The Kidnapping of the President (1980)

A South American quasi-revolutionary/guerilla/terrorist and a misled, admiring girl compatriot manage to kidnap the U.S. President during a diplomatic visit to Toronto. With a nondescript ... See full summary »

Director:

George Mendeluk

Writers:

Richard Murphy, Charles Templeton (novel)

Stars:

William Shatner, Hal Holbrook, Van Johnson

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Shatner	...	Jerry O'Connor
Hal Holbrook	...	President Adam Scott
Van Johnson	...	Vice President Ethan Richards
Ava Gardner	...	Beth Richards
Miguel Fernandes	...	Roberto Assanti
Cindy Girling	...	Linda Steiner
Elizabeth Shepherd	...	Joan Scott
Michael J. Reynolds	...	MacKenzie
Gary Reineke	...	Deitrich
Maury Chaykin	...	Harvey Cannon
Murray Westgate	...	Archie Standler
Ken Anderson	...	Willis
Sully Boyar	...	FBI Chief
Patrick Brymer	...	Jesus Freak
Jackie Burroughs	...	Woman Agent

Storyline

A South American quasi-revolutionary/guerilla/terrorist and a misled, admiring girl compatriot manage to kidnap the U.S. President during a diplomatic visit to Toronto. With a nondescript armored truck, crudely yet somehow elaborately rigged with high explosives (and the President trapped inside), the two terrorists keep the Secret Service at bay until in the end, Assanti is killed and Shatner has to find a way into the truck anyway.

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Plot Keywords:

truck | secret service | terrorist | explosive | u.s. president | 

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Taglines:

A Gripping Cat & Mouse Chiller

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Genres:

Thriller | Action | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Crown International Pictures

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rare Cult Cinema

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Presidential Films, Sefel Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was first released in the USA and Canada around August-September 1980 which was about just six months before the assassination attempt by John Hinckley on the American president Ronald Reagan on Monday 30 March 1981.

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Goofs

When the president is first handcuffed and taken hostage, chaos erupts and the people playing crowd extras can clearly be seen laughing and smiling as they are crashing through the barricades.

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Connections

Featured in Terror on Tape (1983)

User Reviews

Captain Kirk Saves the President

I really wanted to hate this movie. William Shatner has played in some real turkeys, 'Big Bad Mama' being a prime example. However, there was something about this film that I really liked. Maybe it was WS looking all natty and noble in his navy blue suit and trench coat. Or the idea of Van Johnson as the vice president, married to Ava Gardner -- oh, what a casting fiasco that was! Or Hal Holbrook being presidential yet once again. Or the fact that this was a Canadian film actually shot on location in Toronto (starring my favorite guy from north-of-the-border). The story wasn't too bad, the acting wasn't too horrible. And did I mention how cute Shatner looked?