The Kill (1973)

1973 - The Kill (Arbee Productions [Manila]/Pioneer Productions)

[according to the BFI database, the film was also released as “Heroin Conspiracy”]

Director/Screenplay Rolf Bayer Story/Executive Producer James E. Gubersky Cinematography Ray Woodbury Music Noel Francis Quinlan Editor Joe Zucchero First Assistant Director John Soroka Second Assistant Director Nicholas Tsui

Cast Richard Jaeckel, Tita Muñoz (Lee), Gigo Tevzadze, Mike Lovatt, Christina Hui, Max Chi Wong, Judy Washington (May), Bobby Canavarro, Henry Duval, Jimmy Shaw (Casino Manager).

Hal Erickson’s review from the All Movie Guide: It is nice to see Richard Jaeckel in a full-fledged leading role, even in a shabby internationally-produced thriller like The Kill. Set in Macao, the film finds Jaeckel cast as a two-fisted, womanizing private detective. He has been assigned to track down an international crime ring, run by the sort of folks who have no qualms about knocking someone off just to keep in practice. Judy Washington provides much of the film's pulchritude. The Kill was released shortly after Jaeckel received his Academy Award nomination for Sometimes a Great Notion, suggesting that the film had been made much earlier, but held up for distribution until the time was ripe.