Not sure where you can find a copy, but a small hint as to what has hapened to the movie.

I worked on this film & despite trying to give it everything in the publicity armoury, we failed!

We had a duel campaign of 2 different poster styles, 4 individual 1/2 (double crown) posters, lobby cards & front of house cards & an amazing campaign. But alas there seemed to be no market.

The film opened & closed within weeks & was sold very quickly to televison debuting on Christmas day afternoon in 1980 (If I recall correctly). The delay was slightly delayed in the USA & Canada, but not by much it just could not find a distributor.

From this point on the original 2.35.1 prints & negatives just seem to disapear off the face of the earth.

A small DVD company in the UK picked up a TV print & that was about the best they could find, the credits are letter boxed & the reminder is in Wide Screen 1.85.1 which is how it was sold to TV.

The same prints have come to North America.

Tango the US company have been searching high & low for a full letter box version for some time, but sadly nothing has come of their efforts.

Maybe in the unofficial collectors market a 2.35.1 copy exists & maybe 1 day it will be made available.

But until then the best you will get is a 1.85.1 copy.

Sad but this is often the fate of movies that don't have the backing of a major studio.

Hope this helps.

regards

Andy B

ajbjmdb, November 12, 2008; 10:42 PM

It's a great score from John Barry. It's long been one of my favorites. How old was he at the time? Maybe early to mid 20's? To my ears it sounds like the work of a much older and more experienced composer.

A very good film.



victoravalentine, November 13, 2008; 12:56 AM

knives, you're a joker. ;)))

BTW, Barry was 46 at that time and Bernstein 57.

coma, November 13, 2008; 8:43 AM

"Zulu Dawn" the sequel to "Zulu" with Michael Caine... I misread,

Hey Coma, John Barry was 31 when he scored "Zulu". In his 40's when Bernstein scored "Zulu Dawn". I was off by a few years, you missed it by nearly two decades.

I'm a joker in what way?

victoravalentine, November 13, 2008; 10:52 AM

Actually, though it came out later,
Zulu Dawn was a prequel to Zulu. The Zulus wiped out a British army unit as shown in Zulu Dawn, then moved on to the fort they couldn't defeat in Zulu.

betenoir, November 13, 2008; 2:56 PM

ZULU confused here but since I have not seen any of these ZULU films mentioned it doesn't really matter.

I do have ZULU by John Barry but ZULU DAWN by Elmer released from La La Land Records is the one I have been looking for with no success. Any hints as to where a brand new and sealed copy of ZD by EB from LL is waiting for me?

PS

http://tinyurl.com/6sx8tc

BTW, wasn't that a ZULU doll in "TRILOGY OF TERROR" (luv those three flicks... great scoring as well!) that possesses Amelia played by Karen Black (who else?!) which in turn becomes an oversized ZULU doll herself with a full bust (not Russ Meyer's standards... but will do nonetheLESS!) and a wonderful smile???

Luv those teeth!!!

http://tinyurl.com/6fxg2c

PPS

A brief glimpse into the perils of Amelia... HILARIOUS!

http://tinyurl.com/6jtp7t

:p

serifiot, November 13, 2008; 7:45 PM

"Zulu Dawn" I've never seen although I remember it doing poorly at the theatres as Andy B wrote in an earlier post. I have the Bernstein recording on Cerberus.

victoravalentine, November 13, 2008; 8:25 PM

I think killer knives you had included this in your blog with LP images. In any case, I see that it has a 5 star rating here on SC's database but besides that, since I enjoy Elmer Bernstein's film music, I would have liked to have gotten this. I should have purchased it from La La dirt cheap back when it was still being offered. I think one of the reasons I never went for it was because I got it confused with Barry's score and I thought I already had it. Oh well!...

serifiot, November 13, 2008; 8:40 PM

Nah, knives! I referred to the release date of Zulu Dawn: 1979. ;)

coma, November 14, 2008; 5:31 AM