Assassination (1987)

Director:

Peter R. Hunt

Writer:

Richard Sale (writer)

Release Date:

9 January 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

They were reluctant running mates . . . in a race for their lives!

Plot:

Jay Killon is the bodyguard of the recently elected US president, but he is assigned to the first lady (Lara Royce)...

Plot Keywords:

U.S. President | Bodyguard | First Lady | Political | Assassination

Cast

Charles Bronson	...	Jay Killion
Jill Ireland	...	Lara Royce Craig
Stephen Elliott	...	Fitzroy
Jan Gan Boyd	...	Charlotte Chong
Randy Brooks	...	Tyler Loudermilk
Erik Stern	...	Eddie Bracken
Michael Ansara	...	Sen. Hector Bunsen
James Staley	...	Briggs
Kathryn Leigh Scott	...	Polly Sims
James Acheson	...	Osborne Weems
Jim McMullan	...	The Zipper
Billy Hayes	...	Pritchard Young (as William Hayes)
William Prince	...	H.H. Royce
Charles Howerton	...	President Calvin Craig
Chris Alcaide	...	Chief Justice

Also Known As:

Der Mordanschlag (West Germany) [de]
El guardaespaldas de la primera dama (Spain) [es]
El guardaespatlles de la primera dama (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Livvagten (Denmark) [da]
Merénylet (Hungary) [hu]
Missão de Alto Risco (Portugal) [pt]
Protection rapprochée (France) [fr]
Salamurhaaja (Finland) [fi]
Ypo steni prostasia (Greece) [el]
Zamach (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:12 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:15 (1987-2005) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) (VHS) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2005) (DVD) (self applied) | Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-13 (re-rating) (2007) | Norway:15 | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cannon Group

Trivia:

This was 16th and final time married couple 'Charles Bronson (I)'and Jill Ireland made a film together.

Quotes:

Lara Royce Craig: [in a mixture of embarrassment and amusement] What are YOU grinnin' at?
Jay Killion: [chuckling] From the way you jumped up there, you'd have thought you'd sat on a SNAKE.
Lara Royce Craig: Well, I didn't want you to get excited, that's all.
[pause]
Lara Royce Craig: Was it - - exciting?
Jay Killion: No - - just heavy.
Lara Royce Craig: Damn it, Killy - - you could have lied just this once!
Jay Killion: Ah, well, I DID lie... you weren't just heavy, you felt like a ton!
Lara Royce Craig: You are an insufferable ASS!
Jay Killion: [smiling sarcastically] And since you like being top dog, you can take the top bunk.
[...]

Soundtrack:

March

Silly adventure, but entertaining

Secret service Agent Jay Killian is back on the job after some problems. He is no longer allowed to guard the President, though. His job is to protect the new First Lady, Lara Royce Craig, who apparently comes from a wealthy family and believes she can do what she wants without listening to anyone.

While Mrs. Craig rides to her husband's inauguration in an open car (something no one in the First Family has done since Kennedy was shot), one of the police officers riding alongside has a wreck (and this being a Charles Bronson movie, naturally the bike has to explode). Killian believes it was no accident.

Later, Mrs. Craig escapes on several occasions, though the Secret Service is able to find her in each case. Mrs. Craig's behavior is a problem not just because she needs protection under normal circumstances, but because it seems someone actually wants to kill her.

Jill Ireland was deliciously witchy (actually that should start with a b) as the First Lady. Charles Bronson's character showed intelligence, and he wouldn't back down but remained strong in the face of the First Lady's protests.

It was a pleasure to see the man who played the uptight and dignified Cloud Dancing in "Dr. Quinn" as an almost stereotypical Native American, a car salesman willing to laugh at people's expectations of his people and go along for the money.

Jan Gan Boyd, as Killian's partner (in more ways than one?) was pretty and perky but showed confidence in her facial expressions. Too bad she often seemed to be reading her lines.

The violence wasn't constant, but this movie had plenty of gunfire toward the end, and quite a few unnecessary explosions. One exciting scene involved a railroad bridge.

The scenery in Wyoming was beautiful.

I don't think this was intended to be a comedy, but it certainly was in my opinion. I found it quite entertaining. The idea is to have no real expectations.