Silver Bears *** (1977, Michael Caine, Cybill Shepherd, Louis Jourdan, Stéphane Audran, David Warner, Tom Smothers, Matin Balsam, Charles Gray, Joss Ackland) – Classic Movie Review 13,228

Michael Caine and Cybill Shepherd lead a stylish, fun Seventies caper comedy thriller about high-finance and confidence tricks in the silver markets.

Director Ivan Passer’s 1977 British comedy crime thriller film Silver Bears is scripted by Peter Stone from a novel by Paul E Erdman, and stars the impressive ensemble cast of Michael Caine, Cybill Shepherd, Louis Jourdan, Stéphane Audran, David Warner, Tom Smothers, Matin Balsam, Charles Gray, Joss Ackland, and Jeremy Clyde.

In the elaborate plot, double-crossing swindlers Doc Fletcher and Prince di Siracusa (Michael Caine and Louis Jourdan) come to Switzerland to start up a bank for American gangster Joe Fiore (Matin Balsam), meet Iran silver dealers Shireen Firdausi and Agha Firdausi (Stéphane Audran and David Warner), while Henry Foreman (Joss Ackland) despatches Mr Donald Luckman (Tom Smothers) and Mrs Debbie Luckman (Cybill Shepherd) to purchase a bank of his own, but Debbie Luckman (Shepherd) and Prince di Siracusa (Jourdan) have plans of their own that don’t involve their partners.

Silver Bears is light, enjoyable caper thriller fluff, with eye-catching cinematography on unusual Swiss and Moroccan backdrops. It is made by heavyweight Czech director Passer, who is perhaps somewhat at sea with the material. But the bright stars keep the fast-moving, occasionally bewilderingly plotted movie on course to its satisfying conclusion. Michael Caine enjoys a good role as mob accountant Doc Fletcher. And it ends up being pretty good of its amusing escapist kind.

The cast are Michael Caine as Doc Fletcher, Cybill Shepherd as Debbie Luckman, Louis Jourdan as Prince di Siracusa, Stéphane Audran as Shireen Firdausi, David Warner as Agha Firdausi, Tom Smothers as Donald Luckman, Martin Balsam as Joe Fiore, Jay Leno as Albert Fiore Charles Gray as Sir Charles Cook, Joss Ackland as Henry Foreman, Jeremy Clyde as Nick Topping, Tony Mascia, Mike Falco, Steve Plytas, Bruce Boa, and Shane Rimmer.

Silver Bears is directed by Ivan Passer, runs 113 minutes, is made by Raleigh Films and EMI Films, is released by EMI Film Distributors/ Columbia, is written by Peter Stone, based on Paul E Erdman’s novel, is shot by Anthony B Richmond, is produced by Martin Schute, Arlene Sellers and Alex Winitsky, and is scored by Claude Bolling.

Release date: 3 June 1977.

Czech film director and screenwriter Ivan Passer (10 July 1933 – 9 January 2020) was known for directing American films such as Born to Win (1971), Law and Disorder (1974), Cutter’s Way (1981) and Creator (1985).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,228

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