Etienne Périer

Etienne Perier has directed more than 20 films since 1956, but 1971 saw the release of his two most significant productions. One of these was the action film "When Eight Bells Toll," based on a novel by Scottish adventure author Alistair MacLean (MacLean most famously wrote "The Guns of Navarone" and "Where Eagles Dare," both of which were adapted into hit films). "When Eight Bells Toll" stars a young Anthony Hopkins as Philip Calvert, a British agent pursuing a dangerous mission on the coast of Scotland. There are definite parallels between the film and a Sean Connery-era James Bond movie: Perier bombards the audience with explosions, helicopter crashes, machine gun battles, grappling hooks, perilous scuba diving excursions, intense fisticuffs, and, inevitably, a groovy score typical of the period, as well as healthy doses of suave womanizing, all of which transpires against a backdrop of a striking seaside locale. His other thrilling 1971 release, "Zeppelin," is a war film starring Michael York as a spy with divided loyalties during World War I. With its thrilling air battles and suspenseful intrigue, the film contains as much action as Perier managed to squeeze into "When Eight Bells Toll." However, action was not the only genre Perier worked in: his career before and after his dynamic output in 1971 found him juggling comedies, dramas, mysteries, romances, and thrillers, as well as a western and a musical. Since 1981, Perier has primarily helmed made-for-television movies in France.