The Day of the Jackal ***** (1973, Edward Fox, Michel Lonsdale, Alan Badel, Eric Porter, Cyril Cusack, Delphine Seyrig, Donald Sinden, Tony Britton, Timothy West, Anton Rodgers) – Classic Movie Review 4,894

Edward Fox stars in the tense and exciting 1973 British film of Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 bestselling novel The Day of the Jackal about the plot to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle in 1963.

Director Fred Zinnemann’s 1973 British film adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s labyrinthine 1971 bestselling novel The Day of the Jackal about the plot to assassinate General Charles de Gaulle, the President of France, in 1963 is a tense and exciting movie, convincing in every detail.

Edward Fox plays the would-be professional killer code-named ‘Jackal’ chillingly in what may still be his best role. The movie belongs to him, and he owns it, but he is supported by strong work from a first-rate Franco-British cast. It also stars Michael Lonsdale [Michel Lonsdale] as the detective Claude Lebel, Alan Badel as The Minister, Eric Porter as Colonel Rodin, Cyril Cusack as The Gunsmith, Delphine Seyrig as Colette, Donald Sinden as Mallinson, Tony Britton as Inspector Thomas and Timothy West as Berthier.

In an absolutely first-rate thriller, Zinnemann cleverly achieves an extremely high level of tension and suspense despite the audience’s pre-knowledge of the plot’s outcome, at least for the historically minded. The film is attractively shot on a huge number of striking European locations by cinematographer Jean Tournier. The clever, intelligent screenplay is by Kenneth Ross and there is a notable score by Georges Delerue to add to the mood and tension.

Also in the cast are Olga Georges-Picot, Barrie Ingham, Maurice Denham, Anton Rodgers, Jean Sorel, Derek Jacobi, Ronald Pickup, Terence Alexander, David Swift, Michel Auclair, Philippe Leotard, Denis Carey, Adrien Cayla-Legrand, Vernon Dobtcheff, Edward Hardwicke, David Kernan, Howard Vernon and Jacques François.

Edward Fox stars in The Day of the Jackal (1973).

Ralph Kemplen won a Bafta award for Best Film Editing and was Oscar nominated.

It was remade in 1997 as The Jackal with Richard Gere and Bruce Willis.

A TV adaptation of the novel and film was released in 2024 starring Eddie Redmayne.

The Day of the Jackal is directed by Fred Zinnemann, runs 141 minutes, is made by John Woolf Productions, Warwick Film Productions and Universal Productions France, is released by Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (UK) and Universal Pictures (1973) (US), is written by Kenneth Ross, based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel, is shot by Jean Tournier, is produced by John Woolf, David Deutsch (co-producer) and Julien Derode (co-producer), and is scored by Georges Delerue.

Miss Seyrig’s clothes are by Chanel. Andrew Marton is second unit director.

RIP Tony Britton (1924-2019). He acted in acclaimed British films such as Operation Amsterdam, Sunday Bloody Sunday and The Day of the Jackal.

RIP veteran actor Michael Lonsdale, who died on September 21, 2020 in Paris, aged 89. He was best known for The Day of the Jackal (1973), Moonraker (1979) and Ronin (1998). He also played the Abbot in The Name of the Rose (1986), Dupont d’Ivry in The Remains of the Day (1993) and Papa in Munich (2005).

Lonsdale revealed he had fallen for Delphine Seyrig, having met her in acting classes in 1947. He wrote: ‘It was her or nothing’, which was why he never married.

English novelist Frederick Forsyth (25 August 1938 – 9 June 2025) was best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, and The Dogs of War. More than a dozen of his novels have been filmed.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 4,894

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The Day of the Jackal (The Franklin Library of Mystery Masterpieces).