The Wild Geese Poster Daybill Original 1978 Richard Burton Roger Moore
Daybill Poster art by Arnaldo Putzu.The Wild Geese is a 1978 British-Swiss war film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen about a group of mercenaries in Africa. It stars Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Hardy Krüger. A number of veterans and actual mercenary soldiers also appeared in the film. The film was the result of a long-held ambition of its producer Euan Lloyd to make an all-star adventure film similar to The Guns of Navarone or Where Eagles Dare. Smaller roles went to children of famous stars such as Alan Ladd, Ingmar Bergman and Stanley Baker. The same producer and director were later responsible for The Sea Wolves. The film was named The Wild Geese after the Wild Goose flag and shoulder patch used by Michael "Mad Mike" Hoare's Five Commando, ANC, which in turn was inspired by a 17th-century Irish mercenary army (see Flight of the Wild Geese). The novel was based upon rumours and speculation following the 1968 landing of a mysterious aeroplane in Rhodesia, which was said to have been loaded with mercenaries and "an African president" believed to have been a dying Moïse Tshombe. The film was a considerable commercial success in Britain and other countries worldwide. Richard Burton was planning to reprise his role as Colonel Allen Faulkner in Wild Geese 2, but he died just days before filming began.Roger Moore had also considered reprising his role in the sequel, but declined.
