The Double McGuffin

The Double McGuffin

Year: 1979

Runtime: 101 mins

Language: English

Director: Joe Camp

Mystery

Young schoolchildren discover a briefcase of cash, but when they return for it they find a mysterious corpse. The reluctant police dismiss their story, yet the body vanishes. The kids realize the murder ties into an assassination scheme and must piece together clues to thwart the plot and bring the conspirators to justice.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – The Double McGuffin (1979)

Trace every key event in The Double McGuffin (1979) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Mercenary delivers briefcase to St. Moritz; assassination attempt fails

At a train station, a mercenary orders a driver to deliver a mysterious briefcase to the St. Moritz hotel. En route, the briefcase falls into the woods, setting off a chain of hidden connections. Meanwhile, a sniper at the hotel takes aim at the woman but misses, triggering the broader assassination plot.

Opening sequence Train station; St. Moritz hotel; nearby woods
2

Boys sneak out to swim and encounter the limousine woman

That night, Specks, Homer, Billy Ray, and Foster slip out from their dorm to swim in a pond near the woods. They run into the same woman who narrowly escaped the earlier attempt as she drops her daughter off in a limousine. Police Chief Talasek harshly polices their behavior, but Specks convinces him to let them play football the next night.

Night Boarding school grounds; pond near the woods
3

Homer confesses his love and finds the money

The next morning, Homer invites Jody into the woods and confesses his love, though she retorts that geometry might be more useful. After parting, Homer discovers the briefcase stuffed with a huge stash of money and quickly hides it in a culvert. He then rushes to tell his friends about the discovery.

Morning Wooded area near the school
4

Corpse discovery and Talasek's skepticism

The boys return to the site and find a man's corpse. They report it to Talasek, who doubts them due to their past mischief, but they persist. Talasek eventually agrees to investigate, only to find that the body has disappeared by the time he arrives.

Day Crime scene near the woods
5

Firat and the briefcase; underwear instead of money

Later, the boys and Jody spot the briefcase with Firat at a phone booth after a limousine drop-off. Specks and Jody distract Firat while Homer and Foster steal the briefcase and bring it to Talasek. Firat arrives and, after some hesitation, has the briefcase opened—only to reveal underwear instead of money.

Afternoon Phone booth near the hotel; Talasek's office
6

Briefcase reappears in the culvert with a severed hand

Spotting Firat and the limousine woman watching the boys at the football game, Specks and Homer sneak into the woods and find the briefcase in the same culvert, now lying beside a severed hand. The boys flee but soon decide to return to recover it, only to discover the case has vanished again.

Night Culvert near the woods
7

Firat's murder plot uncovered at Hotel Bonnieux

The next morning, Billy Ray tails Firat to Hotel Bonnieux while the others arrive to help. Billy Ray hides a transceiver in a plant, and Homer discovers a trunk full of firearms. They learn of a murder plot through the transceiver, but an assassin pours alcohol on it, preventing further overhearing.

Morning Hotel Bonnieux; Firat's room
8

Jody and Arthur join to stop the plan; distractions and photos

To counter the threat, the boys hire Jody and computer student Arthur Honeycutt. Foster sets off a fire alarm to distract the assassins, while Jody takes photographs of the men, gathering crucial evidence for the coming confrontation.

Night Hotel Bonnieux and surrounding areas
9

Records reveal Kaboor link and Madame Kura

The students sneak into the police station to print criminal records of the assassins. They discover Firat is an illegal immigrant from Kaboor, and trace the prime minister to the limousine woman, Madame Kura. They realize Firat intends to assassinate Kura to dismantle Kaboor's democracy.

Night Police station; government records
10

Morning chase: warning Kura and time-buying escape

In the morning, Billy Ray and Arthur head to Carter's school to convince Kura to go to the police station. Firat appears in her limousine, forcing a breakneck chase. The boys dump the files to buy time and escape, and Arthur consoles himself while Specks urges using the police against the conspirators.

Morning Carter's school and surrounding roads
11

Final distraction and arrest of the assassins

The students trigger another fire alarm to distract the assassins, while Specks and Homer sneak into Firat's room. Arthur persuades Talasek to accompany him to the hotel, where the trunk is found empty. When the phone rings, Talasek arrests the assassins after Specks tricks him into believing Firat kidnapped him and Homer.

Night Firat's room; hotel; police station
12

Victory and growing trust between Talasek and the students

The criminals are apprehended and the students celebrate their victory. Talasek begins to trust the youths more, and they part ways on a note of mutual respect, having disrupted a dangerous plot and exposed the truth behind Firat's plan.

Ending Police station

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:50

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