Foxbat (film) explained

Foxbat
Director:Po-Chih Leong
Producer:Chi-Ming Yip
Screenplay:Les Roberts
Terence Young
Story:Philip Chan
Po-Chih Leong
Starring:Henry Silva
Vonetta McGee
Rik Van Nutter
Music:Roy Budd
Cinematography:Tony Hope
Editing:Raymond Poulton
Studio:Bang Bang Film Productions
Runtime:107 minutes
Country:Hong Kong
Language:English

Foxbat is a 1977 action spy film directed by Po-Chih Leong, co-written by Terence Young, and starring Henry Silva, Vonetta McGee, Rik Van Nutter, and Roy Chiao. It is based on an original story by Philip Chan and Leong, and is based on the circumstances surrounding the defection of Soviet Air Force pilot Viktor Belenko and the capture of the MiG-25 “Foxbat” fighter.

It was the first English-language production for the Hong Kong-based Leong. English filmmaker Young made some contributions to the script, which led to him being advertised as a co-director in many countries, though he was not involved in the actual shooting of the film. Despite being targeted at the American market, it was not released in the United States theatrically, and was eventually aired on CBS under the title Operation Foxbat.

Plot

An international race is being waged to obtain the blueprints of a MIG-25 Foxbat Soviet fighter plane that has landed in Japan. Michael Saxon, an undercover U.S. spy, has secretly taken photos of the aircraft, and now he faces overwhelming odds to transport the microfilm back to his home country. While Saxon bides time in Hong Kong, a Chinese cook accidentally swallows the microfilm, and unwittingly becomes a target as well.

Cast

Release

The film was initially released in Hong Kong under the title Woo fook on 15 December 1977. While not receiving a US theatrical release, it was subsequently broadcast on CBS television.

See also