''Jaguar Lives!'' is a 1979 American

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

directed by

Ernest Pintoff Ernest Pintoff (December 15, 1931 in Watertown, Connecticut – January 12, 2002 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles) was an American film and television director, screenwriter and film producer. He won the Oscar for Best Animated Short for ''The ...

and starring Joe Lewis,

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...

and

Barbara Bach Barbara Bach, Lady Starkey (born Barbara Goldbach in 1947) is an American actress and model. She played the Bond girl Anya Amasova in ''The Spy Who Loved Me''. She is married to former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. Early life Bach is a nati ...

. Its plot follows a secret agent who battles an international drugs ring.

Plot

Cast

* Joe Lewis - Jonathan Cross (Jaguar) *

- Adam Caine *

- General Villanova *

- Anna Thompson *

Capucine Capucine (, born Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre , 6 January 1928 – 17 March 1990) was a French fashion model and actress known for her comedic roles in ''The Pink Panther'' (1963) and ''What's New Pussycat?'' (1965). She appeared in 36 film ...

- Zina Vanacore *

Joseph Wiseman Joseph Wiseman (May 15, 1918 – October 19, 2009) was a Canadian-American theatre, film, and television actor who starred as the villain Julius No in the first James Bond (film series), James Bond film, ''Dr. No (film), Dr. No'' in 1962. Wiseman ...

- Ben Ashir *

Woody Strode Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 – December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first Black American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. Aft ...

- Sensei *

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

- Ralph Richards * Gabriel Melgar - Ahmed *

Anthony De Longis Anthony Charles De Longis (born March 23, 1950) is an American actor, stuntman, and fight choreographer. Life and career De Longis was born in Glendale, California. He attended California State University, Northridge where he was initiated ...

- Bret Barrett *

Sally Faulkner Sally Faulkner (born 1944) is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her film appearances in movies such as ''The Body Stealers'' (1969), ''Layout for 5 Models'' (1972), ''Vampyres'' (1974), ''Feelings'' (1975), ''I'm Not Feeling ...

- Terry *

Gail Grainger Gail Grainger is an English actress best remembered for her role as Moira Plunkett, a travel courier, in the 1972 comedy film ''Carry On Abroad''. Background Gail Grainger took up dancing at the age of six and studied at a theatrical school. Sh ...

- Consuela * Anthony Heaton - Coblintz *

Luis Prendes Luis Prendes Estrada (22 August 1913 – 27 October 1998) was a Spanish actor. He was considered one of the country's most famous movie star during the 1940s and 1950s. He was also an important figure in the country's theatre. Selected fi ...

- Habish *

Simón Andreu Simón Andreu Trobat (born 1 January 1941) is a Spanish actor. He has appeared in more than 180 films and television shows since 1961. In 2013 he was awarded with the Nosferatu Award at the Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalu ...

- Petrie Despite receiving top billing in the credits, stars such as Christopher Lee, Barbara Bach and Donald Pleasence barely feature in the narrative.

Production

''Jaguar Lives!'' was the feature film debut of karate and kickboxing champion Joe Lewis and was planned as being the first in a series of action films featuring Lewis as special agent “Jonathan Cross.” Filming began on June 26, 1978 in Madrid, Spain. The film was scheduled for six weeks in Spain and four weeks in other countries, including Japan, Germany, Turkey, Italy, and Hong Kong. The original film score was composed and conducted by Robert O. Ragland and recorded in

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

with the

National Philharmonic Orchestra The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA Records producer and conductor Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader and contractor Sidney Sax. The orchestra was creat ...

Release

''Jaguar Lives!'' opened in Los Angeles on August 31, 1979.

Reception

From contemporary reviews, Paul Taylor of ''

The Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...

'' declared that the film would have been more attractive nine years ago and that "there are a few signs of Pintoff's quirky humour, but overall the film registers as a tacky chore." Taylor noted that “only Donald Pleasence rises to the bait of his over-the-top bit-part villain."

References

External links

* 1979 films Films directed by Ernest Pintoff 1979 action films Films shot in Madrid American martial arts films American spy films Films shot in Almería Films scored by Robert O. Ragland 1979 martial arts films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films {{martialart-film-stub