The Southern Star

The Southern Star (French title: L'Étoile du sud) is a 1969 adventure comedy film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring George Segal, Ursula Andress, Orson Welles, Ian Hendry and Johnny Sekka. In French West Africa in 1912, an extremely valuable diamond is stolen. It was based on the 1884 novel The Vanished Diamond (French title L'Étoile du sud) by Jules Verne. The film's opening scenes were anonymously directed by Orson Welles - the last time he would direct scenes in another director's film. Plot 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.