The Kidnapping of the President
Theatrical film poster
Directed byGeorge Mendeluk
Screenplay byRichard Murphy
Based onThe Kidnapping of the President
1974 novel
by Charles Templeton
Produced byGeorge Mendeluk
John Ryan
StarringWilliam Shatner
Hal Holbrook
Van Johnson
Ava Gardner
Miguel Fernandes
Cindy Girling
Michael J. Reynolds
Elizabeth Shepherd
Gary Reineke
Maury Chaykin
CinematographyMike Molloy
Edited byMichael MacLaverty
Music byNash the Slash
Paul Zaza
Distributed byCrown International Pictures
Release dates
  • 15 August 1980 (1980-08-15) (U.S.)
  • 19 September 1980 (1980-09-19) (Canada)
Running time
114 minutes
CountriesCanada
United States
LanguageEnglish

The Kidnapping of the President is a 1980 Canadian-American political thriller film starring William Shatner, Hal Holbrook, Van Johnson and Ava Gardner. It was produced and directed by George Mendeluk and co-produced by John Ryan from a screenplay by Richard Murphy, based on Charles Templeton's 1974 novel of the same name. The original music is by Nash the Slash and Paul Zaza and the cinematography by Mike Molloy. The film was made by Presidential Films and Sefel Films and distributed by Crown International Pictures.

Plot

During a state visit to Canada, President Adam Scott is warned by Secret Service agent Jerry O'Connor about a potential threat to his life. Scott ignores O'Connor's warning and is consequently abducted (while walking through Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto) by South American terrorist Roberto Assanti and his female accomplice. They demand $100 million in diamonds along with two airplanes as ransom for the president's safe return.

While Scott is being held captive in an armored truck booby-trap with high explosives timed to detonate at midnight, O'Connor must find a way into the truck to rescue him before that happens, while also contending with a turf war between various U.S. federal law enforcement agencies and the political ambitions of the U.S. vice president, Ethan Richards.

Agent O'Connor eventually gets one of Assanti's terrorist group members to turn on Assanti, which caused Assanti's sister to die. O'Connor learns Assanti's plan for the president and develops a plan to save the President by going through the engine and firewall with a cutting torch.[1]

Cast

Novel

The movie is based on Charles Templeton's bestselling 1974 novel of the same name. The primary difference between the two is the story's location. The book sets the kidnapping in New York City's Herald Square and the subsequent siege in nearby Times Square. In the movie, the kidnapping occurs in Templeton's home city, Toronto, with the mob, chase, and explosion scenes commencing in Nathan Phillips Square.[2]

Although the novel and the film have their differences, senior feature writer at The Globe and Mail Stephen Godfrey found "the film is as easy to 'read' as the book apparently was. The inevitable cross-cutting, from fanatical terrorists to the presidential cavalcade, and later, from a nearly unflappable security man (William Shatner) in Toronto, is well handed."[2]

Critical reception

The film received lukewarm ratings overall. It received a lot of talk from the New York Post and the Newark Star Ledger as well as outstanding reviews from Bergen Records and other newspaper organizations.[3]

Unlike Bergen Records and other newspapers, Janet Maslin, from The New York Times, disagreed with the reviews because she thought the plot was not fresh enough to be frightening and the characters were not brave enough to do anything new.[3]

Chris Lowry, a writer for Film Reviews, found George Mendeluk's directing uninspiring and Richard Murphy's screenplay mediocre for an action movie. Lowry stated, "the film disorients and disturbs the audience at the outset"[4] since the subject of kidnapping a president isn't a funny concept in general. He expected the editing to be better as well since the readers of the novel were aware that the setting is different in the film compared to the novel.[4]

Award nominations

The film received two nominations in the 1981 Genie Awards.[5]

Best Achievement in Film Editing - Michael MacLaverty

Best Achievement in Overall Sound - Mike Hoogenboom, Douglas Ganton, and Nolan Roberts

References

  1. ↑ The Kidnapping of the President (1980), retrieved 2018-04-03
  2. 1 2 3 Godfrey, Stephen (20 September 1980). "President-napping gory but enjoyable: Canadian movie skilfully made". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. D7. ProQuest 1125009754.
  3. 1 2 Perozak Smindak, Helen (August 24, 1980). "Mendeluk's movie, "The Kidnapping of the President" premieres" (PDF). The Ukrainian Weekly.
  4. 1 2 Lowry, Chris (1980). "Film Reviews: George Mendeluk's The Kidnapping of the President". Cinema Canada. ISSN 1918-879X.
  5. ↑ The Kidnapping of the President, retrieved 2018-04-01
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