Sylvain Lévignac, a French actor, made his mark in the realm of cult cinema with performances in Her Bridal Night (1956) and The Southern Star (1969). In Her Bridal Night, he navigates the complexities of romantic entanglements, while The Southern Star showcases his ability to engage with a more adventurous narrative. Lévignac's work in these films reflects the playful and provocative spirit of mid-20th century European cinema, capturing the essence of the era's exploration of love and adventure.
The Southern Star
In 1912 fortune hunter Dan Rockland (George Segal) comes to West Africa pretending to be a geologist. He is actually employed by Kramer (Harry Andrews), whose business is diamonds. Kramer's workers discover a huge uncut gem. Rockland and his African companion, Matakit, go by train to bring the gem to Kramer. The train is blown up by Captain Karl Ludwig, who is jealous that Rockland is engaged to Kramer's daughter Erica. Kramer holds a party to celebrate the discover of the gem, called "The Southern Star". A power blackout leads to chaos and the diamond is gone. Matakit (Johnny Sekka) is thought to be the thief and flees on a pet ostrich. Rockland, believed to be an accomplice, escapes from prison with help of Erica, and they set out after Matakit. Karl and his men follow, intending to steal the diamond for themselves. Word of the theft quickly reaches Major Plankett, Kramer's former security chief, who lost his position to Karl and swears revenge. Plankett captures Matakit and uses him to trap Karl. However, Karl manages to use Matakit to lure Rockland into a trap. Rockland manages to rescue Matakit as Karl is killed in a shootout. Rockland retrieves the gem for Kramer.
