Trivia

The rope bridge over the river is still intact in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal and supports up to four people.

The film was the 18th most popular movie at the UK box office in 1969.

While living in exile in London, author André Laurie, pseudonym for politician Paschal Grousset (1845-1909), wrote the original version of the book, which was later published as "The Southern Star Mystery" (1884). Laurie legally renounced title to the story, rewritten and published by Jules Verne. Laurie and Verne would collaborate on at least two other novels. It was a logical collaboration--Verne was also very liberal and wrote several novels and one very popular play denouncing imperialism and promoting Africans and Asians.

Orson Welles claimed that he was originally asked to play a conventional super-villain, but rewrote his role so that the character became an incompetent (and homosexual) cockney. It has been also claimed that Welles rewrote some of George Segal's lines and encouraged the actor to improvise, but whether or not he actually directed any of the film has not been confirmed.

The opening scenes were anonymously directed by Orson Welles - the last time he would do in another director's film.