been lambasted on his return to the uk. Anyone with political bias on here would appreciate the prime ministers efforts to expose and rubbish him...it never happened.

 

After Islandlwana Chelmsford was ordered to stand down.and make way for Lord Wolseley to take command. Chelmsford ignored the orders and marched his army on to Ulundi and staged one final battle where he took 5000 mento battle with 10 cannons and 2 Gatling guns and a large number of cavalry.

15000 zulus formed their horns of the buffalo battle formation however none got within 200 yards of the British line as they maintained a tight fighting square.

500 zulus died plus over 1000 more injured and the zulu capital burnt to the ground.

British losses were estimated to be about 15 with 70 injured.

Chelmsford then handed over command to Wolseley returned home and never fought again due to criticism from various sections of the armed forces and his reputation in tatters.

 

BUT...apart from all of that what a great film and a fab score by John Barry.