The Last Grenade

The Last Grenade is a 1970 British war film directed by Gordon Flemyng and starring Stanley Baker and Alex Cord as two soldiers of fortune, formerly comrades, who now find themselves on opposite sides. The cast also includes Richard Attenborough, Honor Blackman, Rafer Johnson, John Thaw, Andrew Keir, and Julian Glover. It was the final feature film directed by Flemyng.

The Last Grenade
Original film poster
Directed byGordon Flemyng
Produced byJosef Shaftel
Dimitri de Grunwald
Written byJames Mitchell
John Sherlock (novel)
Kenneth Ware
StarringStanley Baker
Alex Cord
Honor Blackman
Music byJohn Dankworth
CinematographyAlan Hume
Distributed byLockmore
Cinerama Releasing Corporation
Release date
March 1970
Running time
94 mins
CountryUnited Kingdom

Filmed in Hong Kong and Spain,[1] the film only uses names of the characters from John Sherlock's 1964 novel The Ordeal of Major Grigsby that was set in the Malayan Emergency in 1948. Sherlock co-wrote the original screenplay that was rewritten by James Mitchell.

The working title of the film was Grigsby.[2]

Synopsis

Beginning in the Congo, a group of mercenaries led by British Major Harry Grigsby are due to be picked up by helicopters after completing a mission. As they board the choppers they are fired on from the helicopters by another group of mercenaries led by American, Kip Thompson, who has been hired to change sides.

Recovering in the United Kingdom, Grigsby is recruited by HM Government to take out Thompson who has been hired by Red China to stir up trouble in the New Territories between Hong Kong and Red China. As neither nation wants open warfare with each other, each side hires expendable mercenaries. Grigsby recruits his surviving old crew including Joe Jackson, Terry Mitchell, Gordon Mackenzie, and Andy Royal.

In addition to fighting Thompson, Grigsby finds time to seduce the wife, Katherine, of his liaison, a British General Charles Whiteley.

Cast

Production

It was one of a series of films produced by Dimitri de Grunwald, who called The Last Grenade's commercial prospects "safe-ish".[3]

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References
  1. p.79 Hume, Alan A Life Through The Lens: Memoirs of a Film Cameraman 2004 McFarland
  2. Martin, Betty (19 March 1969). "MOVIE CALL SHEET: Alex Cord Slated for 'Grigsby' Role". Los Angeles Times. p. 24.
  3. Sweeney, Louise (1 December 1969). "A way out of films' financial quicksand?: Global co-op plans for Anouilh, Huxley, Lawrence". The Christian Science Monitor. p. 16.


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