A Twist of Sand is a 1968 British adventure film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Richard Johnson, Jeremy Kemp, Honor Blackman and Peter Vaughan.[1][2] The screenplay was by Marvin Albert was based on Geoffrey Jenkins' 1959 novel of the same name.

A Twist of Sand
Directed byDon Chaffey
Written by Geoffrey Jenkins (novel)
Marvin Albert (screenplay)
Produced byFred Engel
StarringRichard Johnson
Honor Blackman
Jeremy Kemp
Peter Vaughan
CinematographyJohn Wilcox
Edited byAlastair McIntyre
Music byTristram Cary
Production
company
Christina Films
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release dates
  • 9 October 1968 (1968-10-09) (United States)
  • November 1968 (1968-11) (United Kingdom)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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A former British naval officer now makes his living by smuggling goods around the Mediterranean. After being forced to dump his cargo when nearly caught by the authorities in Malta, he is eager to recoup his losses. When a former colleague appears and tells a wild story about smuggling diamonds out of south-west Africa, he sees his chance to make a lot of money. The diamonds are hidden in a shipwreck buried in the sand dunes of Namibia's Skeleton Coast.

In recurring flashbacks, the captain relives his wartime experiences as the commander of a Royal Navy submarine, sent to South African waters to destroy an experimental U-Boat.

Cast

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Production

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Geoffrey Jenkins initially sold the rights for his 1959 novel to filmmaker Nunnally Johnson at 20th Century Fox. Johnson intended to write the script himself and have Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr cast in the starring roles.[3] Simon Petersen was the assistant underwater cameraman.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "A Twist of Sand". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  2. ^ BFI | Film n& Database | A TWIST OF SAND (1968)
  3. ^ Barkham, John (12 March 1961). "Young Novelist Writes 12,000 Words a Day". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 4.
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