The Treasure Seekers (1979 film)

The Treasure Seekers
Directed byHenry Levin
Written byRod Taylor
Walter Brough
Produced bySam Manners
StarringRod Taylor
Stuart Whitman
CinematographyJoe Jackman
Richard Kelley
Edited byKeith Stafford
Music byByron Lee
Production
companies
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date
  • 1979 (1979)
CountriesUnited States
United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Treasure Seekers (also known as Forty Million Bucks, On a Dead Man's Chest, Treasure of Death, 40 Million Bucks on a Dead Man's Chest,[1] Contraband and Jamaican Gold [2]) is a 1979 British-American action film directed by Henry Levin and starring Rod Taylor, Stuart Whitman and Elke Sommer.[1][3] It was written by Taylor and Walter Brough.

Premise

Two former football players re-unite to search for the lost treasures of the seventeenth century pirate Henry Morgan.

Cast

  • Rod Taylor as Marian Casey
  • Stuart Whitman as Stack Baker
  • Elke Sommer as Ursula
  • Jeremy Kemp as Reginald Landers
  • Bob Phillips as Joe
  • Jennie Sherman as Debbie
  • Keenan Wynn as Meat Cleaver Stewart
  • Keith Foote as Lincoln
  • Dan Jackson as Supt. Prinz
  • Patrick Wymore as Shelley
  • Patricia Hornung as Alicia
  • Hans Kahn as German captain
  • Paul Methuen as Merril Jr
  • Joanna Wilhelm as Merril Jr.'s wife
  • Dermot Hussey as Stevan

Production

Filming took place on location in Jamaica in 1976, but he film only achieved a limited release a number of years later. There were a number of problems during the shoot and post production.[4]

Reception

Derek Winnert wrote: "Rod Taylor and Stuart Whitman are both pretty dull, while Jeremy Kemp and Keenan Wynn (as Meat Cleaver Stewart) overact but liven things up a bit, and it is good to have Elke Sommer aboard as the alluring Ursula. However, director Levin does not manage much energy or excitement, though there is an entertaining action climax."[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "The Treasure Seekers". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b Winnert, Derek (11 March 2021). "The Treasure Seekers". derekwinnert.com. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  3. ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | The Treasure Seekers (1977)". ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  4. ^ Stephen Vagg, Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood (Bear Manor Media, 2010) p188-189