Race for the Yankee Zephyr
Encyclopedia
Race for the Yankee Zephyr (aka "Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr") is a 1981 New Zealand
supense-action
-thriller film directed by David Hemmings
and starring Ken Wahl
, Lesley Ann Warren
, George Peppard
and Donald Pleasence
.
) has discovered a World War II
-era plane wreck in the mountains of New Zealand
. When his discovery gets around town, Gibson and his daughter Sally (Warren
) and his lodger Barney Whitaker (Wahl
) find trouble from a group of treasure hunters led by a mister Theo Brown (Peppard
) who are intent on finding the cache of money they believe to be on the wreck.
) — A hunter who owns a hellicopter and lives in New Zealand
with Gibbie Gibson, he is the arch nemesis of Theo Brown who kidnaps Gibbie and Barney eventually falls in love with Gibbie's daughter Sally Carson.
Sally Carson (Lesley Ann Warren
) — A receptionist who lives in New Zealand
and is the daughter of Gibbie Carson, she is caught up between the war between Gibbie's lodger Barney Whitaker and his rival Theo Brown, but eventually falls in love with Barney.
Theo Brown (George Peppard
) — A gangster who owns a district in New Zealand
, he is the arch rival of Barney Whitaker, and he kidnaps Barney's lodgest Gibbie Gibson, bent on finding the wreck.
Gilbert Carson/Gibbie Gibson (Donald Pleasence
) — A hunter and the lodgest of Barney Whitaker, he finds the plane wreck in the mountains and is the father of Sally Carson and Gibbie is eventually taken prisoner by Theo and his henchmen.
Baker (Bruno Lawrence
) — A New Zealand
civilian and a friend of Barney and Gibbie's.
Collector (Grant Tilly
) — A New Zealand
civilian and the owner of a local pawn shop.
Harry (Harry Rutherford-Jones) — A New Zealand
civilian and Sally's fiance. It is not known what becomes of Harry when Sally falls in love with Barney Whitaker.
The Bartender (Robert Bruce) — A New Zealand
civilian and owner of a local bar.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
supense-action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
-thriller film directed by David Hemmings
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
and starring Ken Wahl
Ken Wahl
Ken Wahl is an American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He twice won the title of Sexiest Man on TV, earned an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe.-Career:...
, Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
, George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
and Donald Pleasence
Donald Pleasence
Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
.
Plot
Gibbie Gibson (Donald PleasenceDonald Pleasence
Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
) has discovered a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era plane wreck in the mountains of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. When his discovery gets around town, Gibson and his daughter Sally (Warren
Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
) and his lodger Barney Whitaker (Wahl
Ken Wahl
Ken Wahl is an American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He twice won the title of Sexiest Man on TV, earned an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe.-Career:...
) find trouble from a group of treasure hunters led by a mister Theo Brown (Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
) who are intent on finding the cache of money they believe to be on the wreck.
Cast
Barney Whitaker (Ken WahlKen Wahl
Ken Wahl is an American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He twice won the title of Sexiest Man on TV, earned an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe.-Career:...
) — A hunter who owns a hellicopter and lives in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with Gibbie Gibson, he is the arch nemesis of Theo Brown who kidnaps Gibbie and Barney eventually falls in love with Gibbie's daughter Sally Carson.
Sally Carson (Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
) — A receptionist who lives in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and is the daughter of Gibbie Carson, she is caught up between the war between Gibbie's lodger Barney Whitaker and his rival Theo Brown, but eventually falls in love with Barney.
Theo Brown (George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
) — A gangster who owns a district in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, he is the arch rival of Barney Whitaker, and he kidnaps Barney's lodgest Gibbie Gibson, bent on finding the wreck.
Gilbert Carson/Gibbie Gibson (Donald Pleasence
Donald Pleasence
Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
) — A hunter and the lodgest of Barney Whitaker, he finds the plane wreck in the mountains and is the father of Sally Carson and Gibbie is eventually taken prisoner by Theo and his henchmen.
Baker (Bruno Lawrence
Bruno Lawrence
Bruno Lawrence was a New Zealand musician and actor.Initially notable as founder of 1970s musical and theatrical "Blerta", he had well-regarded roles in several major films, and starred on the 1990s Australian satirical TV series Frontline.-Biography:Born David Charles Lawrence in Worthing, West...
) — A New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
civilian and a friend of Barney and Gibbie's.
Collector (Grant Tilly
Grant Tilly
Grant Tilly is a New Zealand actor, writer, and artist.- Biography :Tilly was born in Sydney, Australia in 1937, moving with his family to New Zealand at one month of age. He was educated in Wellington, taking art at Wellington technical College in the early 1950s...
) — A New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
civilian and the owner of a local pawn shop.
Harry (Harry Rutherford-Jones) — A New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
civilian and Sally's fiance. It is not known what becomes of Harry when Sally falls in love with Barney Whitaker.
The Bartender (Robert Bruce) — A New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
civilian and owner of a local bar.
Additional cast
- Tony SparksTony SparksTony Sparks is a director/producer in the adult entertainment industry. He has been producing adult films and websites since 2000. He currently produces the websites Dirtytony.com and Nakedfrathouse.com.His work has come to symbolize the "amateur gay" genre...
- Clark Walkington
- Frank Taurua
- Steve Nicolle
- Dick Jones
- Dennis HuntDennis HuntDennis Perrior Hunt is an English former Association football player and manager.A defender, Hunt joined Gillingham in 1958 after being discovered whilst playing football for the army...
- George PeppardGeorge PeppardGeorge Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...