''Guns in the Heather'' is a 1969 Walt Disney adventure film directed by Robert Butler and produced by Ron Miller. It stars Kurt Russell,

Glenn Corbett Glenn Corbett (born Glenn Edwin Rothenburg; August 17, 1933 – January 16, 1993)"CORBETT Obituary — Corbett, 59, starred in 'Route 66,' Wayne films." ''San Antonio Express-News'' January 18, 1993. Web. May 29, 2012. Document #0F22314D ...

and

Alfred Burke Alfred Burke (28 February 1918 – 16 February 2011) was an English actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Frank Marker in the drama series '' Public Eye'', which ran on television for ten years. Early life Born in London's south-east ...

. It was originally broadcast in parts on '' Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'' in the United States under the title ''Guns in the Heather'', then re-edited for a European theatrical release under the English title, ''The Secret of Boyne Castle''. It was re-broadcast on American television in 1978 under the title ''Spy-Busters''. The story is based on the 1963 novel ''Guns in the Heather'', by

Lockhart Amerman Lockhart Amerman (1911–1969) was an American minister and novelist. Born in New York City in 1911 to William Libbey Amerman and Carrie Lockhart, he attended Collegiate School (New York City), Collegiate School in New York City and then studied ...

. The film was primarily shot on location in Ireland (

St. Flannan's College Saint Flannan's College is an Irish co-educational secondary school located in Ennis, County Clare, which takes its name from the 7th century patron saint of the Dál gCais. Formerly an all-boys boarding school, the first girls class was entere ...

in Ennis, Corkscrew Hill, Corofin and

Kilfenora Kilfenora ( ga, Cill Fhionnúrach , meaning 'Church of the Fertile Hillside' or 'Church of the White Brow') is a village and a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is situated south of the karst limestone region known as the Burren. S ...

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

feature) with additional scenes shot at Pinewood Studios near London, England.

Plot

Rich Evans ( Kurt Russell), An American exchange student’s day at the Leinster School in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

is interrupted when a bleeding man drives up to the school and gives Rich a message for his brother Tom (

), before dying. Rich and his friend Sean O’Connor ( Patrick Dawson) are taken from the school by a man who claims to be from the American Embassy, but who turns out to be an Eastern Bloc agent. Rich and Sean make a daring escape and eventually reach Tom, who is an American intelligence agent and not the Irish sales rep for an American steel company as Rich thought. Rich and Sean get off the flight to London Tom placed them on when they spot some of the enemy agents and find Tom in time to save him from other agents, who had grabbed him. They head to Boyne castle, where the message said vital info about an East Bloc defecting scientist was hidden. However Tom is locked up with the real Lord Boyne, while East Bloc agents replace Lord Boyne and his staff. Rich finds the info, but when he calls the US embassy with it, the bad guys are listening in. The imprisoned group help Tom make an ingenious escape from the dungeon they’re locked into. Using a dory and a glider they are able to intercept the East Bloc agents before they can grab the defecting scientist.

Cast

as Tom Evans *

as Kersner * Kurt Russell as Rich Evans *Patrick Dawson as Sean O'Connor * Patrick Barr as Lord Boyne * Hugh McDermott as Carleton *Patrick Westwood as Levick * Eddie Byrne as Bailey *

Godfrey Quigley Godfrey Quigley (4 May 1923 – 7 September 1994) was an Irish film, television and stage actor. He appeared in Stanley Kubrick's films ''A Clockwork Orange'' and ''Barry Lyndon''. Biography Quigley was born in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, ...

as Meister * Kevin Stoney as Enhardt * Shay Gorman as Headmaster * Niall Tóibín as Kettering *Ernst Walder as Vollos *Robert Bernal as Sgt. Clune *Vincent Dowling as Maston *John Horton as Stafford * J. G. Devlin as Muldoon *Nicola Davies as Kathleen *Gerry Alexander as Paddy * Eamon Morrissey as Hennessey * Declan Mulholland as Retchick *Mary Larkin as Mary *

Paul Farrell Thomas Paul Farrell (21 September 1893 – 12 June 1975) was an Irish people, Irish film and television actor. He is best remembered as the "Tramp" who gets beaten up by Alex and his "droogs", in Stanley Kubrick's ''A Clockwork Orange (film ...

as Groundskeeper

References

External links

* 1969 films 1960s adventure thriller films 1960s chase films 1960s mystery thriller films 1960s spy films British adventure thriller films British chase films British mystery thriller films Films about brothers Films based on adventure novels Films based on mystery novels Films directed by Robert Butler Films produced by Ron W. Miller Films scored by Buddy Baker (composer) Films set in Ireland 1969 directorial debut films 1960s English-language films 1960s British films {{Adventure-film-stub