Plot

Englishman Bruce Campbell (Dirk Bogarde) takes possession of his grandfather's Canadian land, but he faces various challenges such as disgruntled locals, a ruthless contractor, a new power dam, and his own bad health.

Bruce Campbell (Dirk Bogarde) arrives in Canada to take over his grandfather's inheritance, an area on the Rockies known as Campbell's Kingdom. Told by doctors he has a short time to live, he just a wants to live quietly up at his grandfather's house in peace. But he soon learns that a dam is being built that will flood Campbell's Kingdom. After locals, who gave money to his grandfather believing there to be oil, but losing their money, they all want the dam to be built to give them jobs. Bruce is given a letter from his grandfather that says he believes there is oil in Campbell's Kingdom, which would stop the work on the dam. Bruce decides to try and clear his grandfather's name and his claim about the oil. In the process, he has to face the forces of nature and ruthless contractor Owen Morgan (Stanley Baker).—steveocraig

Brit Bruce Campbell travels to the Canadian Rockies upon the death of his grandfather, Stewart Campbell, who owns property in the mountains known by the locals as Campbell's Kingdom. Once revered by the locals, Stewart was ultimately reviled in they investing in the prospect of oil on the property, not only with the oil never materializing, but with the money disappearing, Bruce knowing that it was whoever Stewart's business partner who absconded with that money. Most of those laborers have since gone to work for Owen Morgan in constructing a dam for the Fergus Mining Company, said dam which will eventually flood most of Campbell's Kingdom. While Bruce also had similar feelings toward his grandfather, he has come primarily to restore his grandfather's good name in truly believing there is oil on the property, despite the seismic report commissioned, it, which was found clutched in the hands of Stewart's dead body, showing that oil on the property is highly unlikely. Bruce believes it was the report which ultimately killed his grandfather, it which he had no reason to doubt in the measurements being collected by Boy Bladen, respected in the field. Bruce suspects that Morgan, in a win at all cost mentality, somehow was able to falsify the report to allow the dam construction to go ahead, something that Bladen, upon evidence, also suspects. Under the circumstances, Bruce believes the only course of action to restore his grandfather's name is to drill, he amassing a small team of supporters, they facing the wrath of Morgan, who seemingly controls what happens in the region. Those supporters include: Bladen; driller James MacDonald; and fellow native Brit Jean Lucas along with her two elderly aunts, Misses Abigail and Ruth. Jean has ulterior motives beyond having fallen in love with Bruce despite knowing something between them will not happen. Bladen, in turn, has long let her know that he is in love with her. With certain time constraints, including the dam completion, the subsequent flooding resulting in Campbell's Kingdom being worthless as property, and a "six month" issue with Bruce himself which he would rather not have known, Bruce and Morgan enter into a battle of wills and wit, Morgan who will seemingly go to any length to have the dam built and in operation regardless of oil. Luck may also be a factor in what happens.—Huggo

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Hammond Innes. Bruce Campbell (Dirk Bogarde) inherits "Campbell's Kingdom" in the Canadian Rockies on the death of his grandfather. He has been diagnosed with an unspecified terminal illness and decides to see if he can find the oil that his grandfather believed was present on his land, and to clear his family name; his grandfather had wrongly been found guilty of fraud when his oil exploration company went broke. Owen Morgan (Stanley Baker) is the boss of a company that is constructing a dam that when complete will flood the "Kingdom". It's a race against time to prove that the oil is there before the dam is completed.