Killers of Kilimanjaro

Main cast

Production

Warwick Films had made three films in Africa, Safari, Zarak and Odongo. The movie was announced in 1956 and inspired by the story of the Tsavo maneaters recounted in the 1955 book African Bush Adventures by J.A. Hunter and Daniel P. Mannix.

The screenplay was originally by Peter Viertel, who had worked on The African Queen, and written a novel of the experiences called White Hunter, Black Heart. Alan Ladd, who had made three films for Warwick, was the announced as male lead - it was meant to be part of a six-picture deal between Ladd and Warwick that also included The Man Inside and It's Always Four O'Clock. In the final event Ladd made no further films for Warwick - the lead role went to Robert Taylor.

Filming took place on location in Moshi Tanganyika, the same location used for Mogambo and Tarzan's Greatest Adventure.

Release

The film's title was changed to Killers of Kilimanjaro. This upset Chief Thomas Marealle of the Chagga tribe, on whose lands the film was shot, and he made an official complaint. Mount Kilimanjaro lies about 125 kilometres (78 mi) west of Tsavo in Tanzania.