The Traveling Executioner (1970)

Director:

Jack Smight

Writer:

Garrie Bateson

Stars:

Stacy Keach, Marianna Hill, Bud Cort

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stacy Keach	...	Jonas Candide
Marianna Hill	...	Gundred Herzallerliebst
Bud Cort	...	Jimmy Croft
Graham Jarvis	...	Doc Prittle
James Sloyan	...	Piquant (as James J. Sloyan)
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Warden Brodski
John Bottoms	...	Lawyer
Ford Rainey	...	Stanley Mae
James Greene	...	Gravey Combs
Sammy Reese	...	Priest
Stefan Gierasch	...	Willy Herzallerliebst
Logan Ramsey	...	La Follette
Charles Tyner	...	Virgil
William Mims	...	Lyon
Val Avery	...	Jake

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

execution | black comedy

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Taglines:

1918. The year this man traveled the South with a portable electric chair.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der reisende Henker

Filming Locations:

Kilby Prison, Montgomery, Alabama, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was filmed at Alabama's then recently closed Kilby Prison off of Coliseum Blvd. in Montgomery. As part of an agreement with the state for filming rights, filmmakers were supposed to have demolished the prison's massive walls with pyrotechnics during/after the film. However, the walls were so thick, three charges failed to do the job, and their remnants stayed around for years afterwards.

User Reviews

Underrated gem of 1970

This hard-to-find cool little film starring Stacy Keach is really special. A great performance by Keach (along with other early films of his, such as The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Fat City, Judge Roy Bean, Brewster McCloud, and The Dion Brothers) and a fascinating study of this quirky traveling man who pushed his luck. Why is this not on video or DVD?

Before Keach became a Hollywood hack (with the exception of Long Riders) he made a series of films that showed the tremendous promise he had on stage. After the TV show Caribe he seemed to slide into obscurity except for Mike Hammer. This is a charming film that slipped under the radar in 1970 and is well worth your time. An 8 out of 10.