Plot
In Greece, the wife and children of American businessman Jonas Bracken are kidnapped by a radical group, the World Activist Revolutionary Army, who demand a ransom of $5 million for their safe return. Bracken raises the ransom money from selling off parts of his business empire, but the kidnappers then make further demands, requiring Bracken to use the money to purchase arms and ammunition for them. Inspector Nikolidis of the Greek police is put in charge of case. Jim McCabe, a smuggler who is Ellen Bracken's ex-husband and father to their son, reads about the kidnapping in the newspapers and meets with Bracken. Police trace a radio signal used by the kidnappers and close in on the location, only to discover it is a decoy. A booby-trap detonates, killing several officers including Nikolidis's nephew. Nikolidis and McCabe agree that the kidnappers must be stopped, perhaps by any means. The kidnappers send a photograph of Ellen and the children as proof that they are still alive and, without the police knowing, McCabe uses a contact to trace their location based on a painted fresco in the background of the photo. He discovers that they are being held in a remote cliff-top monastery. McCabe finds a hang glider flying circus and hires them to take part in a rescue mission. When Nikolidis discovers that McCabe has gone to free Bracken's family, the police decide to launch their own rescue plan and move in. McCabe's team use their hang gliders to infiltrate the monastery and free the hostages, but are discovered as they are leaving. While a gun battle ensues between the kidnappers and the police at the monastery, McCabe's team and the hostages are pursued and eventually escape on their hang gliders. The head kidnapper chases them in a helicopter, which McCabe forces to crash land. The head kidnapper then commits suicide rather than be captured and Bracken is reunited with his family.Cast
* James Coburn – Jim McCabe * Susannah York – Ellen Bracken * Robert Culp – Jonas Bracken * Charles Aznavour – Insp. Nikolidis * Harry Andrews – Auerbach * John Beck – Ben * Zouzou – Female terrorist * Kenneth Griffith – Wasserman * Werner Pochath – Terrorist #1 * Anthony Antypas – Dimitri * Telis Zotos – Bracken's secretary * Nikos Tsachiridis – Gatekeeper * Ernie F. Orsatti – Joe * Barbara Trentham – Della * Henry Brown – MartinProduction
Coburn's casting was announced in May 1975. The film was part of a slate of productions from Sandy Howard. After an explosion on the set of ''Sky Riders'' in which a Greek electrician died, producer Terry Morse Jr. was arrested and producer Sandy Howard was detained for several weeks. A $250,000 out-of-court settlement was made, which one '' Variety'' article called a "bribe" so the crew member responsible would not be imprisoned.Reception
The film was a failure at the box office in the US but did better internationally. Howard hired Jack Hill to write a sequel. He later said "I pitched them my idea, which they thought was good, and I wrote the script. Well, it turned out that the movie was a big flop and no one could understand why. I knew why – it was because they had the theory that it should be wall to wall action and there is nothing more boring." Hill then wrote ''City on Fire'' and ''Death Ship'' for Howard.References
External links
* * * {{Douglas Hickox 1976 films American action films Films directed by Douglas Hickox Films set in Greece Films shot in Thessaly Films set in Thessaly 1976 action films American aviation films Films about kidnapping Films about terrorism Films scored by Lalo Schifrin Films with screenplays by Stanley Mann 1970s English-language films 1970s American films English-language action films