Anthony Hopkins stars in this 1971 action film directed by Étienne Périer, and based on Alistair MacLean's 1965 novel of the same name. It was supposed to be the first in a series set to rival the James Bond movies, but the film's poor box office receipts scuppered this plan, a pity because it's pretty good. Hopkins plays Philip Calvert, a tough navy secret service agent called in to track down gold bullion smugglers operating out of the sleepy port town of Torbay in the Scottish Highlands. He poses as a marine biologist and encounters hostile locals and a friendly group of shark fishermen who end up helping him on his mission. Jack Hawkins (who's voice is dubbed) plays a Cypriot tycoon and shipping magnate with a yacht called Shangri-La, who everybody suspects is the ringleader of the pirates. Robert Morley is Uncle Arthur, Calverts boss. MacLean elected to adapt his novel for the cinema himself, and the story is very close to the source text, keeping a lot of the same witty dialogue. Hopkins was better known as a stage actor at this point in his career and turned down the role at first because he was worried about being an action star. Bond film stunt arranger Bob Simmons helped him overcome his reservations though, putting him on a diet and getting him to slim down to become a convincing Royal Naval officer trained as a commando and frogman.
Review of When Eight Bells Toll
When Eight Bells Toll
(1971)
Action packed rival to James Bond set in the Scottish Highlands
1 April 2019