Yet like many other of his contemporaries or successors – Frederick Forsyth, Desmond Bagley, Jack Higgins, Alistair Maclean, et al – with whom his works usually adorned bookshelves in houses of avid readers in the late 20th century, Nevil Shute has gradually faded away from public memory and interest.
An accomplished aeronautical engineer and pilot, who began writing novels as a hobby, Shute was much in demand for most of the 20th century, with his two-dozen-odd engrossing and eminently readable books with compelling plot lines – straddling various genres from romance to redemption, religion to reincarnation, and cross-cultural relations to a post-apocalyptic scenario, and sometimes, some supernormal elements – but not enough to stretch credulity.
Exotic and unconventional settings – spanning from South Pacific islands to dense Canadian forests to the Australian outback, themes revisited without getting repetitive, and sometimes, a framing device of a narrator – who introduces the main story but otherwise does not...
An accomplished aeronautical engineer and pilot, who began writing novels as a hobby, Shute was much in demand for most of the 20th century, with his two-dozen-odd engrossing and eminently readable books with compelling plot lines – straddling various genres from romance to redemption, religion to reincarnation, and cross-cultural relations to a post-apocalyptic scenario, and sometimes, some supernormal elements – but not enough to stretch credulity.
Exotic and unconventional settings – spanning from South Pacific islands to dense Canadian forests to the Australian outback, themes revisited without getting repetitive, and sometimes, a framing device of a narrator – who introduces the main story but otherwise does not...
- 6/18/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Stage and film actor who worked with Sidney Lumet, Miloš Forman and Sergio Leone, and appeared in the TV cop drama Blue Bloods
“I always felt like the kid that sat at the foot of the gods,” said Treat Williams, who has died aged 71 following a road accident. And it is true that the first decade of his movie career was dominated by one high-calibre director after another.
John Sturges put the doughy-faced, darkly handsome actor toe-to-toe with Michael Caine in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), adapted from Jack Higgins’s novel about a plot to kidnap Winston Churchill. Miloš Forman gave Williams his first lead, as the hippie Berger in the screen version (1979) of the 1967 musical Hair. He was an ill-tempered army corporal in Steven Spielberg’s wartime comedy 1941 (also 1979). Sidney Lumet drew on his cocksure swagger and his air of moral ambiguity in Prince of the City (1981), a thriller about police corruption.
“I always felt like the kid that sat at the foot of the gods,” said Treat Williams, who has died aged 71 following a road accident. And it is true that the first decade of his movie career was dominated by one high-calibre director after another.
John Sturges put the doughy-faced, darkly handsome actor toe-to-toe with Michael Caine in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), adapted from Jack Higgins’s novel about a plot to kidnap Winston Churchill. Miloš Forman gave Williams his first lead, as the hippie Berger in the screen version (1979) of the 1967 musical Hair. He was an ill-tempered army corporal in Steven Spielberg’s wartime comedy 1941 (also 1979). Sidney Lumet drew on his cocksure swagger and his air of moral ambiguity in Prince of the City (1981), a thriller about police corruption.
- 6/13/2023
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Director John Sturges’ final feature is a handsome production that fumbles and stumbles in unexpected ways. Michael Caine and especially Donald Sutherland lead an impossible commando mission to kidnap Winston Churchill right from English soil. Tom Mankiewicz’s dialogue is witty but the tone is all over the place. We don’t know whether it’s the script, the direction or the editing that muffs so many potential bravura moments. On the other hand, every scene with Sutherland and Jenny Agutter is gold. [Imprint] gives us both a theatrical cut and a more satisfying extended cut.
The Eagle Has Landed
Region Free Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 193
1976 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 135 + 151 min. / Street Date December 28, 2023 / Available from / au 69.95
Starring: Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, Jenny Agutter, Donald Pleasence, Anthony Quayle, Jean Marsh, Sven-Bertil Taube, John Standing, Judy Geeson, Treat Williams, Larry Hagman, Joachim Hansen, David Gilliam, Siegfried Rauch, Wolf Kahler, Roy Marsden, Ferdy Mayne.
The Eagle Has Landed
Region Free Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 193
1976 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 135 + 151 min. / Street Date December 28, 2023 / Available from / au 69.95
Starring: Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, Jenny Agutter, Donald Pleasence, Anthony Quayle, Jean Marsh, Sven-Bertil Taube, John Standing, Judy Geeson, Treat Williams, Larry Hagman, Joachim Hansen, David Gilliam, Siegfried Rauch, Wolf Kahler, Roy Marsden, Ferdy Mayne.
- 1/7/2023
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
‘The Eagle has Landed’ author Henry Patterson, who published under his pen name of Jack Higgins, has died aged 92, reports ‘Deadline’. As per ‘Deadline’, his publisher announced that the author died at his home on the Channel Island of Jersey. In a career spanning almost six decades, he wrote 85 novels between 1959 and […]...
- 4/11/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Henry Patterson, the best-selling author of The Eagle has Landed, has died aged 92, his publisher has announced.
Patterson, who published under his pen name of Jack Higgins, wrote 85 novels between 1959 and 2017, selling more than 250million books over the course of his career.
This phenomenal success included the sale of 50million copies of his thriller The Eagle Has Landed, published in 1975. The story, about a Nazi plot to kidnap Winston Churchill during World War Two, became a film the following year, directed by John Sturges and starring Robert Duvall, Donald Sutherland and Michael Caine.
Patterson was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and grew up in Belfast, before moving to Leeds. He worked initially as a teacher before penning novels in his spare time. His first published novel was Sad Wind from the Sea in 1959, and his final book was 2017’s The Midnight Bell. Other works included Comes the Dark Stranger, Hell...
Patterson, who published under his pen name of Jack Higgins, wrote 85 novels between 1959 and 2017, selling more than 250million books over the course of his career.
This phenomenal success included the sale of 50million copies of his thriller The Eagle Has Landed, published in 1975. The story, about a Nazi plot to kidnap Winston Churchill during World War Two, became a film the following year, directed by John Sturges and starring Robert Duvall, Donald Sutherland and Michael Caine.
Patterson was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and grew up in Belfast, before moving to Leeds. He worked initially as a teacher before penning novels in his spare time. His first published novel was Sad Wind from the Sea in 1959, and his final book was 2017’s The Midnight Bell. Other works included Comes the Dark Stranger, Hell...
- 4/10/2022
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
To mark the release of ITV Studios Global entertainments classic movies limited collector’s edition steelbooks, we’ve been given a bundle of them to give away. The bundle includes The Red Shoes, The Eagle Has Landed, The Shawshank Redemption and Bugsy Malone.
The Red Shoes
This Powell and Pressberger masterpiece is widely considered to one of the greatest films ever made. Vicky a young Ballerina, becomes torn between her love for composer Julian Craster and artistic devotion to her profession, which is dominated by impresario Lermontov.
The Eagle Has Landed
A Nazi Strike Force plots to assassinate Winston Churchill while he is resting in a desolate Norfolk village. Colonel Radl (Robert Duvall) masterminds the plot which, if successful, would change the outcome of the war. He enlists the help of Colonel Steiner (Michael Caine) and Liam Devlin (Donald Sutherland). Disguised as Polish airman. German paratroopers land in England. Radl...
The Red Shoes
This Powell and Pressberger masterpiece is widely considered to one of the greatest films ever made. Vicky a young Ballerina, becomes torn between her love for composer Julian Craster and artistic devotion to her profession, which is dominated by impresario Lermontov.
The Eagle Has Landed
A Nazi Strike Force plots to assassinate Winston Churchill while he is resting in a desolate Norfolk village. Colonel Radl (Robert Duvall) masterminds the plot which, if successful, would change the outcome of the war. He enlists the help of Colonel Steiner (Michael Caine) and Liam Devlin (Donald Sutherland). Disguised as Polish airman. German paratroopers land in England. Radl...
- 9/16/2018
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The following review was originally posted on June 15, 2017. The Journey opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas
Is it possible to whittle away at an “unmovable rock” in the political arena? Especially when there’s a 40 year history of bloody conflict forming an unbreakable shell around that formidable boulder? Well, how about forcing him into a trip with his enemy? That’s just what happens in this new film, in which its makers wish to be a “fly on the wall” during a remarkable day that changed the course of a country. It’s a “what if” look at a seminal time just 11 years ago when two opposing leaders try to find common ground during The Journey.
The year is 2006, and “the troubles” have rocked Ireland for over four decades. British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Toby Stephens) has organized a political...
Is it possible to whittle away at an “unmovable rock” in the political arena? Especially when there’s a 40 year history of bloody conflict forming an unbreakable shell around that formidable boulder? Well, how about forcing him into a trip with his enemy? That’s just what happens in this new film, in which its makers wish to be a “fly on the wall” during a remarkable day that changed the course of a country. It’s a “what if” look at a seminal time just 11 years ago when two opposing leaders try to find common ground during The Journey.
The year is 2006, and “the troubles” have rocked Ireland for over four decades. British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Toby Stephens) has organized a political...
- 7/21/2017
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Is it possible to whittle away at an “unmovable rock” in the political arena? Especially when there’s a 40 year history of bloody conflict forming an unbreakable shell around that formidable boulder? Well, how about forcing him into a trip with his enemy? That’s just what happens in this new film, in which its makers wish to be a “fly on the wall” during a remarkable day that changed the course of a country. It’s a “what if” look at a seminal time just 11 years ago when two opposing leaders try to find common ground during The Journey.
The year is 2006, and “the troubles” have rocked Ireland for over four decades. British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Toby Stephens) has organized a political conference dealing with the problems at an estate in Scotland. Unfortunately the opposing forces refuse to sit in the same room, let alone talk face to face.
The year is 2006, and “the troubles” have rocked Ireland for over four decades. British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Toby Stephens) has organized a political conference dealing with the problems at an estate in Scotland. Unfortunately the opposing forces refuse to sit in the same room, let alone talk face to face.
- 6/15/2017
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Oct. 15, 2013
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $24.97
Studio: Shout! Factory
Michael Caine leads a Nazi paratrooper plot to kidnap Winston Churchill in The Eagle Has Landed.
Michael Caine (Dressed to Kill), Donald Sutherland (1900) and Robert Duvall (The Conversation) lead a star-studded cast in the 1976 World War II action film The Eagle Has Landed, which makes its U.S. Blu-ray debut with this release from Shout! Factory.
Based on Jack Higgins’ best-selling novel, the film revolves around a Nazi plot to kidnap Winston Churchill while he is resting in a desolate Norfolk village. Nazi officers Colonel Radl (Duvall), Colonel Steiner (Caine) and Liam Devlin (Sutherland) are enlisted to carry out the operation, which if successful, would irrevocably alter the outcome of the war. Disguised as Polish airmen, the team of paratroopers descends upon England only to be interrupted by an unforeseeable incident which threatens to derail their treacherous mission.
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $24.97
Studio: Shout! Factory
Michael Caine leads a Nazi paratrooper plot to kidnap Winston Churchill in The Eagle Has Landed.
Michael Caine (Dressed to Kill), Donald Sutherland (1900) and Robert Duvall (The Conversation) lead a star-studded cast in the 1976 World War II action film The Eagle Has Landed, which makes its U.S. Blu-ray debut with this release from Shout! Factory.
Based on Jack Higgins’ best-selling novel, the film revolves around a Nazi plot to kidnap Winston Churchill while he is resting in a desolate Norfolk village. Nazi officers Colonel Radl (Duvall), Colonel Steiner (Caine) and Liam Devlin (Sutherland) are enlisted to carry out the operation, which if successful, would irrevocably alter the outcome of the war. Disguised as Polish airmen, the team of paratroopers descends upon England only to be interrupted by an unforeseeable incident which threatens to derail their treacherous mission.
- 9/3/2013
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Screenwriter from a Hollywood dynasty best known for his work on James Bond
For most film buffs, the name Mankiewicz immediately recalls Joseph L, the director and screenwriter of All About Eve (1950). For others, it evokes that of his older brother, Herman J, most celebrated as the writer of the screenplay of Citizen Kane. However, Joseph L's son, Tom Mankiewicz, who has died of cancer aged 68, is cherished by James Bond fans as the screenwriter of Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973) and The Man With the Golden Gun (1974), as well as having worked on rewrites of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).
At the beginning of his career, Mankiewicz admitted that he probably got work because of his father. "You suddenly started to realise that people were asking you because it was you," he explained. Unlike his father's best films – literate, dialogue-based vehicles – when a director called...
For most film buffs, the name Mankiewicz immediately recalls Joseph L, the director and screenwriter of All About Eve (1950). For others, it evokes that of his older brother, Herman J, most celebrated as the writer of the screenplay of Citizen Kane. However, Joseph L's son, Tom Mankiewicz, who has died of cancer aged 68, is cherished by James Bond fans as the screenwriter of Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973) and The Man With the Golden Gun (1974), as well as having worked on rewrites of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).
At the beginning of his career, Mankiewicz admitted that he probably got work because of his father. "You suddenly started to realise that people were asking you because it was you," he explained. Unlike his father's best films – literate, dialogue-based vehicles – when a director called...
- 8/4/2010
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
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