Trivia / Out of Africa

• California Doubling: The scenes set in a wintry Denmark were actually filmed in Hunstanton, Norfolk, England.
• Enforced Method Acting:
  • In a scene, Karen uses a whip to try containing a lion that invaded their camp. As the tame lion didn't react the expected way, the ropes containing him were let loose - thus, Meryl Streep's look of terror is genuine!
  • She was extremely nervous throughout the hair-washing scene, which was shot close to some very territorial hippopotamus.
• Fake Brit: Robert Redford as Denys Finch-Hatton. Sydney Pollack didn't even let him try to do a British accent because it would sound too silly coming from the all-American Redford.
• Fake Nationality: Meryl Streep as the Danish Karen Blixen, excellently done.
• Saved from Development Hell: 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 with Julie Christie and Ryan O'Neal in the lead roles.
• Shoot the Money: The film as a whole, but the famous "fly over the savannah" sequence in particular. It paid back handsomely, since the film is both gorgeous and won an Academy Award for - among other categories - Best Cinematography.
• Uncredited Role: David Rayfiel did an uncredited rewrite of the script.
• What Could Have Been: Audrey Hepburn was originally offered the role of Karen Blixen.

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