The Wilby Conspiracy
Encyclopedia
The Wilby Conspiracy is a 1975
thriller film directed by Ralph Nelson
and filmed in Kenya. It was written by Rodney Amateau, based on the 1972 novel
by Peter Driscoll
. It had a limited release in the US.
, Shack Twala, a black revolutionary who had served time on Robben Island
is freed by Rina van Niekerk, his Afrikaner
defence attorney because he would be a victim of retroactive legislation. Rina, estranged from her husband Blane is having a relationship with an English mining engineer, Jim Keogh who has attended Shack's trial. Surprised by the verdict, Rina, Jim and Shack go off to celebrate at her house. They are stopped by the South African Police
who are conducting identity document
checks and arresting everyone who does not have their papers on them. As Shack has only just been released from prison he will not receive his papers until the next day. The police Constable
and Shack antagonise each other leading to Shack being handcuffed and arrested. When Rina attempts to pull the Constable off Shack, the policeman hits her, knocking her to the ground. Jim assaults and knocks out the Constable making all three fugitives.
At Police Headquarters, an SAP Brigadier is criticised by Major Horn of the South African Bureau of State Security
(BOSS) for not only arresting Shack but continuing with their random identity checks and arrests that have infuriated world opinion.
The three fugitives are followed and monitored by BOSS to lead them to discover their escape route to Botswana
and its facilitators, two Indian dentists; a stash of stolen uncut diamonds being used to fund the "Black Congress" (African National Congress
) and the leader of the "Black Congress", a man named Wilby.
1975 in film
The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....
thriller film directed by Ralph Nelson
Ralph Nelson
Ralph Nelson was an American movie and television director, producer, writer, and actor.-Life and career:...
and filmed in Kenya. It was written by Rodney Amateau, based on the 1972 novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Peter Driscoll
Peter Driscoll (author)
Peter Driscoll was a bestselling British author of international thrillers in the 1970s who first worked in South Africa then, in his later life, became Chief Radio News subeditor with Radio Telefís Éireann...
. It had a limited release in the US.
Plot
In apartheid era South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Shack Twala, a black revolutionary who had served time on Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
is freed by Rina van Niekerk, his Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
defence attorney because he would be a victim of retroactive legislation. Rina, estranged from her husband Blane is having a relationship with an English mining engineer, Jim Keogh who has attended Shack's trial. Surprised by the verdict, Rina, Jim and Shack go off to celebrate at her house. They are stopped by the South African Police
South African Police
The South African Police was the country's police force until 1994. The SAP traced its origin to the Dutch Watch, a paramilitary organization formed by settlers in the Cape in 1655, initially to protect civilians against attack and later to maintain law and order...
who are conducting identity document
Identity document
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
checks and arresting everyone who does not have their papers on them. As Shack has only just been released from prison he will not receive his papers until the next day. The police Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
and Shack antagonise each other leading to Shack being handcuffed and arrested. When Rina attempts to pull the Constable off Shack, the policeman hits her, knocking her to the ground. Jim assaults and knocks out the Constable making all three fugitives.
At Police Headquarters, an SAP Brigadier is criticised by Major Horn of the South African Bureau of State Security
South African Bureau of State Security
The South African Bureau for State Security was established in 1969 and replaced by the National Intelligence Service in 1980. The Bureau's job was to monitor national security...
(BOSS) for not only arresting Shack but continuing with their random identity checks and arrests that have infuriated world opinion.
The three fugitives are followed and monitored by BOSS to lead them to discover their escape route to Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
and its facilitators, two Indian dentists; a stash of stolen uncut diamonds being used to fund the "Black Congress" (African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
) and the leader of the "Black Congress", a man named Wilby.
Cast
- Sidney PoitierSidney PoitierSir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
as Shack Twala - Michael CaineMichael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
as Jim Keogh - Nicol WilliamsonNicol WilliamsonNicol Williamson is a Scottish-born English actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
as Major Horn, S.African Bureau of State Security - Prunella GeePrunella GeePrunella Gee is an English actress.She studied at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where she won the Spotlight Award for Best Actress...
as Rina van Niekerk - Saeed JaffreySaeed JaffreySaeed Jaffrey OBE is an Indian-born British actor, who has done numerous British movies. He was born in Malerkotla, Punjab...
as Dr. Anil Mukarjee, Indian Dentist - Persis KhambattaPersis KhambattaPersis Khambatta was an Indian model, actress and author. She was best known for her role as Lieutenant Ilia in the 1979 feature film Star Trek: The Motion Picture.-Early Life:...
as Dr. Persis Ray, Dentist - Rijk de GooyerRijk de GooyerRijk de Gooyer was a Dutch Golden Calf- winning actor, writer, comedian and singer. From the 1950s until the early 1970s, he became well known in The Netherlands as part of a comic duo with John Kraaijkamp, Sr...
as Van Heerden, Bureau of State Security - Rutger Hauer as Blane van Niekerk
- Patrick AllenPatrick AllenJohn Keith Patrick Allen was a British film, television and voice actor.-Life and career:Allen was born in Nyasaland , where his father was a tobacco farmer. After his parents returned to Britain, he was evacuated to Canada during World War II where he remained to finish his education at McGill...
as the Brigadier - Joe De Graft as Wilby Xaba
- Archie DuncanArchie Duncan (actor)Archie Duncan was a Scottish actor born in Glasgow.Duncan's father was a Regimental Sergeant Major in the army and his mother a postmistress...
as Gordon - Helmut DantineHelmut DantineHelmut Dantine was a film actor remembered for playing many Nazis in thriller films of the 1940s. The Vienna-born actor appeared uncredited in Casablanca early in his career .Dantine's father was the head of the Austrian railway system...
as Prosecuting counsel
DVD & HD
- The region 1DVD region codeDVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
was released January 20, 2004. - In 2010 it was digitized in High Definition (1080i) and broadcast on MGM HDMGM HDMGM HD is an all high-definition television channel. It features commercial-free movies from MGM's library of approximately 1,200 movies mastered in a high-definition-compatible format as well as feature films from their library of 4,100 theatrical titles...
.