Information
- BFI identifier31573
- Date1964 (Copyright)
1964-11-01 (Release) - Production countryUnited Kingdom, USA
- Production company
- SynopsisA British regiment stationed in a newly independent African state is preparing to celebrate the Queen's birthday when Colonel Deal is ordered to hand over command to the African Captain Abraham pending the result of political agitation. Deal leaves for H.Q. confining all British personnel to quarters. The veteran R.S.M., Lauderdale, is in charge of the Mess, stranded travellers and Miss Barker-Wise, a visiting Labour M.P. from London. Lieutenant Boniface, Miss Barker-Wise's former protegée, assumes rebel command in the name of the new government. Abraham escapes, wounded, and is granted asylum by Lauderdale who prepares to defend the Mess against Boniface and sabotages his guns. Deal arrives confirming the new regime and Lauderdale is ignominiously ordered to leave the country by Boniface. Shattered by this seeming injustice he allows himself one act of lèse majesté before preparing to obey orders again. (Synopsis)
- Work historyTitle card on film: "Twentieth Century-Fox are proud to dedicate this film to the warrant officers and non-commissioned officers of the British Army past and present, who have at all times upheld the high traditions of the service" The character played by John Meillon is cited as 'Sgt. 'Aussie' Drake' in the film's cast list, but in the film itself he is called 'Sgt. 'Digger' Drake'. The character played by Percy Herbert is cited as 'Colour Sgt. Ben Parkin' in the film's cast list, but in the film itself, on the sole occasion where he is called by his surname (by Richard Attenborough), he is called 'Smith', not Parkin.
- Genre
- Subject
- CreditsDirected by: John Guillermin
©: Twentieth Century-Fox Productions Ltd
Presents: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
view all - CastRichard Attenborough (Regimental Sergeant Major Lauderdale)
Flora Robson (Miss Barker-Wise)
John Leyton (Private Wilkes)
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Title
Guns at Batasi (Original)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/EF21-C0D5-8114-41FC-253E-9Category
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
- Collections
- Film / Video
35mm BW Positive - Safety - Combined - Viewing
Digital Betacam - Video - Viewing
DVD-R - Video - Viewing
view all - Scripts / DocumentsMusic Cue Sheet (Special Collections) - MUS-614
Script - Original story: Novel, "The Siege of Battersea", by Robert Holles - SCR-9113
Ephemera: publicity - PBS-31573
Small pressbook held. Music cue sheet held.
view all - StillsPhotograph: print - Portrait - Black and White - bfi-00o-buk
Photograph: print - Portrait - Black and White - bfi-00o-buj
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00o-8zc
Photograph: print - Landscape - Black and White - bfi-00m-r7n
Photograph: transparency - Landscape - Colour - bfi-00m-tzb
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- +Guns at Batasi
Work - 31573 - 1964 (Copyright)
United Kingdom - Film - Fiction
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