5.6
U.S geologist discovers something about Oil that proves VERY threatening to the Turkish and Arab business people.
Sam Waterston
Mr. Graham
Zero Mostel
Kopelkin
Yvette Mimieux
Josette
Ian McShane
Banat
Joseph Wiseman
Colonel Haki
Scott Marlowe
Jose
Shelley Winters
Mrs. Mathews
Stanley Holloway
Mr. Mathews
Donald Pleasence
Kuvetli
Vincent Price
Dervos
Jackie Cooper
Eric Hurst
Miera Shore
Maria
Dimitris Papaioannou
Taxi Driver - Greece
Christos Natsios
Policeman - Greece
Alicia Ammon
Old Lady
Michael Collins
Purser
Alan Rose
Aide
Charles Logan
Black Man
Franz Russell
Greek Orthodox Priest
Joseph Golland
Steward
John H. Meyer
Doctor
Claudine Melgrave
Italian Lady
Tommy Wright
Little Boy
Director
Daniel Mann
Novel
Eric Ambler
Screenplay
Trevor Wallace
June 5, 2023
5
Swap a train for a boat, oil for some bullets and we have a rehash of the 1943 Orson Welles version of this story - only this is nowhere near as good. It doesn't really help that the casting lacks for any great clout. Sam Waterston is weak in the lead as "Graham" - the scientist who gets caught up in a Turkish conspiracy after he discovers that there might just be oil in them thar desert. This information is proving quite dangerous for the man and he needs to get out before he succumbs to one of the plentiful - but not very efficient - assassins out to kill him. He manages to make it onto a train on which he hopes to escape - but are the passengers all they seem to be? We know from fairly early on that "Banat" (Ian McShane) is his biggest danger and therein lay my first problem. He has all the menace of a cucumber sandwich. Zero Mostel's duplicitous "Kopelkin" fares little better and though the supporting cast boats some A-list names, they feature too sparingly to make much difference with this rather far-fetched and procedural attempt at a thriller that's just, well, very light on thrills. I did quite like the last few scenes as things flare up, but otherwise this is a pretty unremarkable television movie that you'll very readily forget.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$2,500,000.00
Revenue:
$0.00