Huston had originally wanted to do it with Bogart and Gable, but Bogie died. Then it revived in the seventies, with Paul Newman interested - until he read the script and told Huston the actors should be English and recommended the perfect pair - Connery and Caine. As Michael tells it, he was staying in the George V when he received a call from Huston asking if he'd talk about doing it. Caine agreed and Huston said well I'm in the hotel next door, let's meet in the bar. And of course Caine accepted immediately. It's one of his own favourites.
Kipling's story about Kafiristan is filmed in Morocco, in Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains. Huston particularly rated his First AD Bert Batt and the whole thing is one of those huge pre-CGI productions that you marvel were ever made. This cost $5m which sounds nothing now. Exceptional production team with Ozzie Morris on camera (Alex Thompson second unit), Alexander Trauner designing sets, costumes Edith Head and very appropriate music from Maurice Jarre. The editor was Russell Lloyd (Moby Dick, Heaven Knows Mr Allison, The Kremlin Letter, The MacKintosh Man, the infamous Caligula).
Huston said that Caine and Connery rehearsed together so well that their timing was fantastic and he needed to give them no direction and just decide where to place the camera.
With Saeed Jaffrey, Christopher Plummer, Larbi Doghmi, Karroom Ben Bouih and Shakira Caine.
It's quite long but bloody good, with Huston's usual preoccupations evident - people being in unfamiliar waters falling apart (not from greed, this time, but vanity).
Amazingly neither star was nominated for anything.
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