Shout at the Devil ( film ) - wikipedia Shout at the Devil ( film ) Shout at the Devil Original British cinema poster Directed by Peter R. Hunt Produced by Michael Klinger Screenplay by Stanley Price Alastair Reid Based on Shout at the Devil by Wilbur Smith Starring Lee Marvin Roger Moore Music by Maurice Jarre Cinematography Michael Reed Edited by Michael J. Duthie Production company Tonav Productions Distributed by Hemdale ( UK ) AIP ( US ) Release date 13 April 1976 ( 1976 - 04 - 13 ) ( UK ) 24 November 1976 ( 1976 - 11 - 24 ) ( US ) Running time 147 minutes ( UK ) 128 minutes ( US ) Country United Kingdom Language English Budget $9,000,000 Box office £ 15 million Shout at the Devil is a 1976 British war adventure film directed by Peter R. Hunt and starring Lee Marvin and Roger Moore. The film, set in Zanzibar and German East Africa in 1913 -- 1915, is based on a novel by Wilbur Smith which is very loosely inspired by real events ( see the sinking of the SMS Königsberg ). The supporting cast features Barbara Parkins and Ian Holm. Contents 1 Plot summary 2 Cast 3 Original novel 3.1 Historical accuracy 4 Production 4.1 Development 4.2 Screenplay 4.3 Filming 4.4 Soundtrack 5 Reception 5.1 Box office 5.2 Critical 6 Follow Ups 7 References 8 External links Plot summary Colonel Flynn O'Flynn ( Lee Marvin ), a hard - drinking American, manipulates British aristocrat Sebastian Oldsmith ( Roger Moore ) into helping poach ivory in Tanganyika, which is part of the German - controlled pre-World War I territory of German East Africa. On hearing news that the American has returned, Herman Fleischer, the local German Commander of the Southern Provinces, relentlessly hunts O'Flynn with his Schutztruppen ( colonial troops ). Later Sebastian meets and falls in love with O'Flynn's daughter, Rosa ( Barbara Parkins ). They are married and have a daughter together. Meanwhile the poaching continues. Fleischer has his warship ram and sink O'Flynn's Arab dhow ( ship ) loaded with poached ivory. Later, while attacking O'Flynn's home, Schutztruppe under Fleischer 's command kill Sebastian 's daughter Maria. O'Flynn and Sebastian decide to go and kill Fleischer as revenge for the death of the little girl. But when it is discovered that Britain is at war with Germany, allied officers 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. Eventually they find her in an inlet and plant a bomb on board. O'Flynn sacrifices himself so that Sebastian and Rosa can escape while Fleischer 's crew search for the bomb. Fleischer jumps overboard just in time to get away also, but as he comes ashore, Sebastian dispatches him with a rifle. Sebastian and Rosa then watch the ship as it is ripped apart by more explosions and burns. Cast Lee Marvin as Colonel Flynn O'Flynn Roger Moore as Sebastian Oldsmith Barbara Parkins as Rosa O'Flynn / Oldsmith Ian Holm as Mohammed, O'Flynn's Mute Servant Reinhard Kolldehoff as Herman Fleischer, German Commander of Southern Province Horst Janson as Kyller Karl Michael Vogler as Von Kleine Maurice Denham as Mr. Smythe Jean Kent as Mrs. Smythe Heather Wright as Cynthia Smythe George Coulouris as El Keb Murray Melvin as Lt. Phipps Bernard Horsfall as Captain Joyce Renu Setna as Mr. Raji Original novel Shout at the Devil Paperback edition Author Wilbur Smith Country South Africa Language English Genre War Adventure Publisher Heinemann Publication date 1968 The script was based on a novel by Wilbur Smith. The critic from The New York Times called the book `` a bloodbath ''. Historical accuracy The book which the film is based on is vaguely based on real events, but takes significant artistic licence with historical facts. The main story is loosely based on events concerning the light cruiser SMS Königsberg, which was sunk after taking refuge in Rufiji Delta in 1915. Ivory hunter PJ Pretorius had gone on board Königsberg disguised as a native to pace out the ranges for the Navy 's guns. In the film the German ship is named Blücher ; there was a vessel of this name, but it did not serve in Africa. 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. 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 to conduct surveillance in German territory. In reality, the Portuguese would not have allowed this as it would have violated their neutrality. Although the motives for killing Fleischer are personal, Sebastian Oldsmith is in fact the only major character who is a citizen of a nation actually at war with Germany. Production Development Film rights were bought by Michael Klinger, who would also buy the rights to Gold Mine, The Sun Bird, The Eye of the Tiger and Eagle in the Sky. It was announced in 1969 that the movie version would be made by Cinerama Inc. but it took a number of years for the adaptation to be financed. In 1971 Smith wrote to Klinger that, `` It is now becoming critical that somebody start making films out of my books. This is essential for my career - which really needs a good film to take off in the Alistair Maclean class. '' Klinger was highly enthusiastic about Shout at the Devil - his son referred to it as his father 's equivalent of Gone with the Wind. The producer himself called it a combination between The African Queen and The Guns of Navarone. However it was an expensive film to produce. Klinger decided to first make a film of Smith 's novel Gold Mine. Screenplay Smith worked on the script with Stanley Price, who also helped adapt Smith 's novel Gold Mine for Michael Klinger. However, the film ending was changed ; in the novel all three main characters die. Filming The film 's budget has been reported as $9 -- 10 million. Klinger said $3.5 million was provided by AIP. The film was shot on location in Malta and - controversially due to the then apartheid regime - in South Africa. Shooting took 15 weeks and began in March 1975. The South African portion of the film was based out of the town of Port St Johns. Stars Roger Moore and Lee Marvin got along well. `` They were very funny and liked each other a great deal, '' said director Peter Hunt. `` They would socialise and get drunk together in the evenings, although they never had thick heads in the morning. '' `` I love this gentleman, '' said Moore about Marvin. `` Thanks to him I have given my best performance ever. I can only be as good as the other guy. Working with Lee Marvin hauls you up, forces you to try to reach his level. '' The movie was cut during post production with around 50 minutes cut out. Soundtrack The music was composed by Maurice Jarre Reception Box office The film was one of the most successful British films of 1976 grossing £ 15 million. Critical 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. '' Film critic 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. '' Follow ups Klinger had the film rights to other Smith novels, The Sunbird, Eagle in the Sky and The Eye of the Tiger. Eagle and Eye of the Tiger were meant to be part of a four picture deal between Klinger and Rank Productions. However none were ever made. The relationship between Smith and Klinger, once warm, ultimately ended in litigation. References Jump up ^ Tempo Entertainment : AIP shooting for respectability Vernon, Scott. Chicago Tribune ( 1963 -- present file ) ( Chicago, Ill ) 2 December 1976 : a5. ^ Jump up to : Andrew Spicer. `` Rethinking Authorship in Film : The Struggle for Creative Control between Michael Klinger ( Producer ) and Wilbur Smith ( Writer ) ''. Poor - quality text, probably OCR. ^ Jump up to : Smith, Wilbur ( 2006 ). Shout at the Devil. St. Martin 's Press. p. Forward. ISBN 978 - 0 - 312 - 94063 - 8. Jump up ^ Shout at the Devil at Wilbur Smith 's website Jump up ^ Shout at the Devil at Pan MacMillan Jump up ^ Review 15 -- No Title New York Times ( 1923 -- Current file ) ( New York, N.Y ) 28 July 1968 : 268. Jump up ^ Nigel West ( 24 December 2013 ). Historical Dictionary of World War I Intelligence. Scarecrow Press. p. 238. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8108 - 8002 - 3. Jump up ^ Robert Moore Will Star in ' Junie Moon ' By A.H. WEILER. New York Times ( 1923 -- Current file ) ( New York, N.Y ) 17 Apr 1969 : 54. Jump up ^ News of the Screen : Radnitz Making Schoolboy Story 6 Composers ' Lives Subjects of Films Newman to Study Pershing Career ' Gold ' Team Sets New Adventure By A.H. WEILER. New York Times ( 1923 -- Current file ) ( New York, N.Y ) 20 Oct 1974 : 65. Jump up ^ After ' Network, ' What ? Science Lee, Grant. Los Angeles Times ( 1923 -- Current file ) ( Los Angeles, Calif ) 30 Oct 1976 : b7 ^ Jump up to : Roy Moseley, Roger Moore : A Biography, 1985 p 220 - 221 Jump up ^ Eder, Richard ( 25 November 1976 ), `` Shout Whispers on Screen '', The New York Times Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger ( 11 November 1976 ), `` Shout at the Devil '', Chicago Sun - Times External links Shout at the Devil on IMDb Shout at the Devil at Rotten Tomatoes Shout at the Devil film clip on YouTube ( illustrating comedic aspects of film ) Films directed by Peter R. Hunt On Her Majesty 's Secret Service ( 1969 ) Gold ( 1974 ) Shout at the Devil ( 1976 ) Gulliver 's Travels ( 1977 ) The Beasts Are on the Streets ( 1978 ) Death Hunt ( 1981 ) The Last Days of Pompeii ( 1984 ) Wild Geese II ( 1985 ) Hyper Sapien : People from Another Star ( 1986 ) Assassination ( 1987 ) Works by Wilbur Smith Novels When the Lion Feeds ( 1964 ) The Dark of the Sun ( 1965 ) The Sound of Thunder ( 1966 ) Shout at the Devil ( 1968 ) Gold Mine ( 1970 ) The Diamond Hunters ( 1971 ) The Sunbird ( 1972 ) Eagle in the Sky ( 1974 ) The Eye of the Tiger ( 1975 ) Cry Wolf ( 1976 ) A Sparrow Falls ( 1977 ) Hungry as the Sea ( 1978 ) Wild Justice ( 1979 ) A Falcon Flies ( 1980 ) Men of Men ( 1981 ) The Angels Weep ( 1982 ) The Leopard Hunts in Darkness ( 1984 ) The Burning Shore ( 1985 ) Power of the Sword ( 1986 ) Rage ( 1987 ) A Time to Die ( 1989 ) Golden Fox ( 1990 ) Elephant Song ( 1991 ) River God ( 1994 ) The Seventh Scroll ( 1995 ) Birds of Prey ( 1997 ) Monsoon ( 1999 ) Warlock ( 2001 ) Blue Horizon ( 2003 ) The Triumph of the Sun ( 2005 ) The Quest ( 2007 ) Assegai ( 2009 ) Those in Peril ( 2011 ) Vicious Circle ( 2013 ) Desert God ( 2014 ) Golden Lion ( 2015 ) Predator ( 2016 ) Pharaoh ( 2016 ) War Cry ( 2017 ) Adaptations Dark of the Sun ( 1968 ) The Last Lion ( 1972 ) Gold ( 1974 ) The Kingfisher Caper ( 1975 ) Shout at the Devil ( 1976 ) Mountain of Diamonds ( 1991 TV movie ) Wild Justice ( 1994 TV movie ) The Seventh Scroll ( 1999 mini-series ) The Diamond Hunters ( 2001 mini-series ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shout_at_the_Devil_(film)&oldid=816278624 '' Categories : 1976 films English - language films 1970s adventure films British films British adventure films Films based on South African novels Films directed by Peter R. Hunt Films set in 1913 Films set in 1914 Films set in 1915 Films set in Tanganyika World War I films set in Africa Films shot in Malta Films shot in South Africa Hidden categories : EngvarB from April 2013 Use dmy dates from April 2013 Pages to import images to Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano Bahasa Melayu Norsk Edit links This page was last edited on 20 December 2017, at 10 : 29. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote the book shout at the devil
Answer: Wilbur Smith