Die Valachi-Papiere (1972)

When Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) has a price put on his head by Don Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura), he must take desperate steps to protect himself while in prison. An unsuccessful attempt ... See full summary »

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

Stephen Geller (screenplay), Peter Maas (novel)

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura, Jill Ireland

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Joe Valachi
Lino Ventura	...	Vito Genovese
Jill Ireland	...	Maria Reina Valachi
Walter Chiari	...	Gap
Joseph Wiseman	...	Salvatore Maranzano
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Ryan (as Gerald O'Loughlin)
Amedeo Nazzari	...	Gaetano Reina
Fausto Tozzi	...	Albert Anastasia
Pupella Maggio	...	Letizia Reina
Angelo Infanti	...	Lucky Luciano
Guido Leontini	...	Tony Bender
María Baxa	...	Donna
Mario Pilar	...	Salierno
Franco Borelli	...	Buster
Alessandro Sperli	...	Giuseppe 'Joe the Boss' Masseria (as Alessandro Sperlì)

Storyline

When Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) has a price put on his head by Don Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura), he must take desperate steps to protect himself while in prison. An unsuccessful attempt to slit his throat puts him over the edge to break the sacred code of silence.

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Plot Keywords:

mob boss | informant | 1930s | prison | street shootout | 

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Taglines:

The syndicate. Genovese. Anastasia. Luciano. Masseria. Lucchese. Maranzano. The way they lived - The way they died.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

1 February 1973 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Cosa Nostra

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino De Laurentiis Company, Euro-France Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The production suddenly ended its New York leg of the production earlier than scheduled to complete the rest of the filming in Italy. Of the production's move from New York to Italy, director Terence Young said: "We had two units working five hours a day, and finished our five weeks' New York Schedule in three. We were very well treated by the New YorkIitalians . . . [but] . . . It was disturbing to have to leave New York and move to Rome earlier than we had planned. In our eighteen days on location we had shot what we had scheduled for approximately four weeks. I had been hoping we could shoot there for about another ten days. But this is a crazy business we're in. As soon as we made the move to Rome, I began to find special virtues in having made the change".

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Goofs

During a car chase scene, the cameras back out too far from the antique cars, and you can see modern (circa late 60's - early 70's)cars in the street with them.

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Quotes

Tony Bender: "Cut it off!" Bender to his two henchman as they grab Gap to get a "present" for Don Vito's girlfriend.

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Connections

Referenced in The Bob Newhart Show: Old Man Rivers (1973)

User Reviews

Read it in the papers.

The following year Charles Bronson would team up with director Michael Winner as a cop on the trail of the mafia, but the year before in "The Valachi Papers" he would find himself smack in the middle of it all as former mobster Joe Valachi serving 15 years in prison with a target on his head of twenty thousand dollars by mafia capo Vito Genovese. When he learns of it with there being no way of getting out of it when receives the kiss of death. Joe decides to spill his guts on the inner workings (extortion, vengeance and murder) of LaCosa Nostra for some sort of protection for him and his family. This would be the third European film of the trot between Charles Bronson and director Terence Young with the gritty crime flick "Cold Sweat (1970)" and buddy western "Red Sun (1971)" being the two before it. Coming out the same year as the similar in vein, but masterful classic "The Godfather". "The Valachi Papers" probably came and went with little notice. While not as stylish, it managed to have scope in its tough, trim and grippingly told narration splitting between past recounting and present situations. The plot was adapted off Peter Maas' novel of the same name that covers this true account of the mafia underworld and organised crime. A steadfast Bronson perfectly nailed down the lead with excellently respectable support by the likes of Lino Ventura, Joseph Wiseman, Walter Chiari, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Angelo Infanti and Amedeo Nazzari. Director Young does a steadily routine job, but it's well done for such a minimal and straight looking production. For a running time of just over two hours, never does it feel it or seem to drag. The workmanlike execution gives the air a brutal (one raw act of violence would have any male squirming) and hardboiled touch, crafting well etched period (through the 1930s) location details and a having profound power in its escalating dramatics. A violent, tough-talking gangster feature with fine cast associated.