Overview: A Swiss Bank president hires an American investigator to ferret out a group of blackmailers that have been terrorizing his clients. Meanwhile, American gangsters hit the streets of Zurich with the intention of killing a Chicago mob figure, who happens to be one of the blackmail victims.

Other blackmail victims include a beautiful Zurish resident, a Texas businessman, and a wealthy Dutchman. The investigator (David Janssen) identifies four potential suspects, including the bank vice-president’s mistress (Elke Sommer).

Adding to the intrigue is that the Swiss Federal Police are suspicious of the American and are soon making his job more difficult. Ultimately, the investigation leads to the bank paying the chief blackmailer in uncut diamonds, which results in a dramatic showdown in the snow-covered Alps and a surprise revelation.

Blu-ray Verdict: In truth, whatever its deficiencies may be, The Swiss Conspiracy answers at least one question: Which of the two famous sex kittens of the 1960s aged more gracefully into the 1970s, Senta Berger or Elke Sommer? The definite answer: Senta. She looks very beautiful in this movie.

There is also an obvious romantic mismatch between her and David Janssen (who frankly looks old enough to be her father, although he was only about a decade older in real life), and the script remains murky from beginning to end, but the location shooting around Switzerland, a couple of well-done action sequences, and a diverse supporting cast (Ray Milland and David Hess in the same movie?!) help compensate somewhat.

As for the film, the legendary director Jack Arnold’s last long-feature film is a raw and twisted blackmail thriller set in the beautifully picturesque aforementioned country of Switzerland. In fact, the opening and closing credits, and many scenic sequences throughout the entire movie, almost make it look as if The Swiss Conspiracy is a tourist brochure in motion, as well as a typically 70s Euro-exploitation thriller!

So, the plot of the film principally revolve within the infamous Swiss banking structure. David Christopher, a former US government agent now retired and living in Zurich, is recruited as private security officer for a large and prominent Swiss bank. The bank itself, as well as five of its most respectable clients, are blackmailed into paying millions of Swiss Francs, otherwise their secret accounts full of fraudulent transactions will be publicly exposed.

Thus, Christopher finds that everyone is a suspect, including the bank’s Vice President and most of the blackmail victims, since they are borderline criminal and utterly corrupt themselves!

In closing, and like any good whodunit thriller, there are red herrings and plot twists, one more predictable and transparent than the other, but the experienced Jack Arnold keeps the pacing steady and the action continuous. Which makes this a great movie to settle in with on a wet Sunday afternoon.

Bonus Materials:
Full length commentary by Robert Kelly and Daniel Budnik
Visual essay: A Three Dimensional Filmmaker, by Will Dodson and Ryan Verrill of Someone’s Favorite Productions
New Featurette by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures
Original Restored Trailer from 35mm archival elements
Liner notes, in full color booklet, done by Lee Pfeiffer of Cinema Retro