Company of Killers (1970) (TV)

Director:

Jerry Thorpe

Writer:

E. Jack Neuman (writer)

Release Date:

14 February 1972 (Sweden)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Assassins for Hire! Satisfaction Guaranteed! Killing is Big Business In the Hands of This Murder Machine!

Plot:

A gunman working for a crime ring is hunted by both the police and his employers after a cop is murdered. |

Plot Keywords:

Newspaper Reporter | Police Captain | Unsold TV Series Pilot

Cast

Van Johnson	...	Sam Cahill
Ray Milland	...	George DeSalles
Brian Kelly	...	Nick Andros
Fritz Weaver	...	John Shankalien
Clu Gulager	...	Frank Quinn
Susan Oliver	...	Thelma Dwyer
Diana Lynn	...	Edwina DeSalles
John Saxon	...	Dave Poohler
Robert Middleton	...	Owen Brady
Terry Carter	...	Jaffie
Ahna Capri	...	Maryjane Smythe (as Terry Capri)
Anthony James	...	Jimmy Kinic
Marian Collier	...	Sylvia Xavier
Nate Esformes	...	Peterson
Mercer Harris	...	Luke

Also Known As:

The Hit Team
The Protectors

Runtime:

USA:84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Denver, Colorado, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Originally intended as a TV movie named "The Protectors", but released theatrically with this new name.

Is a TV movie still a TV movie even though its released to the big screen?

This is a very run of the mill TV movie that somehow got diverted to the big screen. I don't know why, except maybe they had trouble with some of the violence and material when it was first made (then again this was apparently G rated when it played in theaters). The plot has a hit man on the run from both the cops and the mob after a cop is shot. Its well acted by the cast (Ray Milland, Van Johnson, Fritz Weaver, and other TV movie stalwarts of the 1970's) but everyone seems to be there more for a paycheck than for anything else. Only John Saxon seems to be there for more than a paycheck. Actually Saxon's performance seemed to make me think that this wasn't a hack TV movie.

I apologize for not being more detailed but while the movie wasn't bad it wasn't very good either, it just sort lays there, not really a movie movie, and not really a TV movie. Watching this late last night I found myself slowly being put to sleep by it while at the same time trying to remain awake enough to find out what happened next (which does score points for it). Once it was over I moved on to other, more lively things and was wide awake for those. I guess the best thing I can say, its not bad, but if you can watch something else you might want to.