THE SWISS CONSPIRACY (1976, USA/West Germany, 89m, PG) **½
Action, Crime, Thriller
dist. S.J. International Pictures (USA), Warner Brothers (UK); pr co. Durham Productions / Bavaria Atelier; d. Jack Arnold; w. Norman Klenman, Philip Saltzman, Michael Stanley (based on a story by Norman Klenman, Horward Merrill and Norman Sedawie); pr. Maurice Silverstein; ph. W.P. Hassenstein (Colour | 1.85:1); m. Klaus Doldinger; ed. Murray Jordan; pd. Rolf Zehetbauer; ad. Werner Achmann.
cast: David Janssen (David Christopher), Senta Berger (Denise Abbott), John Ireland (Dwight McGowan), John Saxon (Robert Hayes), Ray Milland (Johann Hurtil), Elke Sommer (Rita Jensen), Anton Diffring (Franz Benninger), Arthur Brauss (Korsak), Inigo Gallo (Captain Frey), Curt Lowens (Kosta), David Hess (Sando), Hansjörg Bahl (Sgt. Schwand), Sheila Ruskin (Corinne), Irmgard Först (Florelle).
David Janssen stars in this minor crime thriller in which a Swiss bank discovers some of its clients are becoming the victim of a brilliant blackmailer. The bank’s president contacts David Christopher (Janssen), a former agent with the U.S. Treasury, to help discover who the blackmailer is and to foil his plot. As Christopher delves into the mystery, he uncovers a complicated web of intrigue. Directed by veteran Jack Arnold, the film is well-paced and interspersed with the ubiquitous shootouts and car chases. The script, however, never really grabs as a mystery and resorts to familiar set-pieces to propel the plot. Performances are variable with Janssen’s sullen and dry delivery the high point and Saxon’s one-note shady dealer, the low. The Swiss scenery is stunning and Doldinger’s jazzy score helps to add zest to the action. A prime example of the predominance of routine, but serviceable, action thrillers that hit cinemas during the 1970s.
