One of my all time most endearing films, and another of those rare shows where every element falls into place with craftsman like precision – from the director, John Huston, the magnificent cast that stretches beyond the obvious star power of the three leads through to veteran British character actor, the wonderful Saaed Jaffrey and newcomer Shakira Caine – none other than Mrs Maurice Micklewhite herself. Huston’s guiding hand even as far as the local Morrocan population who filled so many secondary roles many of them as memorable as the central players. Behind the scenes accounts are amusing, with star Caine always judging the comfort of this arduous shoot by how near he could perform his scenes with the indispensible ‘honey wagon’ in close proximity. I aint gonna spell it out, but the delicate British thespian digestive system considered the local food some sort of secret ‘weapon of mass destruction’. (!)
The film has enchanted me since I first saw it in the late seventies. I found myself totally swept away with the wonderful Rudyard Kipling story and the colourful characters. Director Huston had been trying for decades to get this film off the ground, though I can’t specifically recall who was intended as leads in the earlier unmade incarnations – possibly Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy or Clark Gable?… I know I have it in a book somewhere…
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A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX
Please Note: Now, I am going further back into the archives of Matte Shot – A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX to feature even more articles from this great site.
This blog is intended primarily as a tribute to the inventiveness and ingenuity of the craft of the matte painter during Hollywoods’ Golden Era. Some of the shots will amaze in their grandeur and epic quality while others will surprise in their ‘invisibility’ to even the sophisticated viewer. I hope this collection will serve as an appreciation of the artform and both casual visitors and those with a specialist interest may benefit, enjoy and be amazed at skills largely unknown today.