Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1974


Callan (film)

Buy Callan (film) now from Amazon

First, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.

Wikipedia article




'Callan' is an 1974 British thriller film directed by Don Sharp and starring Edward Woodward, Eric Porter and Carl Mhner.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090118224551/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/28518 BFI.org]

It was based on the pilot episode of the ITV television series 'Callan' which ran from 1967 to 1972.CALLAN

Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 41, Iss. 480, (Jan 1, 1974): 144.


Plot



David Callan (Edward Woodward), a leading intelligence agent/assassin in the employment of the S.I.S., was forced into retirement when he lost his nerve. Now, he is called back into service to handle the assassination of Schneider, a German businessman. Colonel Hunter (Eric Porter), his former employer, promises Callan that he'll be returned to active status as long as he follows his orders. But Callan refuses to act until he knows exactly why Schneider has been marked for death...

Cast



* Edward Woodward as David Callan

* Russell Hunter as Lonely

* Eric Porter as Charles Hunter

* Peter Egan as Toby Meres

* Carl Mhner as Rudolph Schneider

* Catherine Schell as Jenny

* Kenneth Griffith as Waterman

* Michael Da Costa as The Greek

* Veronica Lang as Liz, Hunter's Secretary

* Clifford Rose as Dr. Snell

* David Prowse as Arthur

* Don Henderson as George

* Nadim Sawalha as Padilla

* David Graham as Wireless operator

* Yuri Borienko as Security porter

Production



The script by James Mitchell is based on his original TV pilot "A Magnum for Schneider" and the novelization thereof, 'Red File for Callan', although only the novel is listed in the film's credits (as 'A' Red File for Callan'). The film was based more on the novel than on the original television script.

Callan's boss Hunter is played by Eric Porter, and Meres too is re-cast, this time played by Peter Egan. The only recurring actors from the TV series were Edward Woodward as Callan, Russell Hunter as Lonely, and Clifford Rose as Dr Snell.



'Callan' was the first film with a Dolby-encoded optical soundtrack.

The film was shot at Lee Studios. Director Don Sharp called it "a joy to film" in part because Woodward's "character was so set but he came to it so fresh again."

Reception



Sharp said the film received "lovely notices".

The 'Observer' called it "surprisingly enjoyable".Cross-country parable

Milne, Tom. The Observer 26 May 1974: 31


References






Buy Callan (film) now from Amazon

<-- Return to movies from 1974



This work is released under CC-BY-SA. Some or all of this content attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1108487377.