David Janssen became a superstar as Dr. Richard Kimble on The Fugitive. How popular was the show? The final episode had 72% of all TVs in America tuned in to see him face off with the one-armed man who killed his wife. That was a big number in 1967. In the mid-70s, Janssen starred in Harry O as a San Diego cop who retired after taking a bullet in his back who works as a private investigator. The show introduced viewers to Farrah Fawcett-Majors as his next-door neighbor. She was a full-time stewardess and part-time girlfriend. During the summer break between the show’s two seasons, Janssen flew to Zurich to delve into The Swiss Conspiracy.
During the 20th Century, the Swiss banking industry was known for how clients didn’t use their names, but numbers on their accounts. This allowed people to deposit money with an anonymous standing. This was great for people who had shady activities that they needed hidden from their government or spouses. Untrustworthy leaders would jet their money to Geneva to be deposited in massive accounts that their political rivals couldn’t track. The confidentiality of five bank depositors at a Zurich bank have been compromised and someone is blackmailing them. The first victim is an arms dealer who refuses to pay up. He becomes a bigger victim when he’s shot dead. The bank is also being blackmailed. The bank president Johann Hurtil (The Lost Weekend‘s Ray Milland) doesn’t want to be ventilated. He hires David Christopher (David Janssen) an ex-U.S. Treasury agent. Robert Hayes (Enter the Dragon‘s John Saxon) isn’t happy at an ex-fed poking around the bank, The hoodish guy from Chicago thinks Christopher might rat people out. Another victim is Texan Dwight McGowan (Spartacus‘ John Ireland) who has tax issues and doesn’t need anyone knowing his true worth. He wants this case solved. There are quite a few suspects for Christopher to investigate. He senses that the blackmailer might be an employee who could put numbers and names together. Another just outside that circle suspect is Rita Jensen (Zeppelin‘s Elke Sommer). She’s the mistress of an employee. Maybe he’s being fooled by the seductive Denise Abbott (The Ambusher‘s Senta Berger) that’s helping him with the case. There’s a lot of danger in the neutral Switzerland as Christopher dodge bullets. He is being tracked by a serious goon (played by David Hess from Last House on the Left and House On the Edge of the Park). It’s going to take more than a Swiss Army knife for Christopher to survive.
In between The Fugitive and Harry O., Janssen starred in O’Hara, U.S. Treasury produced by Jack Webb (Dragnet). The series was canceled after one season by CBS head of programming Fred Silverman canceled at CBS. There must have been a few people who thought that The Swiss Conspiracy was a theatrical return of O’Hara. Silverman also canceled Harry O after he took over programming at ABC because he wanted Farrah Fawcett-Majors to star in Charlie’s Angels. Silverman must have been a fan of the one-armed man.
The Swiss Conspiracy was directed by Jack Arnold who you might normally not associate with a Euro crime thriller. His a name often mentioned on Svengoolie when they run Arnold’s legendary The Creature From the Black Lagoon and Tarantula. Arnold makes you feel this film was directed by someone who has been shooting around Europe and not the backlots of Hollywood. It helps that he had a local crew that included cinematographer W.P. Hassenstein (The Brutalization of Franz Blum) and production designer Rolf Zehetbauer (Cabaret). The soundtrack by Klaus Doldinger gives off a Euro ’76 vibe. Klaus would go on to score Das Boot and The Neverending Story.
The Swiss Conspiracy reminds you there are dangerous things in the land of Chocolate and Cheese. The blackmail plot will have you guessing until the final bullet. David Janssen is perfect tracking everything down. If you’re a fan of his TV shows, you’ll enjoy seeing him abroad, in danger and busting up The Swiss Conspiracy.
The Video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The 1080p transfer brings out the details of life in Zurich, Switzerland in the mid-70. You’ll see the snowy Alps clearly. The audio is DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono. There’s also a Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono mix. Things sound as clear as Alpine air. The movie is subtitled.
Audio Commentary with Robert Kelly and Daniel Budnik goes into the details about the movie’s cast and production. There’s even references to the original novel.
Jack Arnold: The Lost Years (14:37) lets us discover what the director of the Creature of the Black Lagoon after he left Universal. Besides this film, he ended up directing a lot of television work. Ted Newsom discusses how Arnold hit a ceiling as the science fiction guy at the studio. Dana M. Reemes gets into his time talking with Arnold.
Jack Arnold A Three- Dimensional Filmmaker visual essay (28:26) has it explained how his parents wanted him to be a doctor or lawyer instead of a performer. He was in a Broadway show when he joined the Signal Corp and ended up in the film department. His film school was the U.S. Army. One of his early documentaries was nominated for an Oscar. He used this to get into studio films.
Restore 35mm Trailer for The Swiss Conspiracy (1:47) promises us major stars and a blackmail thrill Swiss style.
Original 1976 35mm Trailer (1:46) lets you know how much the color had gone out on the trailer before the restoration.
Booklet with an essay by Lee Pfeiffer about the film.
Film Masters present The Swiss Conspiracy. Directed by Jack Arnold. Screenplay by Norman Klenman, Philip Saltzman & Michael Stanley. Starring David Janssen, Senta Berger, John Ireland, John Saxon, Ray Milland & Elke Sommer. Running Time: 88 Minutes. Rating: Rated PG-13. Release Date: Febuary 20, 2024.
