7.8/10
32,021
192 user 50 critic

The Day of the Jackal (1973)

A professional assassin codenamed "Jackal" plots to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France.

Director:

Writers:

(book), (screenplay)
Reviews
Popularity
4,867 ( 674)

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at Amazon

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 10 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Terence Alexander ...
...
...
Tony Britton ...
Denis Carey ...
Adrien Cayla-Legrand ...
The President
...
Maurice Denham ...
...
...
Pascal (as Jacques Francois)
Olga Georges-Picot ...
Raymond Gérôme ...
Flavigny (as Raymond Gerome)
...
...
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Storyline

It is the early 60s in France. The remaining survivors of the aborted French Foreign Legion have made repeated attempts to kill DeGaulle. The result is that he is the most closely guarded man in the world. As a desperate act, they hire The Jackal, the code name for a hired killer who agrees to kill French President De Gaulle for half a million dollars. We watch his preparations which are so thorough we wonder how he could possibly fail even as we watch the French police attempt to pick up his trail. The situation is historically accurate. There were many such attempts and the film closely follows the plot of the book. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The Jackal spent 71 days, 56 minutes thinking a bullet into the brain of de Gaulle. See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

| |

Release Date:

30 July 1973 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Chacal  »

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Box Office

Gross USA:

$16,056,255
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Fred Zinneman's first movie in 7 years. Zinneman, who had twice won the Oscar for Best Director, had seen a project called "Man's Fate", which had spent 3 years in pre production, cancelled just one week before filming was scheduled to begin. His next production, an adaptation of Alexander Solzhenitzen's "First Circle", was also cancelled at an early stage. See more »

Goofs

(at around 2h 10 mins) When the Jackal enters the final apartment to carry out the attempted assassination, he uses a key, taken from the lobby, to open the apartment door. When he has entered, he does not re-lock the door with the same key, but turns a dead lock, which is higher up the door, to secure it. However, when the policeman, with Lebel, shoots the lock, to burst open the door, he fires at the lower lock. The door falls open, yet no shots were fired at the upper lock, which is securing the door. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Commentator: August 1962 was a stormy time for France. Many people felt that President Charles de Gaulle had betrayed the country by giving independence to Algeria. Extremists, mostly from the Army, swore to kill him in revenge. They banded together in an underground movement, and called themselves the OAS.
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Crazy Credits

The closing credits roll over a lion statue at the Élysée Palace, the residence of the President of France. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Californication: Like Father Like Son (2014) See more »

Soundtracks

Colonel Bogey March
(1914) (uncredited)
Music by Kenneth Alford
Played by an accordionist
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Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
Excellent, almost documentary quality
21 December 2003 | by See all my reviews

Easily one of my favorites, if not THE favorite. The cinematography is excellent, and has so many shots that seem to be done with long range or hidden cameras. This style makes the film seem so real! There is a scene in a market where the Jackal is shopping for disguises, and he (the actor Edward Fox), bumps into a woman shopping without turning to look or acknowledge her, that seems absolutely REAL. I don't know, but if I had to guess I would say that the camera was hidden and that she was not an actor, but a French woman out shopping. I would like to know more about the use of the public as 'extras' in this film. The story is excellent, and the implied menace of the classy Jackal is really excellent. 10/10!


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