Silver Bears
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Silver Bears is a 1978 British film blending comedy, crime, and thriller genres, adapted from a novel by Paul Erdman. Directed by Ivan Passer, the movie features performances by Michael Caine, Cybill Shepherd, Louis Jourdan, and Joss Ackland. Michael Caine portrays "Doc" Fletcher, a mob accountant who takes ownership of a Swiss bank and a silver mine, navigating intricate obstacles to maintain authority.
Plot
Doc Fletcher, a financial specialist, arrives in Lugano to purchase a bank on behalf of American gangster Joe Fiore, aiming to use it for laundering money. Italian nobleman Prince Gianfranco di Siracusa agrees to become chairman, providing the bank with an appearance of legitimacy. At this point, the bank is small and holds limited assets.
The Prince suggests investing in an Iranian silver mine owned by his distant relatives, Agha Firdausi and his sister Shireen, which supposedly holds silver valued at $1 billion. Doc obtains $5 million from Agha as collateral for a $20 million loan and utilizes the funds to renovate the bank's offices and attract significant investors.
Charles Cook, a metals trader concerned about declining silver prices caused by the Firdausi mine's production, seeks to halt the price drop by acquiring the bank financing the operation and shutting down the mine. He recruits Henry Foreman, president of First National Bank of California, who dispatches accountant Donald Luckman for investigation. Sensing suspicion, Doc seduces Luckman's wife Debbie to extract information; she discloses Cook's intentions.
Luckman proposes purchasing the bank for up to $60 million. While Fiore considers selling, Doc convinces him to delay as he prepares his own offer. In Dubai, the Firdausis reveal that no silver exists; the mine serves merely as a front to raise capital.
Foreman acquires the bank but soon learns from Cook that the mine is fictitious and that the $60 million investment is lost. Foreman intends to file an insurance claim based on fabricated "oil storage tanks," implying fraudulent activity. Doc offers Foreman $10 million from Cook in exchange for exclusive rights to Firdausi silver. Subsequently, Foreman returns control of the bank to Doc. Luckman acknowledges that criminal charges are necessary for the insurance claim and volunteers to act as a scapegoat for falsifying documents.
Back in Lugano, Prince Gianfranco marries Shireen Firdausi. It is revealed that Agha was an actor employed by Shireen to secure the loan since lenders were hesitant to provide funding directly to a woman. Doc encounters Debbie attending Donald's fraud trial; she intends to reside near the prison, conveniently close to Doc’s residence.
Cast
- Michael Caine as Doc Fletcher
- Cybill Shepherd as Debbie Luckman
- Louis Jourdan as Prince di Siracusa
- Stéphane Audran as Shireen Firdausi
- David Warner as Agha Firdausi
- Tom Smothers as Donald Luckman
- Martin Balsam as Joe Fiore
- Jay Leno as Albert Fiore
- Charles Gray as Sir Charles Cook
- Joss Ackland as Henry Foreman
- Jeremy Clyde as Nick Topping
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1978 films
- 1978 comedy films
- 1970s comedy thriller films
- British comedy thriller films
- Films about con artists
- Films based on American novels
- Films set in Dubai
- Films set in Iran
- Films set in Switzerland
- Films set in the Las Vegas Valley
- Films about mining
- Stock trading films
- EMI Films films
- Films directed by Ivan Passer
- Films scored by Claude Bolling
- 1970s English-language films
- 1970s British films