30 March 1981

Monday 30 March

1981-03-30

Events

 * An assassination attempt is made on the US President Ronald Reagan. John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to shoot Reagan outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C., at around 2.27 PM local time, just after the president had addressed the Building and Construction Workers Union of the AFL-CIO. Reagan was subjected to an emergency thoracotomy lasting 105 minutes. Two of his aides were also injured.
 * Chariots of Fire directed by Hugh Hudson and starring Ben Cross and Ian Charleson premieres at a Royal Command Film Performance in London. (see also TV below )

TV

 * BBC One
 * 11.00 pm Film 81 with Barry Norman. The last programme in the present series offering news, reviews and interviews from the cinema world. Chariots of Fire, chosen for tonight's Royal Film Performance, is the story of two British Olympic athletes and their contrasting attitudes to victory. Michael Crawford talks on location about his role in Condorman as the cartoonist who tries to live his characters with hilarious results. La Cage aux Folles II is a sequel to the enormously successful performance by Michel Serrault and Ugo Tognazzi as the gay couple running a St Tropez night club.

scans GraemeWood
 * ITV