''Jaguar Lives!'' is a 1979 American

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

directed by Ernest Pintoff and starring Joe Lewis,

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a career spanning more than sixty years, Lee became known as an actor with a deep and commanding voice who often portrayed villains in horr ...

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He was known for his "bald head and intense, staring eyes," and played more than 250 stage, film, and television roles across a nearly sixty-year career. Pleas ...

and

Barbara Bach Barbara Bach, Lady Starkey (née Goldbach; August 27, 1946) is an American actress and former model. She played the Bond girl Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me (film), ''The Spy Who Loved Me''. She is married to former The Beatles, Beatles ...

. Its plot follows a secret agent who battles an international drugs ring.

Plot

Cast

* Joe Lewis - Jonathan Cross (Jaguar) *

- Adam Caine *

- General Villanova *

- Anna Thompson *

Capucine Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre (, 6 January 1928 – 17 March 1990), known by her stage name Capucine (), was a French fashion model and actress known for her comedic roles in ''The Pink Panther'' (1963) and '' What's New Pussycat?'' (1965). ...

- Zina Vanacore *

Joseph Wiseman Joseph Wiseman (May 15, 1918 – October 19, 2009) was a Canadian-American theatre, film, and television actor. He starred as the villain Julius No in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No,'' in 1962. He was also known for his role as crime boss ...

- Ben Ashir *

Woody Strode Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 – December 31, 1994) was an American athlete, actor, and author. He was a decathlon, decathlete and American football, football star who was one of the first Black American players in the National ...

- Sensei *

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...

- Ralph Richards * Gabriel Melgar - Ahmed * Anthony De Longis - Bret Barrett * Sally Faulkner - Terry * Gail Grainger - Consuela * Anthony Heaton *

Luis Prendes Luis Prendes Estrada (22 August 1913 – 27 October 1998) was a Spanish actor. He was considered one of the country's most famous movie star during the 1940s and 1950s. He was also an important figure in the country's theatre. Selected fi ...

- Habish * Simón Andreu - Petrie *

James Smillie James Smillie, (born 28 November 1944), also credited variously as Jim Smillie and Jim Smilie, is a Scottish/Australian actor. He has worked in both Britain and Australia in film, extensively on stage, on television, with voice-over and anima ...

as Reardon Despite receiving top billing in the credits, stars such as Christopher Lee, Barbara Bach and Donald Pleasence barely feature in the narrative.

Production

''Jaguar Lives!'' was the feature film debut of karate and kickboxing champion Joe Lewis and was planned as being the first in a series of action films featuring Lewis as special agent “Jonathan Cross.” Filming began on June 26, 1978 in Madrid, Spain. The film was scheduled for six weeks in Spain and four weeks in other countries, including Japan, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Hong Kong and Macao.JAGUAR LIVES! (1979 Action/Adventure)
Pleasance.com The original film score was composed and conducted by Robert O. Ragland and recorded in

London, England London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

with the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Release

''Jaguar Lives!'' opened in Los Angeles on August 31, 1979.

Reception

From contemporary reviews, Paul Taylor of ''

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' declared that the film would have been more attractive nine years ago and that "there are a few signs of Pintoff's quirky humour, but overall the film registers as a tacky chore." Taylor noted that “only Donald Pleasence rises to the bait of his over-the-top bit-part villain."

References

External links

* 1979 films Films directed by Ernest Pintoff 1979 action films Films shot in Madrid American martial arts films American spy films Films shot in Almería Films scored by Robert O. Ragland 1979 martial arts films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films English-language action films {{martialart-film-stub