Out of Africa - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Out of Africa or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Out of Africa

[duane]

It is illegal to own a firearm in Kenya unless one goes through an extremely difficult process and then only if it is after a violent attack, in which case a license for a shotgun can be obtained. No handguns are allowed in private hands. The handgun that was shown in the film was an amazingly accurate reproduction in papier mache. As the law also forbids the ownership of toy or fake guns, this prop, along with all the other prop guns, had to be turned over to the government. An exception to this law was seen when the local Phoenix Players repertory group rented the Finch Hatton prop pistol for their stage production of Viva Mexico.

[maureen]

The scene in which Karen is invited into the Men's Bar at the Muthaiga Club was actually filmed at a local school. The actual Men's Bar is a small room at the club.

[phyllis]

Actual descendants of the Kikuyu tribe who were described in the book appeared in the film. The man who played chief Kinyanjui was his grandson. Much of it was filmed near the Ngong Hills outside Nairobi, Kenya.

[sylvia]

In real life, Karen and Denys' romance was slightly different. They met at a hunting club, not out on the plains. He disappeared for two years on military assignment in Egypt. He started flying and taking tourists on safaris after he moved in with Karen, not before. Karen learned of his death from some friends in Nairobi. The film never mentions that Karen miscarried their baby.

[kenzi]

When Karen thanks Chief Kinyanjui, she says that reading is a valuable thing and that his children will remember him for this. What Farah actually says when he translates is that this is good and she thanks the chief. This intentional mistranslation in dealings non-speakers is common in ordinary situations here in Kenya, as the translators often edit things to be more palatable for the hearer.

[sylvia]

The compass that Denys gives to Karen was Finch Hatton's actual compass. Unfortunately, it was stolen shortly after the scene was shot and was never recovered.

[leo]

Leslie Phillips's cameo role in this film won him the part of Mr. Maxted in Empire of the Sun (1987).

[duane]

For the purposes of drama, in the film Berkeley Cole is portrayed as dying from blackwater fever. In fact, he died of a heart condition.

[lynn]

Sydney Pollack shot the film in 1.85:1, against his preference of anamorphic wide-screen, because he was tired of having his films cropped off for TV presentations.

[javier]

The yellow biplane in which Denys and Karen fly over the savanna is a de Havilland D.H.60 Gipsy Moth, a forerunner to the famous Tiger Moth. The film implies that he had the airplane earlier than he did, but it was a Gipsy Moth.

[jim]

The town of Karen, just outside Nairobi, is named after Karen Blixen.

[ruby]

Meryl Streep developed her accent by listening to recordings of Karen Blixen reading her own works.

[melinda]

The story was originally planned as a project for Greta Garbo. At various times, Orson Welles, David Lean and Nicolas Roeg had tried to make a film about Karen Blixen.

[bernice]

The production designers used a few pieces of Karen Blixen's furniture, which she never sent back to Denmark after leaving Kenya. Most of the furniture was randomly sourced from local estates. The large sideboard (which was not Blixen's) was a 17th century piece sourced from local antiques restorer Frank Daykin. It had had inlaid wood scenes of people and it had a secret hiding place accessed by sliding wooden pieces like a Chinese puzzle. The value of the piece was approximately $200,000.

[russell]

When Nicolas Roeg was attached as director in the mid 70's, he planned for Julie Christie and Ryan O' Neal to play his two leads in " Out of Africa ".

[leo]

Released in 1985, the centenary of Karen Blixen's birth.

[dustin]

While he was editing the picture, director Sydney Pollack used musical selections from John Barry to act as his temp track. When it came the time to actually score the film, Barry seemed like the perfect choice.

[linda]

Audrey Hepburn was originally offered the role of Karen Blixen.

[chris]

Felicity is modeled on Beryl Markham, another writer who lived in East Africa and was supposed to be another of Denys Finch Hatton lovers. Markham was also one of the first women to fly across the Atlantic. Sydney Pollack was fortunate enough to meet the elderly Markham early in pre-production.