The Kidnapping of the President
| The Kidnapping of the President | |
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Theatrical film poster
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| Directed by | George Mendeluk |
| Produced by | George Mendeluk John Ryan |
| Written by |
Richard Murphy Charles Templeton |
| Starring |
William Shatner Hal Holbrook Van Johnson Ava Gardner |
| Music by |
Nash the Slash Paul Zaza |
| Cinematography | Mike Molloy |
| Edited by | Michael MacLaverty |
| Distributed by | Crown International Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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114 minutes |
| Country | Canada United States |
| Language | English |
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 and Charles Templeton, based on Templeton's novel. The original music was 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.
During a diplomatic visit to Toronto, the U.S. President Adam Scott (Hal Holbrook) is abducted by a South American terrorist, Roberto Assanti (Miguel Fernandes), and his female accomplice, and is held captive in an armored truck booby-trapped with high explosives. The elaborate bomb keeps the Secret Service at bay until Assanti is killed. However, the explosives are timed to detonate at midnight, so Secret Service agent Jerry O'Connor (Shatner) has to find a way into the truck to rescue the President before it detonates. Also involved are U.S Vice-President Ethan Richards (Johnson) and his wife Beth (Gardner).
The film differs in a number of ways from the novel by Charles Templeton on which it was based. The novel set the kidnapping in New York City's Herald Square, and the subsequent siege in nearby Times Square, whereas the film moved the action to Templeton's home city of Toronto.
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