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AdventureThriller

The Wilby Conspiracy

- In the fight for freedom, you have to break all the rules.

Having spent 10 years in prison for nationalist activities, Shack Twala is finally ordered released by the South African Supreme Court but he finds himself almost immediately on the run after a run-in with the police. Assisted by his lawyer Rina Van Niekirk and visiting British engineer Jim Keogh, he heads for Capetown where he hopes to recover a stash of diamonds, meant to finance revolutionary activities, that he had entrusted to a dentist before his incarceration. Along the way, they are followed by Major Horn of the South African State security bureau and it becomes apparent that he has no intention of arresting them until they reach their final destination

Release Date : 1975-02-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Baum/Dantine ProductionsOptimus Productions

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Sidney Poitier

Character Name : Shack Twala

Original Name : Sidney Poitier

Gender : Male

Michael Caine

Character Name : Jim Keogh

Original Name : Michael Caine

Gender : Male

Nicol Williamson

Character Name : Major Horn

Original Name : Nicol Williamson

Gender : Male

Prunella Gee

Character Name : Rina Van Niekirk

Original Name : Prunella Gee

Gender : Female

Saeed Jaffrey

Character Name : Mukarjee

Original Name : Saeed Jaffrey

Gender : Male

Persis Khambatta

Character Name : Persis Ray

Original Name : Persis Khambatta

Gender : Female

Rijk de Gooyer

Character Name : Van Heerden

Original Name : Rijk de Gooyer

Gender : Male

Rutger Hauer

Character Name : Blane Van Niekirk

Original Name : Rutger Hauer

Gender : Male

Patrick Allen

Character Name : District Commissioner

Original Name : Patrick Allen

Gender : Male

Joe De Graft

Character Name : Wilby Xaba

Original Name : Joe De Graft

Gender : Male

Archie Duncan

Character Name : Gordon

Original Name : Archie Duncan

Gender : Male

Abdulla Sunado

Character Name : Village Headman

Original Name : Abdulla Sunado

Gender : Male

Helmut Dantine

Character Name : Prosecuting Counsel

Original Name : Helmut Dantine

Gender : Male

Peter Pearce

Character Name : Highway Policeman

Original Name : Peter Pearce

Gender : Male

Reviews

W

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2025-06-04

**_A black man and white man on the run in South Africa_** After a mishap with authorities, an anti-Apartheid activist (Sidney Poitier) and a British engineer (Michael Caine) are forced to flee together from Cape Town to Johannesburg and possible escape into Botswana. Shot in early 1974 and released the next year, “The Wilby Conspiracy” was helmed by the director of “Soldier Blue” from five years earlier, who’s known for ‘hip’ Lib messages mixed with chunks of exploitation, whether violence or sex. Serious issues are mixed with flip banter and deadly action. The depiction of the Apartheid police state is overdone in the manner of a comic book. Still, both sides of the debate are clearly presented. For instance, Major Horn (Nicol Williamson) points out that the 3 million Caucasians built the cities, towns, infrastructure, factories, mines and farms of South Africa and shouldn’t told what to do by the 18 million blacks “20 years out of the trees,” as he puts it. Apartheid has been gone for over three decades at this point and how are things working out? Consider the now-legal land seizures of white farms and removal or murder of the minority people. You could say that, whether the Apartheid era or the present day, we live in a messed-up, unjust world. In any case, the political and racial complications are interesting and the happenings entertaining for the most part with an action-packed climax. Prunella Gee and Persis Khambatta are on hand in the feminine department; you might remember the latter as the ‘Iliadroid’ in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” four years later. Unfortunately, her career never really took off despite the potential. It runs 1 hour, 45 minutes, and was shot in Kenya and Pinewood Studios, which is just west of London, along with establishing shots of Cape Town and so forth in South Africa. GRADE: B-/B