The Long Duel

The Long Duel
Film poster by Frank McCarthy
Directed by	Ken Annakin
Written by	Peter Yeldham (screen play) Ranveer Singh (story)
Produced by	Ken Annakin Aida Young
Starring	Yul Brynner Trevor Howard Charlotte Rampling Harry Andrews
Cinematography	Jack Hildyard
Edited by	Bert Bates
Music by	John Scott
Production company	Rank Organisation Film Productions
Distributed by	The Rank Organisation
Release date	27 July 1967 (1967-07-27)
Running time	115 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£1,069,669

The Long Duel is a 1967 British adventure film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Charlotte Rampling and Harry Andrews. It is set in British-ruled India of the 1920s but was filmed in Spain.

Plot

Superintendent Stafford of the United Provinces Police has his men arrest a tribal group on vague allegations of poaching and theft in British India. Sultan, their leader, is also arrested and held in a cell with criminals in Fort Najibabad. Sultan, his wife Tara and many others manage to break out, but Tara and her newborn child both die. Sultan, with the help of his men, revolts against the peace-keeping British, leading to bitter battles and a final showdown. The film tries to be fair to all sides of the conflict.

Cast

• Yul Brynner as Sultan
• Trevor Howard as Young
• Harry Andrews as Stafford
• Charlotte Rampling as Jane
• Virginia North as Champa
• Andrew Keir as Gungaram
• Laurence Naismith as McDougal
• Maurice Denham as Governor
• George Pastell as Ram Ghand
• Antoñito Ruiz as Munnu
• Imogen Hassall as Tara
• Paul Hardwick as Jamadar
• David Sumner as Gyan Singh
• Rafiq Anwar as Pahelwan
• Shivendra Sinha as Abdul
• Zohra Sehgal as Devi
• Dino Shafeek as Akbar
• Patrick Newell as Colonel
• Jeremy Lloyd as Crabbe
• Terence Alexander as Major
• Marianne Stone as Major's Wife
• Edward Fox as Hardwicke

Production

The film was developed by Sydney Box in collaboration with Vivian Cox. He approached Ken Annakin to direct, and Annakin agreed, pending finance. Eventually this was (supposedly) secured, with Yul Brynner and Trevor Howard to star. Annakin called it "very acceptable adventure story set in the late days of the British Raj."

In March 1966 the Rank Organisation announced it would make nine films with a total cost of £7.5 million of which it would provide £4 million. Two films were financed by Rank completely, a Norman Wisdom movie and a "doctor" comedy (Doctor on Toast which became Doctor in Trouble). The others were The Quiller Memorandum, Deadlier than the Male, Maroc Seven, Red Hot Ferrari (never made), The Fifth Coin (never made), The Battle of Britain and The Long Duel.

The film was to be shot in Dehradun and Mussoorie in north India, with a combination of British and Indian financing, plus the assistance of the Maharah of Baroda (Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad). According to Annakin, Rank agreed to provide three million pounds of the budget, with Sydney Box guaranteeing five million, which was to come through released blocked rupeees or local investors, underwritten by the Maharajah. Annakin and his crew went to India to start preproduction. However Indian financing fell through - Annakin claimed this was in part due to several Indian businessman, who were meant to provide finance under a tax shelted deal, went to prison for tax evasion - and replacement funds were not forthcoming. Matters were complicated when Sydney Box had a heart attack.

Annakin suggested that the film could be shot instead in Spain, where he had made several movies. This was done, with the unit based at Granada, and Rank ended up providing the entire budget. Costumes were shipped from India. It was reportedly the first time Rank entirely financed a movie in 20 years. 'The Long Duel was the studio's first international adventure film since The Singer Not the Song.

Rank sold the US rights to Paramount for two million pounds.

Notes

• Annakin, Ken (2001). So you wanna be a director?. Tomahawk Press.

External links

• The Long Duel at IMDb