Along with Where Eagles Dare this has to be one of the best 3 x 400ft edits released on super 8, where as WED was edited and released by MGM this item was released and edited by Derann and they really did a first class job cutting it down while retaining the main story. This film is a who's who of the movie world of the time of release, it is packed with huge stars,
You may recall this was one of the films we purchased for £15 along with WED , (and a couple of others) from the film library here in Plymouth when it was going out of business, so unfortunately, it suffers with some scratching as where eagle dare does. As many others of this era, this one does have some fade but fortunately, day scenes are still very good with blues and greens etc, reel one, (the first 400ft) appears to be worst hit with the fade. We will hang onto it for a little longer but are now getting quite tired of fade on film.
I am sure everyone in the super 8 and 16mm fraternity knows this film very well, however, for those who have not seen this version here is the plot edited for this excellent version,
Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton), a British mercenary and former army colonel, arrives in London to meet the wealthy and ruthless merchant banker Sir Edward Matheson (Stewart Granger). The latter proposes a risky operation to rescue Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona), the liberal but imprisoned President of a Southern African nation who is due for execution by General Ndofa, the man who deposed him. President Limbani is held in a remote prison in Zembala, guarded by a unit of General Ndofa's personal troops known as the "Simbas".
Faulkner accepts the assignment and with forty-nine mercenaries, including officers he had worked with on previous operations: Capt. Rafer Janders (Richard Harris), a skilled military tactician, and Lt. Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore), brings in penniless South African Pieter Coetzee (Hardy Krüger), With the tacit approval of the United Kingdom's government, the mercenaries are physically trained by RSM Sandy Young, (Jack Watson).
The mercenaries infiltrate Zembala via HALO jump, and then infiltrate the prison facility — rescuing an alive, though sick, Limbani. The group then occupies a small airfield to await pickup, deeming the mission a success. Back in London, however, Matheson cancels the extraction flight at the last moment, having secured copper mining assets from General Ndofa in exchange for President Limbani. Stranded deep in hostile territory, the abandoned mercenaries fight their way through bush country, pursued by merciless Simba troops. Many men, including Coetzee, are killed along the way.
The mercenaries make their way towards President Limbani's home village in Kalima, An Irish missionary, (Frank Finlay), living there informs the group of an old Douglas Dakota transport aircraft nearby that they can use to escape. As the Simba troops close in, the group stage a last stand on the airfield while Fynn starts the Dakota's engines; mercenaries board the aircraft under fire and many more are killed. Janders is shot in the leg and unable to board; at Janders' begging, Faulkner is forced to kill him, sparing him from capture and torture. The thirteen survivors finally manage to land at Kariba Airport, Rhodesia, but Limbani dies from a gunshot wound sustained during the escape.
Months later, Faulkner returns to London and breaks into Matheson's home, forcing him to empty the cash in his wall safe — amounting to half a million dollars — to compensate the surviving mercenaries and the families of those who died. Faulkner then kills Matheson and makes a swift getaway with Fynn.
This is where this excellent version ends with a generous helping of the original end titles. This is one mini feature that really makes you feel you have watched the full feature film. Print and sound quality are excellent, this particular print has bought us dozens of happy viewings over around 30 years but it is a fairly worn print so the condition of this one is a C.

This is a very good film; the actor who Roger Moore forces to swallow the drugs is David Ladd, son of Alan Ladd. Nice also to see Stewart Granger in his later years.

Thanks Robert, i would love to get hold of a good 16mm copy.

One of my favourites too Tom, I've never come across a decent print since getting back into the hobby, I've had around 6 copies and non looked as good as your print.

Ours would be ok if it didn't have so many lines, there are a few green nasty s in there, the images dont show them as well as you see them on screen though. I wont treat it again otherwise, as mentioned before, these will glow nice and bright.

I once bought this from Classic on 16mm a perfect print, the only problem when Richard Burton's first spoke and he had the perfect voice too was French. Must not have checked the print before selling it. For some reason the credits were in English too. Like you say a excellently done abridgement.

A dealer didnt check the print!!!!!!! Never