Black Windmill, The (Universal 1974, Michael Caine, Janet Suzman)

Action director Don Siegel helmed thriller The Black Windmill, which stars Michael Caine as spy John Tarrant whose son is kidnapped by colleagues intent on gaining Caine’s assistance in rounding up a diamond-smuggling ring. Tarrant is forced to comply with the kidnappers; assisting him is his reluctant, estranged wife Alex (Janet Suzman). The supporting cast includes Donald Pleasence and the always elegant Delphine Seyrig.

Superb character actor Donald Pleasence is probably most famous for his portrayal in The Great Escape (1963) of the prisoner of war known as The Forger; in fact, Pleasence was a real-life prisoner of war during World War II, when he served with the RAF.

Cast: Michael Caine as Maj. John Tarrant; Janet Suzman as Alex Tarrant; Edward Hardwicke as Mike McCarthy; Joseph O’Conor as Sir Edward Julyan; Joyce Carey as Miss Monley; Derek Newark as Monitoring Policeman; Denis Quilley as Bateson; Maureen Pryor as Jane Harper; Preston Lockwood as Ilkeston; Donald Pleasence as Cedric Harper; Delphine Seyrig as Ceil Burrows; Clive Revill as Alf Chestermann; John Vernon as McKee; Joss Ackland as Chief Supt. Wray; Catherine Schell as Lady Melissa Julyan

Script: Leigh Vance / Music: Roy Budd / Art Direction: Peter Murton / Editor: Antony Gibbs / Director of Photography: Ousama Rawi / Producers: David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck / Director: Don Siegel

UK – USA | Universal | 106 minutes | 1974