Assignment to Kill

Richard Cutter isn't like most insurance investigators. Instead of being equipped with actuarial tables, he's armed with a handgun and a dismissive wit. "Why do you carry a gun?" asks the exec hiring him to probe a case of multimillion-dollar insurance fraud. "It's more effective than a hammer," Cutter replies.

Patrick O'Neal brings unshakeable sangfroid to the role of Cutter in this zigzag tale of corporate cover-up and death.

Insurance investigator Richard Cutting (Patrick O'Neal) is summoned to look into the sinking of some ships owned by wealthy shipping-magnate Curt Valayan (John Gielgud). Traveling to Switzerland, he interviews the owner and finds that his henchmen Matt (Herbert Lom) and the Big Man (Leon Greene) may be on Curt's payroll but are definitely looking out for their own interests. One agent has already been killed, and the local police inspector Ruff (Oscar Homolka) briefs Richard on the situation. Dominique (Joan Hackett) is on her way to provide some valuable information before being violently murdered. Richard tries to keep himself alive in a foreign country as he tries to solve the crimes.