4.4/10
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Portrait of a Hitman (1979)

R | | Drama, Action | January 1984 (USA)
Portrait of a Hitman Poster
A professional hitman is hired to kill a brain surgeon. However, it turns out that not only are he and the surgeon old friends, but they are both in love with the same woman.

Director:

Allan A. Buckhantz

Writer:

Yabo Yablonsky

Stars:

Jack Palance, Rod Steiger, Bo Svenson | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Palance ... Jim Buck
Rod Steiger ... Max Andreotti
Bo Svenson ... Dr. Bob Michaels
Ann Turkel ... Cathey
Richard Roundtree ... Coco Morrell
Philip Ahn ... Wong
Herb Jeffries ... Charlie Blue
Conrad Bachmann ... George
John Dresden ... Volsted
Ed Ness Ed Ness ... Captain Ned
Garrison True Garrison True ... Joe
Carla Haley Carla Haley ... Della
Gloria Lynn Dyer Gloria Lynn Dyer ... Nurse Grogg
Monica Peterson ... Mrs. Roberts
Robert Starks Robert Starks ... Louie
See full cast »
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Storyline

A professional hitman is hired to kill a brain surgeon. However, it turns out that not only are he and the surgeon old friends, but they are both in love with the same woman.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

hitman | assassin | assassination | gun for hire | artist | See All (6) »

Taglines:

Trained killer or talented artist . . . Jim Buck is both! See more »

Genres:

Drama | Action

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1984 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Jim Buck See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Program Hunters Inc., Wildfire Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (uncut) | (cut) | (cut) (video release)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Philip Ahn's final movie. See more »

Soundtracks

Reachin' Out
Written and Produced by Homer Banks and Chuck Brooks
Performed by Julie Inouye, Linda Little and Deborah James Chang
See more »

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User Reviews

 
I was surprised to be honest.
25 January 2006 | by tim_simpson – See all my reviews

I just bought this film on DVD for $5 from a disposal bin. Why? to be honest, I wanted to see if Jack could act.

I found out he can! This film is another in a stream of 1970's examples of a great script and (some) excellent acting ruined by disappointing cinematography.

Very little imagination appears to have been used in the design of shots and locations, which is a odds with the good choice of atmospheric. It's as if a minimalistic lip-service has been paid to realising the vision of the screenplay.

Was this budget related? It was right in the middle of a massive move to TV production by a lot of the big money Hollywood players.

Personally, I'd like to see this film remade with a better crew and budget - the script deserves another chance ... maybe Jack does to!
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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