The Wild Geese

The Wild Geese
Original film poster by Arnaldo Putzu
Directed by	Andrew V. McLaglen
Produced by	Euan Lloyd
Screenplay by	Reginald Rose
Based on	novel The Wild Geese by Daniel Carney
Starring	Richard Burton Roger Moore Richard Harris Hardy Krüger
Music by	Roy Budd
Cinematography	Jack Hildyard
Edited by	John Glen
Production company	Richmond Film Productions (West) Ltd Varius Entertainment Trading A.G.
Distributed by	Rank (UK) Allied Artists (US)
Release date	28 June 1978 (South Africa) 6 July 1978 (Royal charity premiere, London)
Running time	134 minutes
Country	United Kingdom Switzerland
Language	English
Budget	$11.6 million
Box office	$1,423,104 (US) 1,037,275 admissions (France) 1,446,874 admissions (Spain) 3.9 million (Germany)

28 June 1978 (South Africa)

The Wild Geese is a British adventure film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen about a group of mercenaries in Africa. It stars Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Hardy Krüger. 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. The same producer and director were later responsible for The Sea Wolves.

The screenplay by Reginald Rose was based on an unpublished novel titled The Thin White Line by Daniel Carney. 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). Carney's novel was subsequently published by Corgi Books under the same title as the film.

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 Moise Tshombe.

It has been suggested that Sir Edward Matheson was based on the international businessman, Tiny Rowland.

Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton), a British mercenary and former army colonel, arrives in London to meet the rich and ruthless merchant banker Sir Edward Matheson (Stewart Granger). The latter proposes a risky operation to rescue Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona), the imprisoned leader of a Southern African nation who is due to be executed by General Ndofa, the man who deposed him. Limbani is currently being held in a remote prison in Zembala, guarded by a unit of Ndofa's personal troops known as the "Simbas".