Zeppelin (1971): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1971, Zeppelin is a drama, adventure and war film directed by Étienne Périer, running about 101 minutes. “The Great War's most explosive moment!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. The outbreak of World War I places Scots officer Geoffrey Richter-Douglas in an uncomfortable position. Although his allegiance is to Britain, his mother was from an aristocratic Bavarian family, and he spent his summers in Germany as a child. When Geoffrey is approached by a German spy who offers him a chance to defect, he reports the incident to his superiors, but instead of arresting the spy they suggest that he accept her offer--and become an Allied agent. In Germany, among old friends, Geoffrey discovers that loyalty is more complicated than he expected, especially when he finds himself aboard the maiden voyage of a powerful new prototype Zeppelin, headed for Scotland on a secret mission that could decide the outcome of the war.

Who’s in it. Zeppelin stars Michael York as Geoffrey Richter-Douglas, Elke Sommer as Erika Altschul, Peter Carsten as Major Tauntler and Anton Diffring as Colonel Hirsch, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.3/10, Zeppelin has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Zeppelin page.

If you liked it. Fans of Zeppelin tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.