The Disappearance is a 1977 British-Canadian thriller film directed by Stuart Cooper, starring Donald Sutherland, Francine Racette, David Hemmings, and John Hurt. It is based on the novel Echoes of Celandine by Derek Marlowe.
Plot
Jay Mallory (Donald Sutherland) is a contract killer living in Montreal who works for an unknown international criminal organization. He returns home one winter day to find that his wife, Celandine (Francine Racette), has disappeared. Mallory's contact at the Organization, Burbank (David Warner), suggests the disappearance may be connected to Mallory's last hit. Soon after, Burbank himself disappears.
The Organization assigns Mallory a new job in Suffolk, England. He is given little information, including not knowing the target's identity. Mallory learns that his wife had an affair with an Englishman named Roland Deverell. After arriving in England, Mallory discovers that his target is Deverell himself. Mallory breaks into Deverell's country house, where Deverell reveals he is the Organization's head and that Celandine orchestrated the hit. Mallory kills Deverell and returns to Montreal.
Back at his apartment, Mallory finds Celandine has returned. She explains she was involved with Deverell out of frustration with their failing marriage and arranged for Mallory to assassinate him so they could both be free. Mallory accepts this explanation, and they reconcile. The next morning, as Mallory returns from grocery shopping, an unseen sniper shoots and kills him.
Cast
- Donald Sutherland as Jay Mallory
- Francine Racette as Celandine
- David Hemmings as Edward
- John Hurt as Atkinson
- David Warner as Burbank
- Peter Bowles as Jefferies
- Virginia McKenna as Catherine
- Christopher Plummer as Deverell
- Michèle Magny as Melanie
- Duane Howard as James
- Robin Sachs as young man
Production
The film was shot in 1977 in Montreal and was film producer Garth Drabinsky's first production. The screenplay was written by Paul Mayersberg. Cinematography was by John Alcott, and the music was composed by Robert Farnon. The budget was $1,900,000 CDN. Jake Eberts helped raise additional funds when the production ran over budget, and the completion guarantor had to step in.
Two different cuts of the film exist: the original 100-minute version and an 88-minute Canadian version, which was re-cut by editor Fima Noveck.
Reception
The film was a box office failure. Critic Jay Scott of The Globe and Mail dismissed the film as "irredeemably nasty, supremely glossy trash." However, critic Derek Winnert later described it as a "sleekly made and intriguing upmarket mystery."
Release
The film was released in the United Kingdom in December 1977 and in Canada on 10 May 1981.
