The President Must Die

Produced by Sunn Classic Pictures, known for their pre-production audience concept testing. The subject matter of this film (like the similar The Lincoln Conspiracy) tested very highly during research. When it came to ticket-buyers, however, the film fell far short of expectations when played in Arizona and Virginia test markets in January 1981. The film was then completely shelved, never to be seen again. Evidence for the existence of this film seems to only exist here and in surviving copies of the incredibly rare tie-in Bantam paperback (released as Conspiracy to Kill a President.) The fact that there was a competing book released that year sharing the film's title and an assassination attempt on then-President Reagan in March likely complicated any further marketing of the film.