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Valley of Eagles

Entry updated 4 April 2017. Tagged: Film.

Film (1951; vt Valley of the Eagles US). The J Arthur Rank Organization/Independent Sovereign Films (UK)/Lippert Films (US). Produced by Nat A Bronstein (as Nat Bronsten). Directed by Terence Young. Written by Young from an original story by Bronstein and Paul Tabori. Cast includes Anthony Dawson, Nadia Grey, Christopher Lee, John McCallum, Jack Warner and Mary Laura Wood. 86 minutes, sometimes cut to 82 minutes. Black and white.

Norwegian Scientist Dr Nils Ahlen (McCallum) has developed an Invention capable of storing sound and releasing it as energy. Realizing its potential as a Weapon, his wife Helga (Wood) and her adulterous lover Dr Sven Nystrom (Dawson) – Ahlen's assistant – steal the plans and flee in the general direction of the Soviet Union. Dr Ahlen teams up with Inspector Peterson (Warner) to pursue them through Swedish Lapland; they journey with a family group of reindeer herders including Kara Niemann (Gray), until Nystrom and Helga set a trap that destroys the reindeer. The reduced group is threatened by wolves and saved by eagles – hunting birds flown by the people of the hidden valley that gives the film its title. When Ahlen and Peterson finally catching up with Helga and Nystrom, there is a shoot-out causing an avalanche that kills both the latter. Meanwhile Ahlen and Kara have fallen in love ...

Largely an espionage thriller and chase film given a modest sf slant by the sound weapon, Valley of Eagles features some excellent photography of Lapland and its wildlife. Future Horror and sf Cinema star Lee appears in a small early role as Detective Holt. [GSt]

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