The Eiger Sanction (1975)

Classical art professor and collector Dr. Jonathan Hemlock, 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) (as Warren B. Murphy)

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 Grimm	...	Meyer
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

Dr. Jonathan Hemlock (Clint Eastwood) 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 | mountain climbing | climbing | professor | mountain climber | 

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Taglines:

EASTWOOD is the man . . Eiger is the location . . and the sanction - is a licence to kill!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

In closeups, the "Eiger" was really a mountain in Zion National Park, Utah. Filming took place in Utah from 29 September to 7 October 1974.

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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

Dragon: [sitting in his dark lair] Even the slightest direct light causes me intense pain.
Jonathan Hemlock: Does your physical disability preclude you from coming to the point?

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Alternate Versions

An early cut of the movie showed, in detail, a man slitting Henri Bach's throat, reaching in, and retrieving microfilm that he had just swallowed. This was deemed too graphic, so the scene was edited to its current version.

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Connections

Referenced in Family Guy: Friends of Peter G. (2011)

User Reviews

Another "forgotten" Eastwood that deserves more attention

As a die-hard Clint Eastwood fan you've probably seen this spy/action/thriller already, but for those who only now discover the work of this great director/actor, check it out - it's well worth it.

This film was made in the mid-seventies and it shows in every frame. The decidedly non-political correctness in the scenes with the obviously gay guy, portrayed by Jack Cassidy (whose lapdog is appropriately named "faggot" and has a hilarious scene humping Eastwood's leg); with the Indian girl (Eastwoods laconic snarl "Screw Marlon Brando" is unforgettable); with the "black chick" (says Eastwood to the Afro-American actress Vonetta McGee) might turn off some of today's viewers or bring the film on the map for viewers who have grown up with Rap Music and consider the occasional four-letter word in "8 Mile" already daring.

The story itself is not really important (a classic spy/action thriller with a twist) but the camera direction is superb and Eastwood's well-known love for Jazz music seaps through occasionally. Today's movies are called movies for a reason - they are no longer "films" (like this one), where time is taken to tell a story and explore it in its own leisure fashion.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

21 May 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Eiger Sanction

Filming Locations:

Eiger, Bernese Alps, Switzerland

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$14,200,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,200,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Malpaso Company, Jennings Lang, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1