The Italian Connection (1972) La mala ordina (original title)

Director:

Fernando Di Leo

Writers:

Fernando Di Leo (story)
Fernando Di Leo (dialogue)
(more)

Release Date:

2 September 1972 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

When a shipment of heroin disappears between Italy and New York, a small-time pimp in Milan is framed for the theft...

Plot Keywords:

Pimp | Revenge | Heroin | Italy | Hero Kills A Woman

Cast

Mario Adorf	...	Luca Canali
Henry Silva	...	Dave Catania
Woody Strode	...	Frank Webster
Adolfo Celi	...	Don Vito Tressoldi
Luciana Paluzzi	...	Eva Lalli
Franco Fabrizi	...	Enrico Moroni
Femi Benussi	...	Nana
Gianni Macchia	...	Nicolo
Peter Berling	...	Damiano
Francesca Romana Coluzzi	...	Trini
Cyril Cusack	...	Corso
Sylva Koscina	...	Lucia Canali
Jessica Dublin	...	Miss Kenneth
Omero Capanna	...	Vito's Goon
Giuseppe Castellano	...	Garagaz
Giulio Baraghini	...	Gustovino
Andrea Scotti	...	Garo
Imelde Marani	...	Cloakroom attendant
Gilberto Galimberti	...	Vito's Goon
Franca Sciutto	...	Dancer
Ulli Lommel	...	Dancer (as Ulrich Lommel)
Vittorio Fanfoni	...	Vito's Goon
Giuliano Petrelli	...	Vito's Goon
Pietro Ceccarelli	...	Vito's Goon
Pasquale Fasciano	...	Vito's Goon
Alberto Fogliani	...	Pinocho
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Empedocle Buzzanca	...	Don Vito Henchman (uncredited)
Enrico Chiappafreddo	...	Don Vito Henchman (uncredited)
Domenico Cianfriglia	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Giovanni Cianfriglia	...	Peppiniello (uncredited)
Guerrino Crivello	...	Hotel Bartender (uncredited)
Fernando Di Leo	...	Passerby in Blue Shirt (uncredited)
Lina Franchi	...	Prostitute in the Park (uncredited)
Ettore Geri	...	Disco Barman (uncredited)
Lara Wendel	...	Rita Canali (uncredited)
Renato Zero	...	Friend of Triny (uncredited)

Directed by
Fernando Di Leo

Writing credits
Fernando Di Leo		(story)
Fernando Di Leo		(dialogue)
Fernando Di Leo		(screenplay) and
Augusto Finocchi		(screenplay) &
Ingo Hermes		(screenplay)
Giorgio Scerbanenco		(short story) uncredited

Produced by
Armando Novelli	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Armando Trovajoli		(as Armando Trovaioli)

Cinematography by
Franco Villa

Film Editing by
Amedeo Giomini

Production Design by
Francesco Cuppini

Costume Design by
Francesco Cuppini

Makeup Department
Antonio Mura	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Luciano Appignani	....	unit production manager
Pietro Ceccarelli	....	production manager (as Lanfranco Ceccarelli)
Armando Novelli	....	unit production manager
Vincenzo Salviani	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Lo Cascio	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Goffredo Salvatori	....	sound

Special Effects by
Basilio Patrizi	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Enrico Biribicchi	....	assistant camera
Claudio Morabito	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alain Reynaud	....	wardrobe: Luciana Paluzzi

Editorial Department
Ornella Chistolini	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Gilberto Galimberti	....	master at arms
Augusto Petrone	....	production assistant
Vivalda Vigorelli	....	continuity
David Sheldon	....	production executive (uncredited)
Sormani	....	tapestry (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cineproduzioni Daunia 70
• Dear Film Produzione
• Hermes Synchron

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1973) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Astral Films (1973) (Canada) (theatrical) (as "The Italian Connection") (dubbed)
• Xenon Entertainment Group (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Starmedia Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (1985) (USA) (VHS) (as "Manhunt")
• Raro Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (box set)
• Raro Video/Nocturno (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Video Media (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Videoasia (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Gruppo Acrobatica Saci  stunts
• Sormani  furnishing

Also Known As:

"La mala ordina" - Italy (original title)
"Black Kingpin" - USA (video title)
"Hired to Kill" - International (English title)
"Hit Men" - USA (video title)
"Hitmen" - USA (video title)
"Man Hunt" - USA (video title)
"Manhunt" - USA (video title)
"Manhunt in the City" - International (English title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Italy | West Germany

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Italy:VM18

Filming Locations:

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

Cineproduzioni Daunia 70

Trivia:

German Import DVD has a Super-8mm Version (German language only), as a special feature on the disc.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005) (V)

Recommended, but look for the Italian version

Two vicious hit men (Henry Silva and Woody Strode) are sent by the New York mob to Milan, Italy to "make an example" of a small-time pimp (Mario Adolph) who is believed to be responsible for a missing shipment of heroin. The two hit-man have the support of the local Milan mafia don (Adolf Celli), who may know more than he's telling about the missing heroin, but their target turns out to be much more wily and dangerous than they could have possibly anticipated.

Although this Ferdinand de Leo crime thriller is regarded as a minor masterpiece of the genre, it has only been released in America so far on a crappy VHS tape which really hampers the enjoyment. It's full-frame, horribly cropped with the kind of muddy, off-color transfer that gives third generation bootlegs a not-so-bad name. The dubbing could charitably be described as indifferent--it's like they pulled random English speakers off the street and had them read from cue cards. The women in these movies are typically just sex objects, but still you would think that an actress of Femi Benussi's stature in Italian exploitation films (maybe a rung below Edwige Fenech and Barbara Bouchet) would at least get CREDIT for the important role of the protagonist's ill-fated, former prostitute girlfriend. (And her patented long, butt-naked nude scene would probably be a little more enjoyable if the ample skin she shows wasn't bluish-gray due to the lousy transfer). Perhaps most ridiculous though, the whole thing is presented as a "blaxploitation" film due to the presence of African-American actor Woody Strode (who's obviously dubbed by a white guy) even though the real protagonist here is a white Italian.

The action scenes are very effective though despite the transfer. It's also a pretty good basic story. I like these movies where there's a criminal anti-hero taking on the mob rather than the usual vigilante cop. The Italian crime thrillers certainly have their share of vigilante cops (the genre was largely inspired by "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection"), but even these films at least acknowledge that that there's moral ambiguity in the world and that violence isn't always a clean solution for every problem. Overall, I would recommend this, but if you're going to get it at all, it probably would be worth seeking out a widescreen Italian version with English subtitles. Avoid the laughable "Black Kingpin" version.