MovieChat Forums > The Day of the Jackal (1973) Discussion > gettng away from the hotel; hooking up w...

gettng away from the hotel; hooking up with the guy in the Turkish bath

posted 11 years ago by benbo-3
15 replies | jump to latest

I didn't read the book, and saw the movie uncut on cable. The scene where he checks into the hotel and hooks up with the married woman: the French police see Duggan's name registered at that hotel for a 2day stay, then show up - only to find that he's already left, after only 1 day. It's not explained in the movie. Hooking up with the woman wouldn't have tipped him off that the cops were hot on his trail, so why register for a 2day stay and leave after 1? Is it just a standard trick, i.e. always register for more days and leave after 1, or is there another explanation given in the book?

Also, when he arrives in Paris, he must know enough not to register in a hotel under the Danish name, so he has to find another place to stay. Was it standard practice or generally known in 1963 France that if u go to a Turkish bathhouse, you'd hook up with another guy who'd let u stay at his place? In other words, was taking a steam at a Turkish bath in 1963 France the gay equivalent of cruising bars to pick up women for the nite? Also, was it generally accepted to have them stay with u a few days? Not bashing, just trying to understand the Jackal's plan; he knew he couldn't register in a hotel, and didn't want to go to the apartment where he planned to snipe from until it was time. So was it that reliable a plan to go to a Turkish bath as an alternate way of finding housing for a few days back then?

[–] marbleann 11 years ago

I always thought why didn't he just pick up a woman and stay with her. He could of went anywhere. IMO after seeing the movie a few times I believe he needed another passport because they were on to him and he needed a mans passport and that is why he went to the Turkish Bath. Also knowing how Scandinavians like spa he would of ran into a Danish man.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] suzanne-lawson1 10 years ago

Because men are easier to pick up. Not so much of a guarantee he would have found a woman to stay with, and women don't have bath houses or places just for s ex things.

[–] marbleann 10 years ago

I agree he needed a place where men had no clothes on and where most likely some guy would be gay, so he could later get to his passport. He needed a passport. This man was very quick thinking.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] kmiv 9 years ago

That's one of my favorite parts of the movie! It's not underlined, particularly, but he stays with the dude for several days and they seemed to be having a fine old time together. 90% of the people I've showed it to over the years don't even notice. I'm not sure I could count enough bisexual characters in films of this era - or now, even - using more than the fingers of one hand.

I can't remember if it's played this way in the book or not. Bruce Willis obviously wasn't having any of this for the remake - or equally likely the studio.

[–] Son_of_Elvis 9 years ago

'Bruce Willis obviously wasn't having any of this for the remake - or equally likely the studio.'

The remake had the same scene, albeit in a nightclub. It shows Bruce Willis kissing the 'man', but it looks more like a chick with a mans haircut from behind iirc.

Dude, that is one gay looking signature.

[–] mail-924 8 years ago

Yeah in the jackal Bruce Willis plays it less gay and just as a ruse to park his weaponry in safe cover.

Cardboard Box is the Future.

[–] schumithecat 10 years ago

as shown in film the widow of the OAS guy ( I think guy who goes to the firing squad) was recruited to be the mistress of one of the guys who was at the briefings and his pillow talk kept her up to speed on what was going on and she was passing on info to her contact whom the jackyl would phone each night. they show some but not all of his calls and i don't recall if they show call where jackyl learned the cops knew what identity he was using (so he could be found by checking hotels). but it's clear that's what happened and why he knew he had to leave the hotel (and start using his back up passport the danish teacher).

[–] stevekaczynski 9 years ago

In the book, her dead fiancé is a French officer killed in the OAS rebellion against De Gaulle. Her brother had been a French officer killed in the Algerian conflict earlier. She joins the OAS because she hates De Gaulle for in her view betraying French Algeria.
In the film, we briefly see a photo of her fiancé before it is burned as a security measure by her OAS contact.

"Chicken soup - with a *beep* straw."

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] stevekaczynski 9 years ago

Yes, that's what it says in the book, and it is unlikely that if she had a tie to Bastien-Thiry that it would have escaped St Clair's notice.

"Chicken soup - with a *beep* straw."

[–] stevekaczynski 8 years ago

In the book, the Jackal goes to a gay bar, not a sauna. He picks up a man there, puts some make-up on and the police, disgusted, let him and his pick-up through. As mentioned by an earlier poster, the police are looking for someone heterosexual so the gay disguise is effective.

"Chicken soup - with a *beep* straw."

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] 8 years ago

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