The Riddle of the Sands (1979)

Director:

Tony Maylam

Writers:

John Bailey (screenplay)
Erskine Childers (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

1979 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

In these shifting sands, men can disappear without a trace . . . and their secrets with them.

Plot:

In the early years of the 20th Century, two British yachtsmen (Michael York and Simon MacCorkindale)...

Plot Keywords:

England | Invasion | Agent | Male Rear Nudity | Baltic Sea

Cast

Michael York	...	Charles Carruthers
Jenny Agutter	...	Clara Dollmann
Simon MacCorkindale	...	Arthur Davies
Alan Badel	...	Dollmann
Jürgen Andersen	...	Cmdr. von Bruening (as Jurgen Andersen)
Michael Sheard	...	Boehme
Hans Meyer	...	Grimm
Wolf Kahler	...	Kaiser Wilhelm II
Olga Lowe	...	Frau Dollmann
Ronald Markham	...	Withers

Directed by
Tony Maylam

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Bailey		screenplay
Erskine Childers		novel
Tony Maylam		screenplay

Produced by
Drummond Challis	....	producer

Original Music by
Howard Blake

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis

Film Editing by
Peter Hollywood

Production Design by
Hazel Peiser

Set Decoration by
Robin Peyton

Costume Design by
Jane Hamilton

Makeup Department
Jeanne Richmond	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Aivar Kaulins	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wilfried Depeweg	....	third assistant director
Peter Kohn	....	second assistant director
Hugh O'Donnell	....	third assistant director
Neil Vine-Miller	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Keith Liddiard	....	art director: Germany
Terry Pritchard	....	art director: Holland

Sound Department
Ken Barker	....	dubbing mixer
Alan Bell	....	dubbing editor
Rene Borisewitz	....	sound mixer
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Harrie Wiessenhaan	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Dennis Fraser	....	grip
John Palmer	....	camera operator
Arthur Wooster	....	special scenic photography

Music Department
Howard Blake	....	conductor

Other crew
Michael York	....	production associate

Production Companies

• National Film Finance Consortium (made in association with) (as National Film Finance Consortium of London, England)
• Rank Organisation, The (presents)
• Worldmark

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1979) (UK) (theatrical)
• Satori (1984) (USA) (all media)
• Missing in Action (MIA) (1987) (UK) (VHS)
• VidAmerica (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• DD Home Entertainment (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• F.J. Lucas (Brazil) (VHS)
• Sterling Entertainment Group (????) (USA) (VHS)
• VCL Communications

Other Companies

• Airstrip One Company, The  soundtrack album (2001)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies

Also Known As:

Runtime:

102 min | Germany:98 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Norway:15 | USA:PG | UK:U | Iceland:L

Company:

National Film Finance Consortium

Trivia:

The author of the novel, Erskine Childers, was a British Army veteran of the Boer war and World War I. Amazingly, he became an Irish nationalist and revolutionary leader. Even more amazingly, he became so fervently anti-British that he was arrested and executed by the fledgling Irish Free State during the Irish Civil war in 1922.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Clara visits just after the attempted ramming she is wearing a hat and coat. When she leaves and rows away she is just wearing a dress without the coat and hat.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Riddle of the Sands (1987) (TV)

Edwardian espionage.

Tony Maylam (and Christopher Challis - read his autobiography, "Are they really so awful") went all-out in this film to recreate a feel for Erskine Childers's slightly jingoistic novel, and for the joy of messing about in boats. The film achieves much of what it set out to do, but some extra elements grafted on to the original plot slightly spoil it for me.

The plot features Davies, an English amateur yachtsman (brilliantly played by Simon MacCorkindale) who stumbles onto something strange while pottering around the bleak Friesian coast in northern Germany. Mystified, he summons his old friend Carruthers (Michael Yorke) to help uncover the secret.

As a detective tale or spy story viewed through the eyes of either Davies or Carruthers, the film works. The few action sequences, which are almost always seen from the viewpoint of others, tend to fall flat and spoil the overall continuity. The subtitles to scenes in which characters are speaking in German are annoying, since almost everything is also translated verbally for the benefit of Davies who does not speak the language.

That said, this is quite a tense film, and gives a very true rendering of the novel.

The scenery and props are quite superb. Davies's yacht is a joy to look at from the outside and suitable poky in the interior shots. The flat coastal scenery is very atmospherically shot and the costumes are very good.

Except for a rather wooden "Kaiser Bill", the acting is excellent, though this is no less than one would expect from such as Alan Badel and Jenny Agutter.

This film is very enjoyable, but best watched with one's thinking cap on.