Main Cast: Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura, Jill Ireland, Joseph Wiseman, Walter Chiari, Amedeo Nazzari
Release Year: 1972
Country: FR/IT
Run Time: 123 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
This crime action movie is based on Peter Maas' best-selling book The Valachi Papers. That book, in turn, is based on prison conversations and the actual U.S. Senate testimony of Joseph Valachi, a high-ranking figure in the Mafia. The book, which tells precisely who did what to whom, when and why, electrified the nation. This film had to be made in Italy, because attempts to shoot in the U.S. were stymied by mob-arranged "accidents" and protests. The story is told in flashback as Valachi (Charles Bronson) tells a Federal agent about his activities from 1929 to 1961, when he worked for the Capo of Capos, Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura). Though his tale necessarily takes place in a number of episodes, it never fails to have lots of drama and action. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Review
The Valachi Papers is a flawed but interesting relic from the pre-Death Wish era of Charles Bronson's stardom. Stephen Geller's script tries to cram several decades' worth of events into a two-hour film and this is both a blessing and a curse: the non-stop flow of shootings and double-crosses is never dull but the speed with which it is delivered ensures that it lacks depth and characterization. Director Terence Young handles the material with solid, economical style but his directorial touch is impersonal, reducing the film to a shoot-'em-up and thus further undercutting the story's dramatic edge. He also allows a few subpar performances to slip by: the worst comes from Joseph Wiseman, who brings an embarrassingly overdone Italian accent to his Mafia don role. Despite these problems, The Valachi Papers works on a B-movie level thanks to its preponderance of action. It also sports an inspired, surprisingly emotional performance from Bronson, who digs into the role of Valachi with a fervor that would rarely be seen in his post-Death Wish work. Ultimately, The Valachi Papers falls short of being a mob-movie classic, but its combination of plentiful action and Bronson's strong performance make it worth a look for hardcore genre fans. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Maria Baxa - Donna Petrillo; Frank Gio - Frank; Angelo Infanti - Lucky Luciano; Syl Lamont - Commander of Fort Monmouth; Guido Leontini - Bender; Pupella Maggio - Rosanna Reina; Gerald O'Loughlin - Ryan; Mario Pilar - Salerto; Sabine Sun - Jane; Fausto Tozzi - Albert Anastasia; Saro Urzi - Masseria; Don Koll - State Trooper; Arny Freeman - Penitentiary Warden; Alessandro Sperli - Giuseppe Masseria; Anthony Dawson - Federal Investigator; Franco Borelli - Buster; Fred Valleca - Johnny Beck
Credit
Mario Garbuglia - Art Director, Giorgio Desideri - Costume Designer, Ann Roth - Costume Designer, Terence Young - Director, Johnny Dwyre - Editor, Riz Ortolani - Composer (Music Score), Giannetto De Rossi - Makeup, Aldo Tonti - Cinematographer, Dino de Laurentiis - Producer, Nino E. Krisman - Producer, John Godfrey - Set Designer, Ferdinando Ruffo - Set Designer, Eros Bacciucchi - Special Effects, Roy Mangano - Sound/Sound Designer, Stephen Geller - Screenwriter, Arduino Maiuri - Screenwriter, Peter Maas - Book Author
