Puppet on a Chain (1971)

Following a triple professional hit a U.S. agent arrives in Amsterdam to investigate a heroin smuggling ring. He finds a city rife with drugs and a police force unable or unwilling to do ... See full summary »

Director:

Geoffrey Reeve

Writers:

Alistair MacLean (novel), Alistair MacLean (screenplay),

Stars:

Sven-Bertil Taube, Barbara Parkins, Alexander Knox

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sven-Bertil Taube	...	Paul Sherman
Barbara Parkins	...	Maggie
Alexander Knox	...	Col. De Graaf
Patrick Allen	...	Insp. Van Gelder
Vladek Sheybal	...	Meegeren
Ania Marson	...	Astrid Lemay
Penny Casdagli	...	Trudi
Peter Hutchins	...	The Assassin
Drewe Henley	...	Jimmy Duclos
Henny Orri	...	Herta (as Henni Orri)
Stewart Lane	...	George Lemay
Mark Malicz	...	Morgenstern
Michael Mellinger	...	Hotel Manager

Storyline

Following a triple professional hit a U.S. agent arrives in Amsterdam to investigate a heroin smuggling ring. He finds a city rife with drugs and a police force unable or unwilling to do much about it. With his incognito female fellow agent the American is soon stirring things up.

---

Plot Keywords:

heroin | police | netherlands | woman shot in the forehead | policeman | 

---

Taglines:

The blazing break-up of a narcotics ring that will have you hanging on the edge of your seat!

---

Genres:

Thriller

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 1972 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Alistair Maclean's Puppet on a Chain

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 1,400,299 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Big City

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

First theatrical feature film directed by Geoffrey Reeve. The film is one of three filmed adaptations of Alistair MacLean novels directed by Reeve, the others being Caravan to Vaccares and The Way to Dusty Death.

---

Goofs

In a stunt shot during a fight on a dockside, as one crook is thrown into the water, one of the recovery diver's bright yellow air tanks is visible just below the water surface.

User Reviews

Worthy of a good DVD release

Back in the early 1970's the name "Alistair MacLean" meant "bums on seats ~ ticket sales" and the cinematic release of one of his most recent novels "Puppet on a Chain" was no exception.

It is wrong to compare this action movie (as with many, many others) with the on-going JB007 franchise: this was a formulaic movie in its own field. The action scenes are great, the storyline was then bang up-to-date and the general production (if marred a little by lack of budget) of a high standard.

Contrary to other views, in my opinion, the leading actor Sven Bertil-Taube was excellent in the role (a shame the script required him to be an American agent) and he was well supported by several character (if rather stock) actors. Pehaps Barbara Perkins was not the best choice as leading lady and her character lacked realism but then this was never meant to be anything other than entertainment.

Contains a superb score by the Maestro: Piero Piccioni.

Far from perfect but still very good and worthy of a decent DVD release.