''Killer Force'', also known as ''The Diamond Mercenaries'', is a 1976

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer, for whom he direct ...

and starring

Telly Savalas Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was an American actor and singer whose career spanned four decades. Noted for his bald head and deep, resonant voice, he is perhaps best known for portraying Lt. Theo Kojak on th ...

, Peter Fonda and Christopher Lee. It was a co-production between the Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, United Kingdom (post production at Twickenham), and the United States and was filmed primarily in South Africa. Its plot is about a gang of criminals who plan a major robbery of a

diamond mine There are a limited number of commercially available diamond mines currently operating in the world, with the 50 largest mines accounting for approximately 90% of global supply. Diamonds are also mined alluvially over disperse areas, where dia ...

Plot

Head of security Harry Webb fears that a diamond theft is about to take place at the company's major mining complex in the desert. He quickly manages to become very unpopular, particularly with Claire Chambers, a celebrated cover girl and daughter of the mine administrator. She is visiting the man she loves, Mike Bradley, who is responsible for security at the mine. Nelson, the mine administrator, gives Bradley a curious mission—to steal a diamond. He wants to implicate Bradley in order to bring him into contact with a certain Lewis who is preparing to rob the mine with the aid of a group of mercenaries and a local accessory known as Father Christmas. Webb, not being informed of the deceit, relentlessly pursues Bradley, who is contacted by Lewis. With the mercenaries in the process of penetrating the mine, Bradley reveals himself to be Father Christmas, the organizer of the entire operation. With Webb in pursuit, Bradley flees into the desert with the only other survivors.

Cast

... Webb * Peter Fonda ... Bradley *

Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' (1955–1 ...

... Lewis * Christopher Lee ... Major Chilton * O. J. Simpson ... Alexander *

Maud Adams Maud Adams (born Maud Solveig Christina Wikström; 12 February 1945) is a Swedish actress and model, known for her roles as two different Bond girls, first in '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' (1974) and then as the eponymous character in ''Oct ...

... Clare *

Ian Yule Ian Yule (1933 — 3 December 2020) was a British born South African actor and soldier. He had a film career that commenced in the late 1960s and lasted to around the early to mid 2000s. Many of the roles he has played are that of a soldier. T ...

... Woods * Michael Mayer ... Adams * Victor Melleney ... Nelson * Richard Loring ... Roberts * Stuart Brown ... Chambers * Marina Christelis ... Danielle * Frank Shelley ... Keller * Peter Van Dissel ... Rick * Cocky Thlothlalemaje ... Franklyn * Ian Hamilton ... Doctor * Dale Cutts ... Plotter *

Don McCorkindale Donald Dinnie McCorkindale (16 August 1904 – 11 August 1970) was a South African boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. He fought as Don McCorkindale. Biography He was born in Pretoria, Transvaal Colony The Transvaal Col ...

... Radio Operator * Marigold Russell ... Salesgirl * Frank Douglas ... Barman * Kevin Basel ... Guardhouse Sergeant * Stuart Parker ... Substation Guard *

Albert Raphael Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert C ...

... Vault Guard * Russell Newman ... Young Guard *

Clive Scott Jigsaw was an English pop rock band best known for their 1975 hit "Sky High". The band was fronted by the singer-songwriter duo of Clive Scott and Des Dyer for most of its life. Following Scott's death in 2009, it has been the platform for Dye ...

... Sky 4 Pilot * Robert Drayton ... Sky 4 Navigator

Releases

DVD

The film was released as ''Killer Force'' on DVD in 2013 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as part of the 12 Action Adventure Movies 3-Disc set. This marks the first time that the film has been released since the VHS era. It is also available in a two-pack with '' Brannigan'' from Amazon.com.

Blu-ray

In May 2016, the film was released on Blu-ray in North America by Kino Lorber. The new release features a 2015 high-definition remaster. The opening credits of this release show the title as The Diamond Mercenaries; a text explanation before the movie starts explains that the film Kino received from the movie studio had those opening credits. The alternate Killer Force opening credits are available as a special feature. In addition, a previously-unseen alternate ending is included as another special feature.

References

External links

* 1976 films 1970s action films Swiss thriller films Irish thriller films 1970s thriller films American heist films 1970s English-language films English-language Swiss films English-language Irish films Films directed by Val Guest Films shot in South Africa American International Pictures films 1970s American films {{1970s-thriller-film-stub