The Eiger Sanction (1975)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

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

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

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:

Two custom 1975 Ford Broncos were specially built for this film, the one used in filming and a support vehicle, similar to the film truck but with a powerful winch and a much better sound system. The support truck is privately owned, while the film truck's fate is a mystery.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Hemlock meets Dragon, Dragon's right contact lens has moved to the bottom right of his eye in one shot.

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

A very risking and dangerous movie to make.

I love this movie, Like Play Misty For Me this is a different kind of Clint Eastwood movie which is not a western or a cop movie. This is an espionage thriller with a surprise ending. He plays an assassin who comes out of retirement to avenge the death of his friend. In order to catch the unidentified killer he must participate in a mountain climbing expedition which the killer is also participating. Clint really took a big chance while making this movie. He did all the dangerous mountain climbing stunts. If I was directing and starring in a movie I wouldn't do a stunt that is dangerous. I urge Clint Eastwood fans to watch this movie, they won't be disappointed.