''Title Shot'' is a Canadian crime drama film, directed by

Les Rose Les Rose was a Canadian film and television director. He was most noted for the film ''Three Card Monte (film), Three Card Monte'', for which he received a Canadian Film Award nomination for Canadian Screen Award for Best Director, Best Director a ...

and released in 1979.

Gerald Pratley Gerald Arthur Pratley (September 3, 1923 – March 14, 2011) was a Canadian film critic and historian. Piers Handling"Gerald Arthur Pratley" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', September 18, 2011. A longtime film critic for the Canadian Broadcasting Cor ...

, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 219. Rose's second collaboration with writer and actor Richard Gabourie following 1978's '' Three Card Monte'', the film stars Gabourie as Blake, a police detective in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

who is investigating an attempt by crime boss Frank Renzetti (

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor with a career that spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 films, in roles co ...

) to rig the outcome of

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

matches. The film premiered at the 1979 Festival of Festivals. The film was more poorly received by critics than ''Three Card Monte''. Jay Scott of ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'' wrote that "by the time the climax has rolled around, there have been a number of good performances ( Susan Hogan, Jack Duffy, Taborah Johnson, Sean McCann) and many demonstrations of first-rate composition, rhythm and editing. But there have also been continuity and emphasis miscalculations — a strike at Curtis' bakery is introduced and then dropped, and the movie rushes by Curtis' fate (he's flamboyantly sleazy enough to care about) in favour of letting Gabourie twinkle his way into a big-star farewell. It took years for

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...

to reach the audience-patting excess of ''

Goin' South ''Goin' South'' is a 1978 American Western comedy film directed by and starring Jack Nicholson, with Mary Steenburgen, Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Richard Bradford, Veronica Cartwright, Danny DeVito and Ed Begley Jr. Plot Henry Llo ...

''; Gabourie has turned into the actor's version of a used car salesman after two movies." Jay Scott, "Title Shot misses both of its targets". ''

'', September 11, 1979. In his 2003 book ''A Century of Canadian Cinema'',

described the film as disappointing, boring and filled with unlikable characters.

References

External links

* 1979 films Canadian crime drama films English-language Canadian films Films scored by Paul Zaza Films set in Toronto Films shot in Toronto Canadian boxing films Films directed by Les Rose 1979 crime drama films 1970s English-language films 1970s Canadian films English-language crime drama films {{1970s-Canada-film-stub