''Target of an Assassin'' is a 1977

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

directed by Peter Collinson and starring

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

and

John Phillip Law John Phillip Law (September 7, 1937 – May 13, 2008) was an American film actor. Following a breakthrough role as a Russian sailor in '' The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming'' (1966), Law became best known for his roles as ...

. It was completed in

in 1976 as ''Tigers Don't Cry'', but was not put into general American release for nearly nine years. Other alternate titles include ''African Rage'', ''The Long Shot'', and ''Fatal Assassin''. Based on the novel ''Running Scared'' by Jon Burmeister.

Plot

The film is set in a South African hospital. Top-billed Anthony Quinn plays a male nurse, Hobday, assigned to care for a foreign President (Simon Sabela), who escaped an assassination attempt on the day he arrived in South Africa for an official visit. With many threats against his well-being, the leader is heavily guarded around the clock. Hobday manages to kidnap his patient for strictly personal gain, unaware that a hired sniper is still attempting to take the life of the foreign leader while in Hobday's custody. This leads to a series of curious plot twists leading to a climactic scene with cable cars on a high plateau ridge.

Cast

as Ernest Hobday *

as Shannon * as President Lunda *

Marius Weyers Marius Weyers (born 3 February 1945, in Johannesburg) is a South African actor. He was married to Yvette Weyers (1946-2023), an artist, who died on 11 July 2023. He lives in Rooi-Els in the Western Cape. He received international attention pl ...

as Colonel Albert Pahler * Sandra Prinsloo as Sister Janet Hobart

References

External links

* 1977 films South African action thriller films Films directed by Peter Collinson Films shot in South Africa Films set in South Africa Films about assassinations English-language South African films 1970s English-language films 1970s South African films {{SouthAfrica-film-stub