The Eiger Sanction (1975)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Rod Whitaker (novel)
Hal Dresner (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 May 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

HIS LIFELINE - held by the assassin he hunted.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Art | Mountain | Mountain Climbing | Professional Assassin | Climbing

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Dr. Jonathan Hemlock
George Kennedy	...	Ben Bowman
Vonetta McGee	...	Jemima Brown
Jack Cassidy	...	Miles Mellough
Heidi Brühl	...	Mrs. Anna Montaigne
Thayer David	...	Dragon
Reiner Schöne	...	Karl Freytag (as Reiner Schoene)
Michael Grimm	...	Anderl Meyer
Jean-Pierre Bernard	...	Jean-Paul Montaigne
Brenda Venus	...	George
Gregory Walcott	...	Pope
Candice Rialson	...	Art Student
Elaine Shore	...	Miss Cerberus
Dan Howard	...	Dewayne
Jack Kosslyn	...	Reporter
Walter Kraus	...	Kruger
Frank Redmond	...	Wormwood / Henri Baq
Siegfried Wallach	...	Hotel Manager
Susan Morgan Cooper	...	Buns (as Susan Morgan)
Jack Frey	...	Cab Driver

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits
Rod Whitaker		(novel) (as Trevanian)
Hal Dresner		(screenplay) &
Warren Murphy		(screenplay) (as Warren B. Murphy) and
Rod Whitaker		(screenplay)

Produced by
David Brown	....	executive producer
Robert Daley	....	producer
Richard D. Zanuck	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Frank Stanley
William N. Clark		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Makeup Department
Janis Clark	....	hair stylist: USA
Joe McKinney	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Mario Pisani	....	unit manager: Switzerland
Fred R. Simpson	....	unit production manager: USA
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	unit production manager: Switzerland (as Wallace Worsley)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Fargo	....	first assistant director (as Jim Fargo)
Craig Huston	....	second assistant director: USA
Victor Tourjansky	....	second assistant director: Switzerland

Art Department
Larry Clark Bird	....	property master: USA
Joe Chevalier	....	property master: Switzerland
Aurelio Crugnola	....	art director: Switzerland
John M. Dwyer	....	set decorator: USA
George C. Webb	....	art director: USA

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound
Roger Heman Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert L. Hoyt	....	sound recordist (as Robert Hoyt)
Earl Madery	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roger Sword	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Ben McMahan	....	special effects

Stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Dial	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Orrison	....	stunt double: Clint Eastwood (uncredited)
George Orrison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Buddy Bowles	....	gaffer
Bruce Catlin	....	assistant camera
William N. Clark	....	camera operator (as Bill Clark)
John Cleare	....	photography: mountain sequence
Mike Hoover	....	photography: mountain sequence
Bud Howell	....	key grip
Peter Pilafian	....	photography: mountain sequence
Jim Porter	....	best boy
Frank Redmond	....	assistant camera
Tim Ryan	....	second grip
Jeff Schoolfield	....	photography: mountain sequence
Pete White	....	photography: mountain sequences

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frank Balchus	....	wardrobe man: Switzerland
Sheila Mason	....	wardrobe woman: USA
Bona Nasalli-Rocca	....	wardrobe woman: Switzerland
Neffe Ricco	....	seamstress
Charles Waldo	....	wardrobe designer
Glenn Wright	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Richard C. Meyer	....	assistant editor: USA (as Richard Meyer)
Roberto Silvi	....	assistant editor: Switzerland

Transportation Department
Art Rimdzius	....	transportation captain: USA

Other crew
Martin Boysen	....	climber
Don Christie	....	stillman: USA
Bev Clark	....	climber
Norman Dyhrenfurth	....	leader: climbing expedition
Laura Fattori	....	production secretary: Switzerland
Dougal Haston	....	climber
Mike Hoover	....	advisor: climbing expedition
David Knowles	....	climber
Jack Kosslyn	....	dialogue coach
Jennings Lang	....	presenter
Hamish McInnes	....	climber
Tom Moore	....	script supervisor
Guy Neithardt	....	climber
J.J. Rayman	....	stillman: Switzerland
Carol Rydall	....	secretary: Malpaso Company
Charles Scott	....	climber

Production Companies

• Jennings Lang
• Malpaso Company, The
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• CIC (1975) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• Columbia TriStar (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Cinematique  cosmetics
• Deluxe Digital Studios  transfer
• MCA Soundtracks  soundtrack
• Universal Title  titles and opticals
• Wallach-Sabatini  european production organization

Also Known As:

Im Auftrag des Drachen (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Licencia para matar (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
A Escalada (Portugal) [pt]
Akcjana Ejgerze (Poland) [pl]
Assassinio sull'Eiger (Italy) [it]
Escalado para Morrer (Brazil) [pt]
Iskald hevn (Norway) [no]
Kold hævn (Denmark) [da]
La sanction (France) [fr]
Licens att döda (Sweden) [sv]
O dolofonos ton Alpeon (Greece) [el]
Tehtävä Alpeilla (Finland) [fi]
Zirvede ölüm (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:AA (original rating) | Australia:M | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Brazil:14 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1975) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Carmel, California, USA

Company:

Jennings Lang

Trivia:

Clint Eastwood went on a three-day climbing course in Yosemite National Park, then practiced at home for several months.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Hemlock shows Jemima the photo of Miles Mellough, Henri Bach and himself, two of the three have the flashes on their berets upside-down.

Quotes:

[Hemlock saves Meier from falling off the mountain]
Anderl Meier: You're very good. I have really enjoyed climbing with you.
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock: We'll make it.
Anderl Meier: I don't think so. But we shall continue with style.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Horror Business (2005) (V)

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.