Anthony Quinn is a terminally ill male nurse in a South African hospital who decides to kidnap his charge, an ailing president (Simon Sabela) of a neighboring country, in the hopes of winning a ransom that will support his daughter after he’s gone. Initially successful in his attempt, things begin to go wrong for Quinn when a paid assassin (John Philip Law) dogs the men’s trail. Along the way, Quinn and the kidnap victim reach an uneasy rapport, becoming allies in evading the deadly hit man who is getting closer and closer. Director Peter Collinson is probably best known for the original version of The Italian Job starring Michael Caine but he also did a number of other gritty, underappreciated psychological thrillers and action movies, including The Penthouse, The Long Day’s Dying, Open Season and Tomorrow Never Comes.
Marc Edward Heuck discusses Target of an Assassin on the New Beverly blog.
