THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (1973) C widescreen 142m dir: Fred Zinnemann

w/Edward Fox, Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, Michel Lonsdale, Tony Britton, Denis Carey, Adrien Cayla-Legrand, Cyril Cusack, Maurice Denham, Vernon Dobtcheff

High suspense as an assassin (Fox) is hired by the French generals to kill Charles de Gaulle. An intensive manhunt for the assassin is juxtaposed with his preparation for the killing. Fine acting and use of European locations.

From The Movie Guide: "Director Zinnemann faithfully follows the [Frederick] Forsyth best-seller, presenting a precise, almost discomfitting reconstruction of the story. Fox is superb as the coldly impassionate killer, and Lonsdale is properly plodding yet magnificently analytical as the detective tracking him down. A taut, suspenseful, and fascinating political thriller."

Oscar-nominated for Best Editing.