REBUS (1969) Laurence Harvey & Ann-Margret Euro Caper
1074DVD
Laurence
Harvey and Ann-Margret in rare Euro-Made Crime Caper
Also
known as APPOINTMENT IN BEIRUT
director: Nino Zanchin
starring: Laurence
Harvey · Ann-Margret
· Ivan Desny · Jose Calvo · Camilla Horn
·
Jan Hendriks
An International
crime ring using a fixed roulette game has been hitting casinos around
the world. No one is sure how the ruse actually works but the casinos
are aware of its effectiveness because they are losing enormous amounts
of money. The casino police - in conjunction with Interpol - enlists the
help of Jeff Miller, an alcoholic but honest croupier. Based on information
from an Underworld source, a casino in Beirut is next on the hit list
so Jeff is sent there to help nab the bad guys. While scouting the casino,
Jeff is attracted to Laura, a singer in the establishment's nightclub,
but may not be as innocent as she appears.
Ann-Margret
plays lounge singer Laura. Besides being very easy on the eyes, she sings
two songs in the course of the film. Laurence Harvey (whose birth name
was Zvi Mosheh Skikne from Joniskis, Lithuania) was the seminal British
actor - comfortable on stage or screen - with dozens of hit movies under
his belt (including Room at the Top, Darling, Manchurian Candidate,
Summer and Smoke, Butterflied 8, et al). However, by this
point in his career, Laurence's career was in a downward spiral. It's
obvious that he was having fun [but was clearly slumming] in this Italian
production. Mr Laurence died young, at 45, from stomach cancer in November
1973.
Nino
Zanchin was a second tier filmmaker, much more successful as an assistant
director (he was promoted to this project after working with Sergio Solima
for The Big Gundown in 1968). During his career he sometimes used
the 'Robert Andrews' alias. Very little is known about Mr Zanchin.
He disappeared from the entertainment business after helming one more
film, I Figli Chiedono Perche [The Sons Ask Why] with Susanna Melandri.
A colorful story did emerge from the REBUS shoot.
Reportedly there was a tension between Laurence Harvey and Nino Zanchin
over the attentions of Ann-Margret. It resulted in a fist fight between
the two men during one of the nightclub scenes. Ann-Margret, concerned
for her safety and not wanting to get romantically involved with either
men, called boyfriend Elvis Presley who immediately flew to the set and
policed the activity until the film wrapped.
An
Italian film in English language; widescreen format 16:9,
European version (84 minutes), extras include theatrical trailers.
DVD encoded for All Region NTSC World Format.
