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Poster puzzler!
Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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I received a framed print of a publicity poster for 'ZULU' from my daughter, for Christmas. It's not an easy thing to buy a gift related to the subject for someone who has a passing interest in the subject. I thought this was thoughtful.
Anyway, on this poster were three selling phrases which puzzle me.
Question "The Incredible Siege of Ishiwane" What's that?
Question "Amid the Battle's Heat...the Flash of Passion" Where's that?
Exclamation "Day That Saved a Continent" I accept as a bit of exaggeration.

Can any one enlighten me please?

Alan
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Paul Bryant-Quinn
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Alan

Can't help you with the Flash of Passion, I'm afraid, but at a guess, I'd say that 'Ishiwane' could be Shiyane: you'll remember that the Witts refer to this as '[the Zulus'] name for our mission station at Rorke's Drift' in the opening scenes of the film.

The selling phrase about the "Day That Saved a Continent" seems to echo the account of the battle's context as given on the sleeve notes of the LP soundtrack of ZULU. I must have lost my copy some thirty years ago, but if memory serves the writer stated that had the Zulu won at Rorke's Drift they would have had access to the rear of the other columns. His dramatic conclusion was '... finish these off and the British were out of South Africa'.

Shocked

Regards,

Paul
Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Paul

No doubt about two of the three, as you say. As for the "passion" - well, didn't Ulla lose (or almost lose) one of her buttons ...?

Peter
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Paul Bryant-Quinn
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Could be, Peter, but if that's their definition of `the Flash of Passion' we could probably get them under the Trades Descriptions Act. Although as a boring medievalist, I'm probably not the best one to ask on these matters ...

Being pedantic, though, Ulla's button-experience wasn't exactly 'Amid the Battle's Heat', was it? More like while the barricades were being built, I'd say. I expect that those marketing the film were just looking for eye-catching captions for their posters.

Happy New Year!

Paul
Alan
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You're all forgetting the bit of a snog attempt on Ulla by one of the patients and the rude "ripen at noon" comment by Scheiss. All a bit too saucy for me!

Alan (I'm going to wash some dishes to calm down)
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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Paul,

Sorry to be such an awful pedant (what, me? ) but you won't, in fact, be able to nail them under that legislation, which wasn't enacted until four years after the release of the film - so I'm afraid Cy and Sir Stan are in the clear!

Come on, Paul, attention to detail - please!

P.
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Sheldon Hall


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 377
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Re. the "flash of passion": much of the publicity copy for ZULU was written (probably by National Screen Services' main writer, Esther Harris) well in advance of the film's final edit. Some of you may know that until a very late stage of editing the film included a subsidiary plot thread which hinted at the beginnings of a tentative romance between Chard and Margareta Witt: the original ending as filmed was the Witts' return to the camp and a scene of reconciliation between the "romantic leads", as they might have been had this whole thread not been eliminated (fortunately!) in the cutting. I think this subplot is what the phrase is referring to, and doubtless it was retained (in that spirit of candid honesty for which advertising is so well known) well after its deletion from the film to attract that portion of the public which expected a "little sex in it" (as per SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS) and a kiss at the fade-out. On the other hand, it could refer to the anticipated reaction of junior patrons to the Zulu wedding dance, which afforded so many youngsters such as myself their first sight of topless ladies on screen!
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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
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And we can't overlook the rather broader definition of "passions" as including anger and frustration as well as the more marketable lust, although the copy writers seem to be blatently suggesting the presence of the latter. I have an Italian poster for the movie that would leave the movie goer wondering if he were in the right theater! It pictures a stern and inscrutable looking Zulu from the shoulders up superimposed over Ms. Witt leaning into him as though whispering-- but she has a decidedly lustful look on her face! This little vignette is further superimposed over a number of dancing Zulu maidens (suitably unattired) with the cliffs of RNNP in the background. Aside from the nudity, the poster seems to promise a movie centered around sex-- and interracial sex at that! Oh, and no mention or hint whatsoever of there being any armed conflict included as well. IMHO, this poster seems to say more about Italians than it does the movie ZULU and I hope that Italian moviegoers weren't dissapointed as well as perplexed by what they paid good ching to see.
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Paul Bryant-Quinn
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Sawubona

Interested in your Italian poster for ZULU. I lived in Italy for a number of years but never saw one of those. As a matter of interest, what is written on it (if anything)? I wonder if the Italian marketing differed from the British!

Regards,

Paul
Rich
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You know I'd bet the marketing for Zulu in Italy just had to emphasize the "PASSION" angle with UL-LA-LA ULLA!..Wink....

And since we're in the international arena, I've always wondered how "Zulu" came off in South Africa when it had its premier back in '64.
If any of the South African's here can let on I'd love to hear about it...Shel..chime in too!

Also, Sheldon, I read that Mr Endfield showed a western film to the Zulus to give them an idea of how he wanted them to behave in scenes. Do you know what he showed them?? Was it a John Ford pix??? Thanks.
Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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Don't forget that we have ZULU posters from around the world in the 'Pot Pourri' section for viewing; Italian included.
I now notice that the version which was given is the American one.

Alan
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Sawubona


Joined: 09 Nov 2005
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This Italian poster measures 18+" high by 26+" wide and I've no idea what the size is called (possibly a "third sheet" since it's as wide as a one-sheet but only 1/3 as tall?). It isn't in the pot pourii section, but thanks for directing me to that area, Alan-- I didn't know it existed! The only text on it is the same as that on the American lobby cards (in Italian, of course, as in "Una produzione Stanley Baker-Cy Enfield" and "Ispirato de un articolo di John Prebble" with the tiny addition of "POLICROM SpA-ROMA 1964" on one side. Paranthetically, anyone got a decent Number 2 American Lobby card to sell or trade (is it OK to ask something like that on the Forum?) My only copy of #2 is a bit soiled and worn, but I've some pristine duplicates of most of the other 7 to trade. I have to add that this Italian third sheet is so shamelessly lurid and misleading that it's downright funny and therefore occupies a place of honor on my wall! Sadly, someone put two strategically placed pieces of blue tape on "parts" of the foremost dancer; but if you look real close ("Here, use this magnifier") at the girl behind her... And Ulla is wearing her red outfit, not the white one. Any stories about the red dress and what was planned for it, Sheldon ?

(Editor's note: Strictly speaking, items for sale should go through the MARKETPLACE section of the site)
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Paul Bryant-Quinn
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I'd be very surprised if it said "Ispirato de un articolo ...", Sawubona!
Sheldon Hall


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 377
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Sawubona,

The Italian poster you have sounds like one of a number of similar design which seem to have been issued exclusively in the Italian market: I have seen a number of others (including some with those blue stickers covering the naughty bits!) and one, sourced at the Cineteca di Bologna, is reproduced in the colour section of my book (I see also that there are several in the Pot Pourri section of this site, including mine and the one with the red dress).

They seem to be the Italian equivalent of oversize lobby cards rather than true posters: most feature a montage of two stills, and some are 'touched up' in one way or another - hence the red dress, which seems to have been colourised by the publicists to add visual interest to the poster - I'm certainly not aware of any Jezebel-like costume variation, which would have been decidedly out of character for Margareta!

Rich,

The first film shown to the Zulus was apparently a Gene Autry singing cowboy Western, but no-one has ever mentioned a specific title to me - certainly nothing so distinguished as a John Ford movie! But the Zulus (and the White cast & crew) frequently enjoyed evening film showings over the 14-week shoot, so I daresay they could have got to see something of a quality vintage.
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Rich
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Thanks Sheldon.. hey maybe that pix was "Roundup Time in Texas", 1937..The Singin Cowboy was 'rasslin with voodoo men and gem thieves in South Africa!... Wink
Poster puzzler!
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