Sky Riders

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Plot

In Greece, the wife and children of American businessman Jonas Bracken are kidnapped by a radical group, the World Activist Revolutionary Army, who demand a ransom of $5 million for their safe return. Bracken raises the ransom money from selling off parts of his business empire, but the kidnappers then make further demands, requiring Bracken to use the money to purchase arms and ammunition for them. Inspector Nikolidis of the Greek police is put in charge of case. Jim McCabe, a smuggler who is Ellen Bracken's ex-husband and father to their son, reads about the kidnapping in the newspapers and meets with Bracken.

Police trace a radio signal used by the kidnappers and close in on the location, only to discover it is a decoy. A booby-trap detonates, killing several officers including Nikolidis's nephew. Nikolidis and McCabe agree that the kidnappers must be stopped, perhaps by any means. The kidnappers send a photograph of Ellen and the children as proof that they are still alive and, without the police knowing, McCabe uses a contact to trace their location based on a painted fresco in the background of the photo. He discovers that they are being held in a remote cliff-top monastery.

McCabe finds a hang glider flying circus and hires them to take part in a rescue mission. When Nikolidis discovers that McCabe has gone to free Bracken's family, the police decide to launch their own rescue plan and move in. McCabe's team use their hang gliders to infiltrate the monastery and free the hostages, but are discovered as they are leaving. While a gun battle ensues between the kidnappers and the police at the monastery, McCabe's team and the hostages are pursued and eventually escape on their hang gliders. The head kidnapper chases them in a helicopter, which McCabe forces to crash land. The head kidnapper then commits suicide rather than be captured and Bracken is reunited with his family.

Directed by Douglas Hickox
Written by Jack DeWitt
Stanley Mann
Garry Michael White
Screenplay by Jack DeWitt
Greg MacGillivray
Produced by Terry Morse Jr.
Sandy Howard
Starring James Coburn
Susannah York
Robert Culp
Cinematography Jim Freeman
Greg MacGillivray
Ousama Rawi
Edited by Malcolm Cooke
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Production
company
20th Century Fox
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • March 26, 1976
Running time
91 min
Country United States
Language English
Box office $1,730,000 (US/ Canada)[1]

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