Shout at the Devil (film)
Encyclopedia
Shout at the Devil is a British
film directed by Peter R. Hunt
and starring Lee Marvin
and Roger Moore
.
The picture is a comedic adventure story set in Zanzibar
and German East Africa
in 1913-1915 based on a novel written by Wilbur Smith
and is very loosely inspired by real events.
) a hard drinking American, his daughter Rosa (Barbara Parkins
), and an outcast English aristocrat Sebastian (Roger Moore
) who falls in love with her. They are married and have a daughter together.
The two men set out to get rich in German-controlled pre-World War I
Tanganyika
(German East Africa). Herman Fleischer, German Commander of Southern Province, relentlessly hunts O'Flynn. Fleischer has a warship ram and sink O'Flynn's African Dolm (ship) containing poached ivory. Later whilst attacking O'Flynn's home, the soldiers under Fleischer's command take the life of Sebastian's daughter Maria.
During their hunt to kill Fleischer, for the death of the daughter, it's discovered that England is at war with Germany. Allied operatives convince O'Flynn to locate and destroy the German warship awaiting repair. O'Flynn, Sebastian, and Rosa pursue Fleischer, who happens to be on the warship.
O'Flynn is a master manipulator and con man pursuing financial gain. He gets everyone, except Rosa, to follow his lead throughout the movie; his one weakness is gin. The film is filled with fist fights, shooting, and assorted violence. There are a few tender moments during Sebastian and Rosa's romance.
and, very controversially, in South Africa
during apartheid.
In the film the warship portrayed is SMS Blücher
which did not serve in Africa. The story is loosely based on events involving the light cruiser SMS Königsberg which was sunk after taking refuge in Rufigi delta in 1915, although none of the characters are based on any of the people involved in the sinking.
Roger Ebert thought that "Shout at the Devil is a big, dumb, silly movie that's impossible to dislike. It's so cheerfully corny, so willing to involve its heroes in every possible predicament, that after a while we relax: This is the kind of movie they used to make, back when audiences were supposed to have the mentality of a 12-year-old. It's great to be 12 again."
The film also overlooks the fact that Fleisher's incursion onto Portuguese territory and destruction of the home of a Portuguese national (Rosa) would have created a diplomatic incident, one which would have made Fleisher unpopular with his own government—the Germans not wanting to draw neutral Portugal into the War in 1914.
Although the motives for killing Fleischer are personal, Sebastian Oldsmith is in fact the only one of the major characters among the protagonists who is a citizen of a nation actually at war with Germany.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film directed by Peter R. Hunt
Peter R. Hunt
Peter R. Hunt was an English film editor, television producer and director. Hunt was known for his work on the James Bond films with his innovative editing style.-Career:...
and starring Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
and Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
.
The picture is a comedic adventure story set in Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
and German East Africa
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
in 1913-1915 based on a novel written by Wilbur Smith
Wilbur Smith
Wilbur Addison Smith is a best-selling novelist. His writings include 16th and 17th century tales about the founding of the southern territories of Africa and the subsequent adventures and international intrigues relevant to these settlements. His books often fall into one of three series...
and is very loosely inspired by real events.
Plot
It tells the story of Colonel Flynn O'Flynn (Lee MarvinLee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
) a hard drinking American, his daughter Rosa (Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins
Barbara Parkins is a Canadian television and film actress.-Early life and rise to stardom:Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of sixteen, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Hollywood High School and began to study acting, tap, ballet, and...
), and an outcast English aristocrat Sebastian (Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
) who falls in love with her. They are married and have a daughter together.
The two men set out to get rich in German-controlled pre-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
(German East Africa). Herman Fleischer, German Commander of Southern Province, relentlessly hunts O'Flynn. Fleischer has a warship ram and sink O'Flynn's African Dolm (ship) containing poached ivory. Later whilst attacking O'Flynn's home, the soldiers under Fleischer's command take the life of Sebastian's daughter Maria.
During their hunt to kill Fleischer, for the death of the daughter, it's discovered that England is at war with Germany. Allied operatives convince O'Flynn to locate and destroy the German warship awaiting repair. O'Flynn, Sebastian, and Rosa pursue Fleischer, who happens to be on the warship.
O'Flynn is a master manipulator and con man pursuing financial gain. He gets everyone, except Rosa, to follow his lead throughout the movie; his one weakness is gin. The film is filled with fist fights, shooting, and assorted violence. There are a few tender moments during Sebastian and Rosa's romance.
Cast
- Lee MarvinLee MarvinLee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
as Colonel Flynn O'Flynn - Roger MooreRoger MooreSir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
as Sebastian Oldsmith - Barbara ParkinsBarbara ParkinsBarbara Parkins is a Canadian television and film actress.-Early life and rise to stardom:Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. At the age of sixteen, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled at Hollywood High School and began to study acting, tap, ballet, and...
as Rosa O'Flynn/Oldsmith - Ian HolmIan HolmSir Ian Holm, CBE is an English actor known for his stage work and for many film roles. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear...
as Mohammed, O'Flynn's Mute Servant - Reinhard Kolldehoff as Herman Fleischer, German Commander of Southern Province
- Horst Janson as Kyller
- Karl Michael VoglerKarl Michael VoglerKarl Michael Vogler was a German actor probably best known for his appearances in several big-budget English-language films of the 1960s and 1970s, including The Blue Max where he co-starred with George Peppard and Ursula Andress followed a few years later by Patton, in which he portrayed Erwin...
as Von Kleine - Gernot Endemann as Braun
- Maurice DenhamMaurice DenhamMaurice Denham OBE was an English character actor who appeared in over 100 television programmes and films throughout his long career.-Life and career:...
as Mr. Smythe - Jean KentJean KentJean Kent is a British film actress who appeared in a number of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1940s.-Biography:Jean Kent was born in Brixton, London as Joan Mildred Summerfield. She started her theatrical career as a dancer in 1931. Initially, she used the stage name of Jean Carr when she...
as Mrs. Smythe - Heather WrightHeather WrightHeather Wright is an English actress, noted for her performances in film and television. Her film credits include: Psychomania, The Belstone Fox, Shout at the Devil and Inseminoid. On television, she has been seen in the following series: Arthur of the Britons, Survivors, Return of the Saint,...
as Cynthia Smythe - George CoulourisGeorge CoulourisGeorge Coulouris was a prominent English film and stage actor.-Early life:Coulouris was born in Manchester, England, the son of Abigail and Nicholas Coulouris, a merchant of Greek origin. He was brought up both in Manchester and nearby Urmston and was educated at Manchester Grammar School...
as El Keb - Murray MelvinMurray MelvinMurray Melvin is an English stage and film actor.The son of Hugh Victor Melvin and Maisie Winifred Driscoll, he is best known for having created the role of Geoffrey in the Shelagh Delaney play, A Taste of Honey, a role which he recreated opposite Rita Tushingham in the 1961 film of the same name...
as Lt. Phipps - Bernard HorsfallBernard HorsfallBernard Horsfall is a British actor.Horsfall was born in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. He has appeared in many television and film roles including: Guns at Batasi , On Her Majesty's Secret Service , Enemy at the Door , Gandhi , The Jewel in the Crown , The Hound of the Baskervilles Bernard...
as Captain Joyce - Renu Setna as Mr. Raji
Background
The film was shot in MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and, very controversially, in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
during apartheid.
In the film the warship portrayed is SMS Blücher
SMS Blücher
SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser to be built by the German Imperial Navy . She was designed to match what German intelligence incorrectly believed to be the specifications of the British s...
which did not serve in Africa. The story is loosely based on events involving the light cruiser SMS Königsberg which was sunk after taking refuge in Rufigi delta in 1915, although none of the characters are based on any of the people involved in the sinking.
Critical reception
Critic Richard Eder did not like the film much. He wrote, "The movie has too much plot. All that action, conducted by characters without character—except for Fleischer, whose childlike joy in hurting people is almost appealing — produces lethargy...the movie is a passable midget in absurdly long pants."Roger Ebert thought that "Shout at the Devil is a big, dumb, silly movie that's impossible to dislike. It's so cheerfully corny, so willing to involve its heroes in every possible predicament, that after a while we relax: This is the kind of movie they used to make, back when audiences were supposed to have the mentality of a 12-year-old. It's great to be 12 again."
Historical errors
The film implies that Portugal became a co-belligerent with Britain against Germany when the First World War broke-out in August 1914. In fact, Portugal remained neutral until 1916 (see Portugal in World War I). Portugal's status as an ally seems to be confirmed in the film when the Portuguese supply O'Flynn and Oldsmith with a marked Portuguese plane with a Portuguese pilot in order to conduct surveillance in German territory (an open act of war). In reality, the Portuguese would not have allowed this as it would have violated their neutrality. (At best, the plane would have had no markings). They would also have been motivated to clamp down on O'Flynn and Oldsmith's guerrilla activity, and perhaps would have interned Oldsmith, to preserve their neutrality.The film also overlooks the fact that Fleisher's incursion onto Portuguese territory and destruction of the home of a Portuguese national (Rosa) would have created a diplomatic incident, one which would have made Fleisher unpopular with his own government—the Germans not wanting to draw neutral Portugal into the War in 1914.
Although the motives for killing Fleischer are personal, Sebastian Oldsmith is in fact the only one of the major characters among the protagonists who is a citizen of a nation actually at war with Germany.
External links
- Shout at the Devil film clip at You Tube (illustrating comedic aspects of film)
- Shout at the Devil trailer at You Tube