King Solomon's Mines (1985)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

H. Rider Haggard (novel)
Gene Quintano (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Action

Tagline:

The Adventure of a Lifetime

Plot:

Fortune hunter Allan Quatermain teams up with a resourceful woman to help her find her missing father lost in the wilds of 1900s Africa while being pursued by hostile tribes and a rival German explorer.

Plot Keywords:

Indiana Jones Spoof | Africa | Expedition | Giant Spider | Jungle

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Richard Chamberlain	...	Allan Quatermain
Sharon Stone	...	Jesse Huston
Herbert Lom	...	Colonel Bockner
John Rhys-Davies	...	Dogati
Ken Gampu	...	Umbopo
June Buthelezi	...	Gagoola
Sam Williams	...	Scragga
Shaike Ophir	...	Kassam
Mick Lesley	...	Dorfman
Vincent Van der Byl	...	Shack
Bob Greer	...	Hamid
Oliver Tengende	...	Bushiri
Neville Thomas	...	German Pilot
Bishop McThuzen	...	Dari
Isiah Murert	...	Rug Carrier
Rocky Green	...	Silent One
Calvin Johns	...	Silent One
Isaac Mabhikwa	...	Silent One
Innocent Kagure	...	Silent One
Brian Kagure	...	Silent One
Stanley Norris	...	Silent One
Anna Ditano	...	Dogati Girl (Camp Follower)
Andrew Whaley	...	German
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bernard Archard	...	Professor Huston (uncredited)
Paul Birchard	...	German on Train (uncredited)

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson

Writing credits
H. Rider Haggard		(novel)
Gene Quintano		(writer) and
James R. Silke		(writer)

Produced by
Yoram Globus	....	producer
Menahem Golan	....	producer
Rony Yacov	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Álex Phillips Jr.		(as Alex Phillips)

Film Editing by
John Shirley

Casting by
Gianna Pisanello

Production Design by
Luciano Spadoni

Art Direction by
Leonardo Coen Cagli

Set Decoration by
Nello Giorgetti

Costume Design by
Tony Pueo

Makeup Department
Vincenzo Cardella	....	hair stylist
Betty Church	....	makeup artist
Walter Cossu	....	makeup supervisor
Frances Mathias	....	hair stylist: Ms. Stone
Gino Zamprioli	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Rory Kilalea	....	unit manager
Joe Pollini	....	production manager
John Stodel	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen Chigorimbo	....	third assistant director
Carlos Gil	....	second unit director
Miguel Gil	....	first assistant director
Alf Makonda	....	second assistant director: second unit
Cedric Sundstrom	....	assistant director
Neal Sundstrom	....	third assistant director
Wynton Tavill	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Keith Crossley	....	sketch artist
César Díez Álava	....	props
Batia Grafka	....	property master
Benito Leonardi	....	construction coordinator
Renato Lori	....	set designer
Ian Mulder	....	construction coordinator
Mike Phillips	....	draftsman
Jesse Silver	....	storyboard artist
David Varod	....	set dresser
Arie Ben Yishai	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Michele Atkins	....	sound editor: dubbing
Peter Best	....	sound editor: dubbing
Richard Fettes	....	sound editor: dubbing
Graham Harris	....	sound editor
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bob Mullins	....	sound editor: dubbing
Germano Natali	....	sound effects technician
Franco Scarano	....	sound effects technician
Bryan Tilling	....	sound editor: dubbing
Fabio Traversari	....	sound effects technician
Fred Unger	....	sound effects technician
Eli Yarkoni	....	sound mixer
Yossi Yarkoni	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Gregg Bond	....	miniatures
Gregg Bond	....	special effects prop artist
Fabio Traversari	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Alan Church	....	optical camera (uncredited)

Stunts
Carmen Babnick	....	stunt woman (as Karmen Babnik)
Andy Bradford	....	senior stuntman
Angel Castignani	....	stunts
Peter Diamond	....	stunt coordinator
Scully Levine	....	aerial stunt coordinator
Isaac Mavimbella	....	stunts
Allan Oberholzer	....	stunts
Graham Press	....	stunts
Red Ruiters	....	assistant stunt coordinator (as Reo Ruiters)
Abe Temba	....	stunts (as Abe Thembe)

Camera and Electrical Department
Avi Avrahami	....	best boy electric
Tony Baggot	....	assistant camera
Jacob Bukman	....	key grip
Harmon Cusack	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Dave Dunn-Yarker	....	aerial photographer
Yoni Hamenachem	....	still photographer
Avraham Karpick	....	focus puller
Hans Kühle Jr.	....	camera operator
Clive Lawrie	....	assistant camera
Avraham Leibman	....	gaffer
Yohanan Nativ	....	grip
Benny Offer	....	electrician
David Saranga	....	grip
Yuda Tatarko	....	best boy: second unit

Casting Department
Liz James	....	crowd casting
Liz James	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Susan Lichtman	....	wardrobe assistant
Robyn Smith	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Sarah Bergman	....	assistant to editor
Rob Green	....	second assistant editor
Larry Richardson	....	assistant editor
Omneya 'Nini' Mazen	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Music Department
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Paul Fisher	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Keith Anderson	....	aerial coordinator
Barbara Bergman	....	production accountant
Tony Bristow	....	animal coordinators assistant
Viv Bristow	....	animal coordinator
Linette Frewin	....	production assistant
Pauline Hume	....	title designer
Avi Lerner	....	production associate
Beverley Mannin	....	production assistant
Naomi Mayberg	....	production coordinator
Philip Morris	....	production assistant
Avner Peled	....	location manager
Brian Rayner	....	armorer
Sherril Schlesinger	....	production assistant
Lesley Van Flymen	....	unit publicist
Vivalda Vigorelli	....	script supervisor
Antoinette Wilkinson	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Cannon Group
• Limelight

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ízaro Films (1985) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Cannon-City Distribution (1985) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Scotia International Filmverleih (1986) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• América Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Cannon Group
• Hoyts Distribution
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (Canada)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• VMP (1986) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Vestron Video International (1986) (Belgium) (video)

Special Effects

• Germano Natali

Other Companies

• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Prometheus Records  score album released by

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:15 | Iceland:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-14 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Zimbabwe

Company:

Cannon Group

Trivia:

There were rumours that the six month shoot was cursed, so the director J. Lee Thompson had called for a witch-doctor, a N'anga, to lift the curse.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The German troops are largely using the Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk.I rifle, a British weapon not developed until the late 1930's and never adopted by the German armed forces.

Quotes:

Dogati: We must cross rivers, we must climb mountains. Must we listen to this, too?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in High Adventure (2001)

GREAT FILM!

This is one of my favourite films, as it is so easy to watch, i think the director was being Padraic of other action/adventure films and that is why it appears cheesy. I think the areoplane scene which we can tell is really fake, is meant to make you laugh. I particularly like the way secretly Sharon Stone's shorts within the film start as clam diggers and by the end of the film she almost has hot pants on (typical Hollywood male gaze of woman). I think for that time the special effects were excellent for an action/adventure treasure hunter film. I like the narrative of this film, as its not really complicated, i also like the way light is used in the tree tops when sharon & quatermain meet the upside-down people. This film is perfect to watch hungover eating warmed up pizza from the night before.