Hijack (1973) (TV)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Leonard Horn

Writers:

Ronald Austin (writer)
James D. Buchanan (writer)

Release Date:

26 September 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Two truck drivers are hired to transport a top-secret cargo from New York to Houston. Along the way they must evade attempts by a terrorist group to hijack the material. |

Plot Keywords:

Truck | Terrorist | Highway | 18 Wheeler | Trucker

Cast

David Janssen	...	Jake Wilkinson
Keenan Wynn	...	Donny McDonald
Lee Purcell	...	Eileen Noonan
Jeanette Nolan	...	Mrs. Briscoe
William Schallert	...	Frank Kleiner
Tom Tully	...	Mr. Noonan
Ron Feinberg	...	Bearded Man
John A. Zee	...	Man with Glasses
William Mims	...	Highway Patrolman
James W. Gavin	...	Helicopter Pilot
Dallas Mitchell	...	Houston Dispatcher
Morris Buchanan	...	L.A. Dispatcher
Jim Burk	...	First Cowboy
Walter Wyatt	...	Second Cowboy (as Walt Wyatt)
Robert Golden	...	Weigh Station Officer

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16

Company:

Spelling-Goldberg Productions

only semi-

If they'd have set up a completely do-able police escort, then this movie would not have been necessary. It's about two truckers (Janssen and Wynn) who, absent any official assistance, contract (for much more than usual pay) to drive an 18-wheeler to Houston, some distance away. We are led to believe that their trailer contains top-secret private-sector-to-government cargo, which is of interest to a gang of interceptors willing to kill to get it. In addition to the attempted foils of the bandits (including tampering with the rig; setting up a bogus road-block and detour; even a helicopter attack), the duo is also delayed by the overweightness of the equipment and police interest in Janssen's unregistered hand-gun. A problem-solving letter carried by the pair, however, gets them out of those binds, but, for some reason, that escort/relay wasn't arranged. And, amongst all this, Janssen even has time for a little romance. That pretty much tells everything except the conclusion. My guess, though, is that only about 5 of 10 will consider this trip worthwhile. Oh, and by the way... notice how - in the opening scene - Janssen comes boppin' in in his bob-tail; yet we learn a short time later that his driver's license has been suspended.