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Title: VORTEX

Reference number: 3100

Date: 1971

Director: d. Frederick W. McLeod

Production company: Group 5

Sound: sound

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: fiction

Running time: 47.40 mins

Description: Industrial espionage comes closer to home for Dr Stevens as his son is kidnapped and ransomed for his scientific discovery. With spectacular scenes of mayhem and destruction the question is whether or not the evil doers will succeed in their mission.

This film was awarded the Children's Film Foundation Prize in the 1971 Scottish Amateur Film Festival.

Credits: ph. John McGregor
sd. rec. Colin Cruickshank, George Leslie.
w. & ed. Ron Miller
Garry Shaw, Iain Motion, Douglas Porteous, Jim Couper, Gavin Grant, David Lloyd, Kennedy Thomson, Jim Buchan, Helen Thomson, Roger Haughton, Jim Snape, Brian Stephen, Officers and men of the Royal Navy, the Royal Airforce and British European Airways.

Shotlist: Boy on yacht drugged and bundled into a rowing boat (1.55) airport sequence and flight to an unnamed island with titles o/lay (4.15) The passenger is here to investigate industrial espionage (5.37) Dr Stevens is introduced and his work at the lab explained (7.02) doctor's son, Alan, introduced through a photograph (7.25) The kidnapping is discovered by a friend of Alan, who tries to save him from the boat but is caught himself in the attempt (10.40) The doctor receives notice of the kidnapping (12.47) Boys escape captors in lighthouse but their dinghy capsizes in the rough seas. They find each other after being washed ashore (20.06) Ints submarine to introduce the ringleader (21.42) Boys are found again and a fight ensues in which Richard saves Alan but almost goes over a waterfall in the process (27.21) They are pursued to an old churchyard where they are recaptured (30.07) The scientists receive the ransom tape and hatch a cunning plan (31.38) Boys are put onto sub but manage to escape as it dives (35.33) The scientists' plan is put into action (37.17) Ints waiting in the sub for the canister to be delivered (38.19) Boys are recaptured only to escape again (40.40) Back at the lab tracing the canister (41.34) The boys have snatched the booby-trapped canister but during the pursuit lose it (43.21) The canister blows up, scenes of mass destruction follow as the whole mountain (the old munitions dump) collapses (46.59) The boys manage to reach the sea and are picked up by a rescue boat where Alan is reunited with his father (47.40) The End