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The Day of the Jackal (1973)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
30 July 1973 (USA) moreTagline:
The Jackal spent 71 days,56 minutes thinking a bullet into the brain of de Gaulle morePlot:
A professional assassin codenamed "Jackal" plots to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 10 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Critics Can't Kill Jackal (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 17 November 1997)
Zinnemann In Posthumous High Noon
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 14 November 1997)
User Comments:
Proof that creativity and 'Hollywood formulas' are at cross purposes. moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Edward Fox | ... | The Jackal | |
| Terence Alexander | ... | Lloyd | |
| Michel Auclair | ... | Colonel Rolland | |
| Alan Badel | ... | The Minister | |
| Tony Britton | ... | Inspector Thomas | |
| Denis Carey | ... | Casson | |
| Adrien Cayla-Legrand | ... | The President | |
| Cyril Cusack | ... | The Gunsmith | |
| Maurice Denham | ... | General Colbert | |
| Vernon Dobtcheff | ... | The Interrogator | |
| Jacques François | ... | Pascal (as Jacques Francois) | |
| Olga Georges-Picot | ... | Denise | |
| Raymond Gérôme | ... | Flavigny (as Raymond Gerome) | |
| Barrie Ingham | ... | St. Clair | |
| Derek Jacobi | ... | Caron |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
143 minColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Certification:
Australia:PG | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Michael Caine lobbied for the role of The Jackal, but director Fred Zinnemann did not want a movie star in the role as he thought that using a recognizable face such as Caine's in the role of a man who essentially is and remains a cipher would reduce the suspense felt by the audience. Thus, Zinneman offered the role to the lesser known Edward Fox, a move he reportedly regretted when the movie did disappointing business at the box office. moreGoofs:
Anachronisms: When President Charles de Gaulle attends mass, shortly before the assassination attempt, the priest-celebrant is facing the congregants, post-Vatican-II style, rather than away from them, as would have been the case on 25 August 1963, when the action that day was set. moreQuotes:
Lebel: Excuse me, but it has just occurred to me that we have forty-eight hours in which to find this Jackal[There is a chorus of "What?" and "How do you know?" from the committee members]
Lebel: Am I right in assuming that the President has no engagements outside the Elysee Palace today, tomorrow and Saturday ?
Minister: None.
Lebel: And what is Sunday, August the twenty-fifth?
Minister: [Slaps forehead] Of course! Liberation Day!
Lebel: That's what he's been waiting for.
Minister: We must have been blind.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "HBO First Look: 'The Contender': The Making of a Political Thriller (#7.17)" (2000) moreFAQ
Did the Jackal kill the gunsmith?How does the movie differ from the book?
Is Charles Calthrop The Jackal?
more
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Many films of recent years have had the potential to live on and become "classics," but all too often the 'Hollywood formula' for success makes them obsolete in a few short years. Having seen the 1997 remake, I was reluctant to watch the original, released in 1973. But I am certainly glad that I did. I would probably rate the original version a 9 had I not seen the newer one but I couldn't resist comparing the 2 and ultimately giving it a 10. It's historical accuracy might leave you wondering whether it is a true story or not because all of the characters are genuine and believable. It is intriguing, clever and offers a bit of suspense, all in the absence of romantic departures, gratuitous sex and unexplained violence. It's a well-researched, well-written story that was expertly adapted to film.