When Eight Bells Toll
When Eight Bells Toll (also known as Alistair MacLean's When Eight Bells Toll ) is a 1971 action film directed by Étienne Périer and starring Anthony Hopkins, Jack Hawkins, Robert Morley, and Nathalie Delon. Set in Scotland, it is based upon Scottish author Alistair MacLean's 1965 novel of the same name. Producer Elliott Kastner planned to produce a string of realistic gritty espionage thrillers to rival the James Bond series, but the film's poor box office receipts ended his plans.
Plot
British Treasury secret agent Phillip Calvert is sent to investigate the hijacking of five cargo ships in the Irish Sea, tracking the latest hijacked ship – the Nantesville, carrying £8million in gold bullion – to the Scottish Highlands and the sleepy port town of "Torbay" on the "Isle of Torbay" (actually filmed in Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull).
More details
| author | Alistair MacLean |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | Scotland |
| director | Étienne Périer |
| editor | John Shirley |
| genre | action crime thriller |
| keywords | british treasury cargo ship dead body discover dungeon eight bells expect gold bullion held hostage helicopter helicopter crash hijack hm treasury irish sea isle of mull kill luxury yacht marine biologist marine biologists marine biology rock royal navy scottish highlands search secret agent ship\'s bells shipping magnate teenage daughter |
| musicBy | Angela Morley |
| producer | Elliott Kastner Jerry Gershwin |
| productionCompany | Gershwin-Kastner Productions Winkast Film Production |
| publisher | Cinerama Releasing Corporation Rank Film Distributors |
| recordedAt | Malta Pinewood Studios |
| theme | spy thrillers |