The Eiger Sanction (1975)

An classical art professor and collector, who doubles as a professional assassin, is coerced out of retirement to avenge the murder of an old friend.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Hal Dresner (screenplay), Warren Murphy (screenplay),

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Jonathan Hemlock
George Kennedy	...	Ben Bowman
Vonetta McGee	...	Jemima Brown
Jack Cassidy	...	Miles Mellough
Heidi Brühl	...	Mrs. Montaigne (as Heidi Bruhl)
Thayer David	...	Dragon
Reiner Schöne	...	Freytag (as Reiner Schoene)
Michael A. Grimm	...	Meyer (as Michael Grimm)
Jean-Pierre Bernard	...	Montaigne
Brenda Venus	...	George
Gregory Walcott	...	Pope
Candice Rialson	...	Art Student
Elaine Shore	...	Miss Cerberus
Dan Howard	...	Dewayne
Jack Kosslyn	...	Reporter

Storyline

Jonathan Hemlock is an art history professor and collector who finances his hobby by performing the odd sanction (assassination) for an obscure government bureau. He is forced to take a case where he must find out which of the members of a mountain climbing team is the Russian killer he has been given as a target by joining an expedition to climb the treacherous Eiger.

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Plot Keywords:

mountain | climbing | mountain climbing | art | professional assassin | 

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Taglines:

Revenge atop a Swiss Mountain... one of his team is a killer but who?

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Im Auftrag des Drachen

Filming Locations:

Carmel, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 1,554,575 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Malpaso Company, The, Jennings Lang, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The revolver which falls out of Hemlock's pack when he kicks it over at the end is a Smith & Wesson Model 40 Centennial .38 Special.

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Goofs

When driving on sand/dirt roads out in the desert, the tires screech as if driven on asphalt.

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Quotes

[Hemlock strands Mellough in the middle of the desert]
Miles Mellough: Jonathan, you're not going to leave me out here? Oh, Jonathan, for chrissakes, kill me but don't leave me here!

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Connections

Referenced in Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (2004)

User Reviews

Beautiful location photography

Shot on location in the Alps and Zion National Park, the cinematography is first class. This is great large-screen fare.

While not without their hokey apects, the many climbing scenes and story are much more realistic than those of "K2", "Clifhanger", or God-help-us "Vertical Limit".

The spy part of the story certainly has some plot holes, and I purchased a copy of "The Eiger Sanction" by Trevanian just to get some of them straightened out, and got quite a surprise. The movie is much, much more faithful to the original book than the vast majority of Hollywood adaptations. Those holes in the story - well, they're right there in the book, too. Practically the only significant differences between the two are the relationship between Johathon and Wormwood, the final status of Johnathon and Jemima's relationship, and the fact that C2 is - in the novel

• so totally inept as an intelligence organization as to be completely

unbeliveable, this is somewhat glossed over in the movie. Frankly the differences in all three situations are argueably done better in the movie.