''Title Shot'' is a Canadian crime drama film, directed by Les Rose 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 ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

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 whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

) to rig the outcome of

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

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

Jay Scott Jeffrey Scott Beaven (October 4, 1949 – July 30, 1993), known professionally by his pen name Jay Scott, was a Canadian film critic."Critic Jay Scott, 43 among world's best". ''Toronto Star'', July 31, 1993. Early life Scott was born in Lincol ...

of '' The Globe and Mail'' 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. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

to reach the audience-patting excess of '' Goin' South''; Gabourie has turned into the actor's version of a used car salesman after two movies."

, "Title Shot misses both of its targets". '' The Globe and Mail'', 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 {{1970s-Canada-film-stub