''The Double McGuffin'' is a 1979 American

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

written and directed by

Joe Camp Joseph S. Camp Jr. (born April 20, 1939) is a motion picture director and writer who is best known as the creator and director of the ''Benji'' films, as well as ''Hawmps!'' and ''The Double McGuffin''. Camp resides in Bell Buckle, Tennessee wit ...

. The film stars

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...

and

George Kennedy George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" opposite Paul Newman in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academ ...

. Elke Sommer and NFL stars

Ed 'Too Tall' Jones Ed, ed or ED may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc * Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media * ''Ed'' (TV series), a TV series that ran fro ...

and

Lyle Alzado Lyle Martin Alzado (April 3, 1949 – May 14, 1992) was an American professional All Pro football defensive end of the National Football League (NFL), famous for his intense and intimidating style of play. Alzado played 15 seasons, splitting hi ...

also appear in smaller roles. The film also included a young

Vincent Spano Vincent M. Spano Jr. (born October 18, 1962) is an American film, stage and television actor; he is also a film director and producer. Early life Spano was born in Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with King ...

as well as Dion Pride (son of country singer

Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Reco ...

). An opening narration is provided by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

. The cast included Chicago native Michael Gerard, and Dallas area child actors Greg Hodges and Jeff Nicholson.

Film title

At the beginning of the film, the narrator,

, informs the audience that a

McGuffin McGuffin is a surname of Irish origin, thought to originate from County Donegal. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mag Dhuibhfinn. Notable people with the surname include: * Meg McGuffin (born c. 1990), American beauty-pageant titleholder * ...

is an object that serves as the focal point of a plot and this film has two.

Plot

A group of boarding school students discover, in succession, a suitcase full of money, a dead body, and a dismembered hand. They are unable to convince the local police to take them seriously, because they have not secured any evidence and because the police chief (played by Kennedy) is suspicious of them due to their past misbehavior. They follow the evidence themselves and realize that a political assassination is planned at a school event. They foil the plot themselves.

Cast

* Dion Pride as Specks * Greg Hodges as Homer Rutledge * Jeff Nicholson as Billy Ray Dober *

as Foster Amaway *

Lisa Whelchel Lisa Diane Whelchel (born May 29, 1963) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, author, and life coach. She is known for her appearances as a Mouseketeer on ''The New Mickey Mouse Club'' and her nine-year role as the preppy and wealthy Blai ...

as Jody * Michael Gerard as Arthur Honneycutt * Elke Sommer as Madame Kura *

Lori Lively Lori Lynn Lively is an American actress, television co-host/designer, and acting coach. Best known for ''Dead Space'' (1991). Early life Lively was born into a family of actors. Her mother, adoptive father and all four siblings are, or hav ...

as Michelle Carter *

as Chief Arnold Talasek *

as Mr. Firat * Garvin Edwards as Football Player * Anne Reilly as Cocktail Waitress * Rod Browning as Moras *

Ed "Too Tall" Jones Edward Lee Jones (born February 23, 1951), commonly known as Ed "Too Tall" Jones due to his height, is a former American football player who played 15 seasons (1974–1978, 1980–1989) in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys ...

as Assassin #1 *

as Assassin #2 * Mike Davis as Newlywed #1 * Peggy Davis as Newlywed #2 * Kit Lyons as Computer Programmer * George Bailey as Night Watchman * Ben Mayo as Taxi Driver * Cyrus Newitt as Police Officer * Daniel G. Albright as Policeman At Nightdesk *

as Newsstand Operator * Don Reddy as Newsstand Customer * Jeffrey Johnson as Hotel Desk Clerk * Nanci Newman as Reporter *

Verne Lundquist Merton Laverne Lundquist Jr. (born July 17, 1940) is an American sportscaster. Biography Early life and career Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota. He graduated from Austin High School in Austin, Texas, before attending Texas Lutheran U ...

as Radio Announcer *

as Narrator *

Frank Inn Frank Inn, born Elias Franklin Freeman (May 8, 1916 – July 27, 2002), was an American animal trainer. He trained several animals for movies, including the dogs in the ''Benji'' series and the cat Orangey. He also trained the dog in ''Honey, I ...

as Himself * Benjean as

Benji Benji is a fictional character created by Joe Camp. He has been the focus of several movies from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the ''Benji'' franchise. Benji is a small, lovable mixed-breed dog with an un ...

Production

Joe Camp had a huge financial success with the film ''Benji'', which made over $30 million on a budget of $545,000. In 1975 he announced he wanted to make ''The Double McGuffin'' as his second feature. The following year he said he would make it after ''

Hawmps! ''Hawmps!'' is a 1976 American Western slapstick film about a United States Cavalry experiment to introduce camels into the service in the western United States, specifically Texas. The cast included James Hampton, Christopher Connelly and Sl ...

'' (1976) and ''

For the Love of Benji ''For the Love of Benji'' is a 1977 family film, directed and written by Joe Camp. It is the sequel to the original film, featuring Benji, and the second film in the Benji series, released on June 10, 1977. It is the first Benji film to star B ...

'' (1977). Camp called it a "combination of Hitchcock, ''The Sting'' and ''Mission Impossible'' set in a boarding school." The film was shot in Charleston in January 1978.No Percy-Lance love match Daly, Maggie. Chicago Tribune 8 Dec 1977: b20.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Double Mcguffin 1970s mystery thriller films 1979 films American mystery thriller films Films directed by Joe Camp Films scored by Euel Box Films shot in Savannah, Georgia 1970s English-language films 1970s American films