Hijack! (1975 film)

Hijack! is a 1975 children's drama film directed, written and produced by Michael Forlong and starring Richard Morant, James Forlong and Tracy Peel.^[1][2]

Hijack!
Opening titles
Directed by	Michael Forlong
Written by	Michael Forlong
Produced by	Michael Forlong
Starring	Richard Morant James Forlong Tracy Peel
Cinematography	William Jordan
Edited by	Frederick Ives
Music by	Harry Robertson
Production company	Michael Forlong Productions
Release date	1975 (1975)
Running time	59 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

Three children are taken hostage by a man armed with a hand grenade and flick-knife. He takes them to sea aboard their father's yacht.^[3]

Cast

• Richard Morant as Colin
• James Forlong as Jack
• Tracy Peel as Jenny
• Sally Forlong as Lucy
• David Hitchen as power boat driver
• Richard Kerrigan as power boat mechanic
• Derek Bond as power boat owner
• Robert Swales as policeman

Production

The film was sponsored by the Children's Film Foundation.^[3]

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Technically, this is one of the best CFF films yet made, with lively location shooting (under clearly difficult and cramped conditions) on board the yacht, excellently controlled colour and a fine narrative pace. Although the story rather obviously cashes in on current newspaper headlines, the predicament of the children is never exploited in a melodramatic way, and they respond in a realistic and spontaneous manner. Richard Morant as the fugitive (we never discover what he has done) has a more difficult task, starting off in a somewhat actorish style, but later investing the character with just the right degree of desperate confusion. The film again demonstrates how a resourceful director and cameraman can turn out a neat little film within a well-prescribed format."^[4]

Robert Shail wrote: "The film is packed with enough detail to pass for a visual manual on how to sail a small craft at sea ... ranks as one of its best seafaring adventures."^[5]