An international assassin known as ‘The Jackal’ is employed by disgruntled French generals to kill President Charles de Gaulle, with a dedicated gendarme on the assassin’s trail.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• The Jackal: Edward Fox
• Lloyd: Terence Alexander
• Colonel Rolland: Michel Auclair
• the Minister: Alan Badel
• Inspector Thomas: Tony Britton
• Casson: Denis Carey
• Charles de Gaulle: Adrien Cayla-Legrand
• Gunsmith: Cyril Cusack
• General Colbert: Maurice Denham
• Interrogator: Vernon Dobtcheff
• Pascal: Jacques François
• Denise: Olga Georges-Picot
• Flavigny: Raymond Gérôme
• St. Clair: Barrie Ingham
• Inspector Caron: Derek Jacobi
• Deputy Commissioner Claude Lebel: Michael Lonsdale
• Victor Wolenski: Jean Martin
• The Forger: Ronald Pickup
• Colonel Rodin: Eric Porter
• Jules Bernard: Anton Rodgers
• Colette de Montpellier: Delphine Seyrig
• Mallinson: Donald Sinden
• Jean Bastien-Thiry: Jean Sorel
• Montclair: David Swift
• Commissioner Berthier: Timothy West
• Detective Hughes: Bernard Archard
• French Detective: Jacques Alric
• Lebel’s Wife: Colette Bergé
• Colonel Rolland’s Assistant: Edmond Bernard
• Gendarme on Telephone: Gérard Buhr
• Gendarme: Philippe Léotard
• Bastien-Thiery’s Lawyer: Maurice Teynac
• Military Officer: Van Doude
• OAS Agent: Nicolas Vogel
• Young OAS Gunfighter: Féodor Atkine
• Policeman in Hotel: Albert Augier
• Hotel Guest: Madeleine Barbulée
• OAS Terrorist in Car: Jacques Brunet
• Hotel Waiter: Raoul Curet
• Ernestine: Madeleine Damien
• Turkish Bath Desk Clerk: Yvonne Dany
• Yvonne De Gaulle: Nicole Desailly
• Special Branch Detective: Max Faulkner
• Minister: Robert Favart
• Hotel Staff: Andréa Ferréol
• Paris Apartment Concierge: Gilberte Géniat
• Charles Harold Calthrop: Edward Hardwicke
• Hotel Desk Clerk: Jacques Hilling
• Per Lundquist: David Kernan
• Secretary at Elysée Palace: Robert le Béal
• Passport Control Officer: Roger Lumont
• Gendarme at Tulle: Mike Marshall
• Parliamentary Usher: Max Melloy
• Cabinet Member: Jean Michaud
• Usher at Elysée Palace: Bernard Musson
• Policeman at Tulle Station: André Penvern
• Michel, Colette’s Gardener: Pierre Risch
• Hotel Chambermaid: Liliane Rovère
• Groom: Bernard Spiegel
• Hair Dye Clerk: Jacqueline Stanbury
• Police Constable: Guy Standeven
• OAS Terrorist in Car: Michel Subor
• Valmy, OAS Contract: François Valorbe
• Cabinet Member: Howard Vernon
• Passport Officer: Nicholas Young

Film Crew:

• Additional Director of Photography: Edmond Séchan
• Conductor: Georges Delerue
• Director: Fred Zinnemann
• Producer: John Woolf
• Editor: Ralph Kemplen
• Special Effects: Cliff Richardson
• Assistant Art Director: Cliff Robinson
• Costume Design: Elizabeth Haffenden
• Director of Photography: Jean Tournier
• Casting: Margot Capelier
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: John Hayward
• Costume Design: Rosine Delamare
• Visual Effects: Wally Veevers
• Set Designer: Willy Holt
• Production Manager: John Palmer
• Script Editor: John Rosenberg
• Screenplay: Kenneth Ross
• Set Dresser: Robert Cartwright
• Novel: Frederick Forsyth
• Costume Supervisor: Jean Zay
• Camera Operator: André Domage
• Second Unit Director: Andrew Marton
• Co-Producer: David Deutsch
• Costume Design: Joan Bridge
• Hairstylist: Barbara Ritchie
• Set Designer: Ernest Archer
• Casting: Jenia Reissar
• Assistant Director: Louis Pitzele
• Sound Mixer: Gordon K. McCallum
• Property Master: René Albouze
• Assistant Director: Alain Bonnot
• Assistant Director: Peter Price
• Production Assistant: Paul Tivers
• Co-Producer: Julien Derode
• Hairstylist: Ludovic Paris
• Special Effects: Georges Iaconelli
• Sound Editor: Nicholas Stevenson
• Special Effects: John Richardson
• Production Manager: Henri Jaquillard
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Graham V. Hartstone
• Camera Operator: David Harcourt
• Sound Recordist: Bob Allen
• Set Dresser: Pierre Charron
• Grip: Colin Manning
• Continuity: Gladys Goldsmith
• Continuity: Catherine Prévert
• Still Photographer: George Higgins
• Makeup Artist: Jean-Pierre Berroyer
• Assistant Editor: Marcel Durham
• Additional Director of Photography: Guy Delattre
• Grip: René Strasser
• Property Master: Wally Hill
• Electrician: Jean Fontanilles
• Electrician: Vic Smith
• Production Secretary: Simone Escoffier
• Production Secretary: Van Jones
• Unit Publicist: George Arnell

Movie Reviews:

• John Chard: Chacal.

  The Day of the Jackal is directed by Fred Zinnerman and adapted to screenplay by Kenneth Ross from the novel of the same name written by Frederick Forsyth. It stars Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale, Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, Tony Britton and Denis Carey. Music is by Georges Delerue and cinematography by Jean Tournier.

  As the French political climate reaches boiling point over the Algeria situation, underground organisation the OAS plot to have President Charles de Gaulle assassinated. When an attempt fails the OAS members not caught are exiled in Vienna and decide that bringing in an outsider to kill the President is now the best way forward. That outsider is an Englishman, code name The Jackal, a methodically cunning and deadly assassin.

  Wonderful, the kind of character driven thriller that has become in short supply over the last couple of decades. It’s all so simple, even sedate, yet this calm approach serves the plotting perfectly. After the initial set ups we follow The Jackal (a super icy turn by Fox) on his mission to kill General de Gaul. His planning, the people he meets, and the people he has to kill to stay one step ahead of the authorities. From cons to weapon smuggling, to disguises and sexual encounters, it’s thoroughly compelling from Jackal’s story arc alone, but the frequent shifts to the hunt for him by a whole ream of suits and detectives is also gripping and suspenseful viewing.

  Backing Fox up is a raft quality performers, a cast very much in tune with the material to hand. Delure’s musical composition is purposely of the minimalist breed, Tournier’s photography is period compliant and smooth, while Ralph Kemplen’s excellent editing was rightly nominated for an Academy Award. Zinnerman does sterling work from the director’s chair, amazingly keeping a two and half hour movie free of extraneous scenes or pointless exposition. Everything is relative, it really is a film to stay focussed with, to give it respect by giving it your undivided attention. So go the bathroom before sitting down to view this truly great and smart thriller. 9/10

• CinemaSerf: A sophisticated adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s thriller about an Englishman codenamed “the Jackal” (Edward Fox) who is hired to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, the President of France. His meticulous planning remains almost undiscovered until the redoubtable “Inspecteur Lebel” – played by the always under-rated Michael Lonsdale manages to piece together enough information to get on his tail. A workmanlike ensemble cast give extra weight to the lead performances in this intriguing and well put together Fred Zinnemann film. It’s huge advantage as a story is it’s simplicity – and here we get a drawn into the cat and mouse game unsure who will win right til the very end.