When Eight Bells Toll (film)
When Eight Bells Toll is a 1971 action film directed by Étienne Périer and starring Anthony Hopkins, Jack Hawkins, Robert Morley, and Nathalie Delon. Set in Scotland, it is based upon Scottish author Alistair MacLean's 1965 novel of the same name. Producer Elliott Kastner planned to produce a string of realistic gritty espionage thrillers to rival the James Bond series, but the film's poor box office receipts ended his plans.
DVD cover
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins is a Welsh actor. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award. He has also received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2005 and the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement in 2008. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama in 1993.
Hopkins at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival
Hopkins studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London from 1961 to 1963. In 2005 a new portrait of him featured in their centenary celebrations.
Richard Attenborough directed Hopkins in five films, and in the 1970s described him as "unquestionably the greatest actor of his generation".
Hopkins portrayed Sir Frederick Treves in The Elephant Man (1980).