Zulu (1964, Michael Caine, Stanley Baker)

The epic battle at the British outpost of Rorke’s Drift in South Africa in 1879 is recreated in this lavish historical drama. Though Zulu warriors outnumbered Britain’s soldiers by 40 to one, the British repeatedly held off multiple waves of attack, subverting the intended massacre. Zulu was shot on location in the Royal Natal National Park, and is narrated by Richard Burton.

Filming Zulu was a homecoming for writer/director/producer Cy Endfield, who was born in South Africa. When he was identified as a communist by House Un-American Acvities Committee and blacklisted in 1951, he moved to England. The force of the blacklist was so strong, even in England he was forced to use pseudonyms.

production details
UK | Embassy | 138 minutes | 1964

Director: Cy Endfield
Producers: Stanley Baker, Cy Endfield
Director of Photography: Stephen Dade
Editor: John Jympson
Music: John Barry
Script: Cy Endfield, John Prebble
Art Direction: Ernest Archer

cast
Denys Graham as Private 716 Jones
Michael Caine as Lt. Gonville Bromhead
Stanley Baker as Lt. John Chard R.E.
Jack Hawkins as Rev. Otto Witt
Ulla Jacobsson as Margareta Witt
James Booth as Pte. Henry Hook
Nigel Green as Colour Sgt. Frank Bourne
Paul Daneman as Sgt. Maxfield
Patrick Magee as Surgeon Reynolds
Glynn Edwards as Cpl. Allen
Neil McCarthy as Pvt. Thomas
David Kernan as Pvt. Hitch
Gary Bond as Pvt. Cole
Richard Burton as Narration spoken
Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi as Cetewayo
Kerry Jordan as Company cook
Dennis Folbigge as Commissary Dalton
Gert Van den Bergh as Adendorff
Harvey Hall as Stickman
John Sullivan as Stephenson
Joe Powell as Sergeant Windridge
Larry Taylor as Hughes
Dickie Owen as Corporal Schiess
Dafydd Havard as Gunner Howarth
Richard Davies as Private 593 Jones
Tom Gerrard as Lance / Corporal
Peter Gill as Private 612 Williams
Ivor Emmanuel as Private Owen
Simon Sabela as Dance Leader