Chase_Witherspoon Interesting action-thriller concerning a private syndicate conspiring to influence the price of gold on the stock market, by flooding a mine under the control of one its members. Roger Moore plays Rod Slater the newly appointed mine GM, enlisted by owner Bradford Dillman to ostensibly carry out a plan to drill into an underground reservoir in which there are untapped gold deposits. Of course, Moore isn't in on the ruse to affect the stock market, and both he and his employees risk becoming collateral damage unless Dillman's plan can be foiled.Top-notch cast features Ray Milland as the mine's board director, his daughter played by Susannah York is Dillman's neglected wife who finds comfort in Moore's embrace, and Sir John Gielgud is the scheming syndicate boss, ruthless and double crossing in the extreme. Although Gielgud's role takes place in the boardroom back in London, his presence permeates the entire movie, such is his cold, sinister dominance. Gielgud's callous greed is shockingly immortalised in the scene in which he arranges for a Christmas 'present' to be sent to a betraying syndicate member that ends with catastrophic results. Long but relatively taut thriller has the ingredients for success, with realistic looking set design, commanding score, competently handled action sequences and stunt-work, and a plot that weaves an engaging tale of sinister ambition and double cross. Considering all its elements (brassy theme tune, comic book villains, Maurice Binder's title sequence), "Gold" is something of a Bond surrogate, leveraging off Moore's alter ego at the time, and incorporating all the villains and motifs appropriate for a 007 adventure - by any other name. Great cast, highly entertaining.

wes-connors Shirt-shedding Roger Moore (as Rodney "Rod" Slater) works in a Johannesburg, South Africa mine. After a suspicious accident, Mr. Moore gets promoted to General Manager, by nasty non-smoking Bradford Dillman (as Manfred Steyner); then, he meets Mr. Dillman's unfulfilled blonde wife, Susannah York (as Terry). Ms. York is the granddaughter of cigar-chomping mine-owner Ray Milland (as Hurry "H.H." Hirschfeld). Eventually, Moore unbuttons his shirt, then York unbuttons hers. While his wife skinny dips with Moore, Dillman plots to flood Mr. Milland's mine, drive up the price of "Gold", and collect the cash.It's difficult to picture the suave, immaculate Moore spending years in the dirt - he sure cleans up well. But, the main problem with "Gold" lays with the boring romance - Moore and York look good together, but are saddled with a long, unexciting aboveground "who cares?" affair. The less seen Dillman and Milland are better without even kissing. And, frankly, the characters played by Tony Beckley (Stephen Marais) and Simon Sabela (John "Big King" Nkulu) seem more interesting. With at least six degrees of Oscar-connections, Maureen McGovern's non-hit "Wherever Love Takes Me" received "Academy Award" notice.***** Gold (9/5/74) Peter Hunt ~ Roger Moore, Susannah York, Bradford Dillman, Ray Milland

suemartin23264 I just bought this film on DVD. It came free in The Mail On Sunday.To be honest, I didn't really expect it to be a proper adventure, but I thought it would be good for a laugh. And although this film does have some great one - liners, it also builds up a lot of suspense towards the end. And Sir John Gielgud was really evil as ONE of the MANY villains.When a general manager of a South African mine dies as a result of a cave - in, Roger Moore is appointed the new manager. However, is there a specific reason for him being appointed as the new one? As he works, he uncovers a plot to flood the mine, so that the price of gold in the Stock Exchange will be raised, and the villains of the piece will be able to sell their stocks of gold and make a huge profit...The only problem I have with this movie is that it ends a bit abruptly. It would have been nice to see the prices fall in the stock exchange, and maybe a closing scene showing good old John blowing a casket! But never mind. This still is great viewing!

bkoganbing With a plot partially lifted from The Towering Inferno, Gold is a man made disaster of a film in every sense of the word.Ray Milland is the hard as nails South African gold mine magnate, Harry Hirschfeld. He's done something to get the gold traders mad at him because they're planning to do him dirt. John Gielgud is head a gold buying syndicate and he's planning with the connivance of Bradford Dillman who is Milland's grandson-in-law, to blow a hole in the Sonderditch mine that Milland owns, letting in the ocean and flooding the mine. The price of gold will go up because of the sudden shortage. The fact that a thousand men might be killed is of little importance to Gielgud and company.Nor is it to Dillman who's found out that his wife Susannah York has been cheating on him with Roger Moore the new mine general manager.The film is a sanctioned glimpse at the former Union of South Africa as the old apartheid government would like to show you. The mining sequences are quite well done and I wish that they had stuck to a simple disaster film instead throwing in the romance.In fact Roger Moore, intrepid hero that he is, looks ridiculous because when the ocean flood starts, he's out having a romp with Susannah York. Instead of applauding him for his eventual heroism, Milland should have had him canned and banned from the industry. Unless you like Roger Moore, I'd give iron pyrites a pass.