The Plot:
Cast of Assualt on Precinct 13
Assualt on Precinct 13 Triva
3:00 a.m. An armed gang slowly make their way along a dark alley. Suddenly the police shout out, a gunfight breaks out and all the gang members are killed. The next day we learn that the gang, known as "Street Thunder", is a major player in the Los Angeles metro area, unfortunatly the rest of the gang members are pissed off, and ready to stick it to da' man. Over some opening scenery shots radio broadcasts inform us that a huge shipment of firearms has been stolen by a street gang.
Newly promoted Lieutenant Bishop is given what he thinks is a small assignment. He has to take care of a nearly deserted LA
polic station that is in the process of being moved to another location. Only the desk sergeantm, a policewoman, and a young secretary are still present.
Multiple murderer Napoleon Wilson is being taken to Death Row with two other convicts, one of them suffering a terriable fever. The fever gets so bad that they have to pull into the nearest police precinct to call a doctor. The convicts are unloaded and placed into the empty cells. Bishop's small assignment is starting to become more complicated.
Nearby a father and his young daughter are trying to find a relatives house. They have a confrontation with the gang who is now out for revenge on the police for what happened to many of their members. The gang catch up with a man selling ice cream from his truck and they sneak up behind him and kill him and the young girl, the father picks up the ice cream mans guns and goes after one of the gang. He catches up with one of the gang and empties his pistol and kill the gang members. He flees to the nearest precinct and the gang members want the father at whatever cost so they attack the precinct with a bewildering array of silent arms. First off, Officer Chaney takes a fall on the front lawn of the precinct, the victum of a sniper bullet, The cons and Starker are ambushed as they try to get on their bus. Then the lights go out. Officer Bishop quiet night has just turned bad. The street gang is outside lurking int he darkness with silenced automatic weapons, not afraid to die, wanting to kill at any cost.
In desperation, Bishop enlists the convicts to help in defending the precinct. In an all and out assualt the remaining few in the precinct stay off the gang long enough for reinforcements to arrive and save the day. Bishop escorts Napoleon out of the precinct.
Officer Ethan Bishop: Austin Stoker
Nappleon Wison: Darwin Joston
Office Worker Leigh: Laurie Zimmer
The Father: Martin West
Wells: Tony Burton
Switchboard Operator Julie: Nancy Loomis
The Daughter: Kim Richards
Desk Officer Chaney: Henry Brandon
Detective Starker: Charles Cyphers
Street Thunder Leader: Frank Doubleday
Crew of Assualt on Precinct 13
Executive Producer: Joseph Kaufman
Producer: JS Kaplan
Music Score Written by: John Carpenter
Directed by: John Carpenter
Film Editor: James T. Chance AKA: John Carpenter
Running Time: 91 mins
When Bishop is given his assignment he is told to report to Precinct 9; Division 13, not Precinct 13 as we are led to believe. The name of the film probably arose from the widely held supersititous fear of the number 13, somehow Assualt on Precinct 9 dosen't quite have the dramatic impact of the actual title.
The editor is credited as James T. Chance, the same name as John Wayne's character in Rio Bravo(on which this film was based) but the actual editor was director John Carpenter.
Notes on the Films Themes
The film establishes Carpenter's love of characters being trapped and fighting against evil.
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