Fer-de-Lance (1974) (TV)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Russ Mayberry

Writer:

Leslie Stevens (writer)

Release Date:

18 October 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Thriller

Plot:

An American submarine leaves Tierra Del Fuego, and one of its crew has secretly brought aboard a container...

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | Snake | Ocean | Accident | Investigation

Cast

David Janssen	...	Russ Bogan
Hope Lange	...	Elaine Wedell
Ivan Dixon	...	Joe Voit
Jason Evers	...	Commander Kirk
Charles Robinson	...	Lieutenant Nicholson (as Charles Knox Robinson)
Ben Piazza	...	Lieutenant Whitehead
George Pan Andreas	...	Torquale
Sherry Boucher	...	Liz McCord
Robert Ito	...	Masai Ikeda
William Mims	...	Mayne Bradley
Shizuko Hoshi	...	Suan Kuroda
Richard LePore	...	Chief Hughes
Sandra Ego	...	Terezita
Felipe Turich	...	Shaman
Frank Bonner	...	Compton

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Leslie Stevens Productions

Movie Connections:

Edited from Ice Station Zebra (1968)

Saw it when it first played on TV

I was 12 and the premise sounded great--a TV movie about a submarine trapped underwater with deadly snakes on the loose. I remember watching and, after a while, became increasingly bored. The script was by-the-numbers (there were no surprises or anything even slightly original), the cast looked either bored or had a sad let-me-out-of-here look of their faces (David Janssen). By the end I was fighting to stay awake! Dull dull DULL.

It's hard to believe but this was released as a theatrical feature in Europe! Some poor suckers had to PAY to see this! I can imagine the reactions where this played. This IS worth seeing if you have insomnia--this will cure you completely!