I am asking if anyone knows or if they are good at picking out rifles from the silver screen. In the John Wayne movie Hatari, what rifles and or calibers are used? I have a copy of "The Weatherby Guide" #14 from 1967 and on page 61 is a photo of The Duke with a Weatherby 300 in one hand and a lesser Kudu in the other....but, I don't think that rifle was seen in the movie. Can anyone help with this? Thanks, JH

30mm,

This was recently posted over on AR.

Mike



Many critics carped that the film seemed like a lazy vacation for Hawks. They were partly right - there was no finished script and Hawks relished the chance of filming what he wanted on location in Africa, far away from the watchful eye of the studio, happily burning through their $6 million budget.

According to director Howard Hawks, all the animal captures in the picture were performed by the actual actors; no stuntmen or animal handlers were substituted onscreen. The rhino really did escape, and the actors really did have to recapture it - and Hawks included the sequence for its realism.

Congo, the baby elephant in the filming, died in November 2000 at the Dubbo Zoo. He was the only male elephant in captivity in Australia at the time.

Hatari means "danger" in Swahili.

Composer Henry Mancini wrote a brief piece of incidental music to go with a scene where a baby elephant is taken for a walk. The simple little song became an international hit as "Baby Elephant Walk", and has been recorded by a large number of artists and in many different styles.

Much of the action sequence audio had to be re-dubbed due to John Wayne's cursing while wrestling with the animals.

In 1960 Clark Gable had agreed to star in the movie with John Wayne, provided he received first billing on the opening credits and $1 million plus 10% of the gross. Paramount however would not raise the budget to finance Gable, so the script was radically changed.

In an interview for a shooting and hunting magazine, Wayne related that in the original cut he killed an elephant, shooting it with the .458 Winchester Magnum rifle he is seen carrying in the movie.

Jan Oelofse, the animal supervisor, captured and tamed all the animals in Africa; the elephants, leopard, the cheetahs, and flew with 40 animals aboard a DC6 across Africa, through South America to Hollywood to continue scenes shot in Hollywood

Red Buttons, a liberal Democrat, later said that he greatly regretted his "gross misapprehension" line.

According to Hardy Kr�ger's autobiography, the film crew rented all vehicles available in Tanzania, even the privately owned ones.

Howard Hawks allegedly bought Elsa Martinelli's tight fitting safari suits himself at a New York department store.

This subject has come up on another site. I spent ten days in Namibia interviewing Jan Oelofse a couple of years ago, and the animal capture and training was handled by a true character, a fellow named Oom Willie de Beer, who had two separate teams. Oelofse was Oom Willie's employee in charge of the training of cats and the baby elephants. Not all of the animal captures on film were done by the actors. Oelofse and others doubled for them in the capture of the monkeys in the tree, for example. Incidentally, Oelofse said that net-over-the-tree segment was filmed in just one take.

Bill Quimby

John Kingsley-Heaths' book has a big section on this film including that one of the female animal handlers was killed by one of the stunt lions.

A Willy DeBeer was mentioned in one of Peter Capstick's books as being mauled by a lion while camping. Is this the same Willie as credited as a technical adviser in Hatari. By the way, my dad worked in the sales department of Paramount Pictures when Hatari was released. I first saw the film at a private screening for employees and select exhibitors at the Paramount Dallas branch office. My brother and I got replica hats with the long bill and neck flaps like John Wayne wore. Wish I still had that hat!

Hawks had good taste in ladies' safari clothing...and the lady to fill them.


I'd pay good money to hear the Duke's out-takes

You guys don't have a clue do you Hawks and Duke Wayne along with the rest of the crowd they hung out with hunted and fished a lot. Now do you really belief that there was not a method to the madness? Gee's get some Studio to flip the bill for what we would sell our children for? Come on, the movie was just that, they were there to go do some hunting and what ever else they could while doing it. Its one of those movies you want to see on a rainy Sunday and Africa of the past. That movie is popular with hunters for some odd reason. As for the Dukes 300 WM. I had a chance one to by William Holden's 300 Weatherby, and he hunted a lot. They blew 6 million on that movie, so what, The dvd sales from just the fire makes up for it. As for the rifles, gee they had some guns. I leave it at that.

Where the hell did that come from?

Maybe, he missed a daily dosage of his medication.

+1

Mike

The rifles they used where Savages chambered in 17HMR

Cool, then I will be over gunned with my .204Ruger!

One of my father's patients was the owner of a local theater downtown (remember the one screen big movie "palaces"?). He met my Dad and I when we went to see the movie and gave me that exact same Hatari hat with the neck flap.

I would have worn it to South Africa if I still had it, even if if didn't fit anymore.

John Wayne was carrying (and shooting) a Winchester Pre-64 Model 70 and specifically, the model called the African in .458 Win Mag. Knowing the movie was made in 1962 adds to the clues, but there are clear shots in a few scenes that leave no doubt as to what his rifle is. I have owned several and I knew this upon viewing; later I heard that John Wayne himself state that he fired a 458 Win Mag in the elephant scene and used the same gun in bagging one elephant. In 1962, there were only a few candidates for this cartridge, but again, the photography was clear enough to reveal my assertion.

I am quite sure that Hardy Krueger (Kurt) was carrying a Magnum Mauser. Unless edited, the sound of the action closing gave it away.
By way of the rapid fire scenes in their target practice, it was probably intended to be a .375 H&H Mag.

I could not detect what rifle Gerard Blain (Chip) was shooting, could have been any bolt action but appeared to be in the Mauser 98 genre outfitted in the preferred PH features (barrel mounted front swivel, forend tip, low comb stock with cheek piece, pistol grip, etc.)

At least that's my take on it.

RC Rule
Author of The Rifleman's Rifle
(Pre-64 Model 70s)

Welcome RC! Another solid member!

What is amazing is that the rifles Hardy Kruger and the other guy were shooting had no recoil!

Welcome to the Fire, Mr. Rule. I've had your M-70 book for years and it's great to hear from you.

The Fire is an acquired taste, not too unlike eating chicken wings. You swallow the meat and spit out the bone. We've got some of both.

Hope you enjoy.

DF

Mr. Rule,

I also appreciate your post.

PUI (Posting Under the Influence)

Jeff

Wow, Welcome Mr Rule. I have your book and in fact one of your contributors, Alan Smithline is an old friend. jorge

Hardy Kruger bought the ranch (Momella?) that was used as the set for the movie. He also was inspired to write a novel about life in Tanz called The Upside Down Tree. A little dark, but an interesting read nonetheless.

I think they ALL had a good time on the set.

Hatari is my all time favorite John Wayne movie and that's saying a lot. Interesting thread.

RCRule, thanks for the answer about the rifles. I am in Afghanistan and did not see your note until today (13 June).
I remember seeing the two different boxes of ammo on the ground during the "target shooting" scene, and was thinking one might be 375 H&H. Hatari is a very cool movie, another one I like from the Duke is "The Hell Fighters", one scene near the end of the movie has a nice view of a BAR.
thanks again, John H.

Can you guess which one is my favorite?

(The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a close second.)

This movie is in the top 10 favorites in our house. My 6 yr old Daughter requests it and North to Alaska every night before bed.

Thanks for the info, guys!