The Disappearance (1977)

Thriller about a contract killer whose wife has disappeared. When he is hired by an international organisation to carry out a "shy" or hit, he suspects they are connected with her disappearance.

Director:

Stuart Cooper

Writers:

Paul Mayersberg (screenplay), Derek Marlowe (novel)

Stars:

Donald Sutherland, Francine Racette, David Hemmings

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donald Sutherland	...	Jay Mallory
Francine Racette	...	Celandine
David Hemmings	...	Edward
John Hurt	...	Atkinson
David Warner	...	Burbank
Peter Bowles	...	Jefferies
Virginia McKenna	...	Catherine
Christopher Plummer	...	Deverell
Michèle Magny	...	Melanie
Dan Howard	...	James (as Duane Howard)
Robin Sachs	...	Young Man
Christina Greatrex	...	Secretary
Robert Korne	...	Dominic
Michael Eric Kramer	...	Peter (as Michael Kramer)
Maureen Beck	...	Maid

Storyline

Contract hit man Jay Mallory works for an unknown organization. He returns home to his downtown Montréal apartment one winter day to find that his wife, Celandine, is gone. Mallory initially thinks that Celandine has left on her own volition since theirs was a sometimes stormy, albeit passionate, relationship. However, words from Mallory's main point of contact at the organization, Burbank, indicate that Celandine's disappearance may be associated with Mallory's last hit. Shortly after their discussion, Burbank himself disappears. The organization assigns Mallory another job in Suffolk, England. Mallory has a feeling that there is something unusual about this job - he is given little initial information including not knowing who the target is - and that it too is associated with Celandine's disappearance. Despite feeling that he may be being set up, Mallory decides to take the job anyway to see how it plays out and if it leads him back to Celandine.

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Plot Keywords:

disappearance | winter | canadian noir | death of protagonist | flashback | 

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Taglines:

A violent passion held them together. A passion for violence ripped them apart.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK Canada

Language:

English French

Release Date:

December 1977 (UK)

Also Known As:

Adistaktos dolofonos, tryferos erastis

Filming Locations:

Clandon Hall, Guildford, Surrey, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 1,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Film Trustees, Tiberius Film Productions, Troflar

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Barbara Parkins was going to be in this project but was replaced before filming began.

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Connections

Edited into Give Me Your Answer True (1987)

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Soundtracks

"The Last Embrace"
Music by Craig Huntley
Lyrics by HansJürgen Bauer

User Reviews

"The Disappointment" is more like it

The Disappearance, to me, is a Hitchcock wannabe that simply isn't. It's a slowly paced, talky thriller that just doesn't cut it. Donald Sutherland and the cast are great, but there are so many British actors in the cast that the term "Canadian-Made" sounds like a cheat. If this is a Canadian movie, wouldn't it have been better if they had put all Canadian actors in the cast? Also, if the movie takes place in Montreal (a mostly French-speaking city), wouldn't it have made more sense to have Sutherland's character do his foreign assignment in somewhere like Paris, France, instead of in England? After all, this is not a British movie, it's Canadian.

It surprised me that Sutherland and Francine Racette were married and had 3 children.

I recommend this only for fans of deep psychological thrillers. As for me, I think I will be putting a "Previously Viewed" label on this one and dropping it in the drop-off slot at my local video store.

Rating: **