Zulu released 50 years ago this week is a film about a glorious british myth. British infantry with natal irregulars against zulu warriors. The untold story of the film zulu starring michael caine, 50 years on. Cy endfields epic military marathon about the battle of rorkes drift was actually shot 90 miles. With stanley baker, jack hawkins, ulla jacobsson, james booth. Zulu 1964 movie final battle including men of harlech song. Whilst the film was not a documentary and for the sake of a good story the historical facts may have been. Outnumbered british soldiers do battle with zulu warriors at rorkes drift. The film recounts the battle of rorkes drift in 1879 when some 150 british soldiers held off around 4,000 warrior. Following their victory, a reserve of the zulu impi marched towards rorkes drift, keen to destroy the small british garrison stationed there, on the border of the kingdom of zululand. The zulus were commanded by prince dabulamanzi kamapande. The film leaves this out, and even neglects to make him wear his pith helmet. So it seems appropriate to reproduce the vintage magazines article, a day in the life of lt john chard, royal engineers 22 january 1879. Zulu is a 1964 epic war film depicting the battle of rorkes drift between the british army and the zulus in january 1879, during the anglozulu war.
At the outpost are one hundred fifty british troops under the command of lieutenants bromhead and chard. Michael caine, in his first major film role, portrayed bromhead in the 1964 film zulu, which was based on the battle of rorkes drift. The battle of rorkes drift, also known as the defence of rorkes drift, was a battle in the anglozulu war. It was the worst defeat ever suffered by a modern army against a technologically inferior indigenous force.
It shows how 150 british soldiers, many of whom were sick and wounded patients in a field hospital, successfully held off a force of 4,000 zulu warriors. The successful british defence of the mission station of rorke s drift, under the command of lieutenants john chard of the royal engineers and gonville bromhead, began when a large contingent of zulu warriors broke off from their main force during the final hour of the british. Zulu movie rorkes drift vc winning battle myths bbc news. Jan 3, 2020 stills from the stanley baker movie, zulu. The film recounts the battle of rorkes drift in 1879 when some 150 british soldiers held off around 4,000 warrior tribesmen whose land they had. Aided by commissary dalton and lieutenant gonville bromhead, the former garrison commander, chard soon transformed rorkes drift into a defendable position. See more ideas about zulu, war film and stanley baker. But the story of the film is almost as remarkable as what it.
Zulu 1964 drama, history, war stanley baker, jack hawkins. The true story of the battle of rorkes drift not a lot. It was fifty years ago that the battle of rorkes drift was immortalised in the film zulu, on the 85th anniversary of the action. Zulu 1964 movie final battle including men of harlech. Not rated 2h 18min drama, history, war 17 june 1964 usa outnumbered british soldiers do battle with zulu warriors at rorkes drift.
The battle of rorke s drift, also known as the defence of rorke s drift, was an engagement in the anglozulu war. The battle of rorkes drift has entered british folklore thanks to the 1964 movie. The british garrison was commanded by lieutenant john chard, royal engineers and lieutenant gonville bromhead of the 24 th foot. He ordered the men to erect a wall of mealie bags around the mission station and to fortify the buildings with loopholes and barricades. The zulus next fix their sights on the small british outpost at rorkes drift.