The Mechanic (1972)

An aging hitman befriends a young man who wants to be a professional killer. Eventually it becomes clear that someone has betrayed them.

Director:

Michael Winner

Writers:

Lewis John Carlino (screenplay), Lewis John Carlino (story)

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vincent, Keenan Wynn

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Arthur Bishop
Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Steve McKenna
Keenan Wynn	...	Harry McKenna
Jill Ireland	...	The Girl
Linda Ridgeway	...	Louise, Steve McKenna's Girlfriend
Frank DeKova	...	The Man (as Frank De Kova)
James Davidson	...	Intern
Lindsay Crosby	...	Policeman (as Lindsay H. Crosby)
Steve Cory	...	Messenger
Tak Kubota	...	Yamoto (as Takayuki Kubota)
Patrick O'Moore	...	Old Man
Martin Gordon	...	American Tourist
Celeste Yarnall	...	The Mark's Girl
Athena Lorde	...	Old Woman
Alison Rose	...	Young Girl

Storyline

A professional hit man is planning to retire, always a difficult move for one in such a profession. A young apprentice appears to be eager to learn all the skills of the trade - but is that all he wants?

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Plot Keywords:

hitman | funeral | professional hit | villain played by lead actor | main character dies | 

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Taglines:

Clean, Fast, Professional.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The actress who played Louise, the suicidal girlfriend is Linda Ridgeway. She's one of the many Cosby accusers who said her incident occurred in 1971, the year prior to this film.

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Goofs

(at around 1 min): When Bishop is photographing using a telescope, the image should be upside down.

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Quotes

Arthur Bishop: That was pretty cold.
Steve McKenna: I knew she wouldn't do it.
Arthur Bishop: But, had she done that, would be willing to pick up the tab?

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Alternate Versions

The 1988 UK Warner video release was cut by 7 secs by the BBFC to remove closeup shots of a lock picking. The cuts were restored in the 2004 MGM DVD.

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Connections

Referenced in Endeavour: Cartouche (2018)

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Soundtracks

String Quartet Op.18 No.6 (2nd Movement)
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

Murder Is Only Killing without a License

The forty-two year old hit-man Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is frequently hired to kill without a trace and he carefully studies the profiles of his victims to find the perfect and clean way to execute them.

When he is hired to kill "Big" Harry McKenna (Keenan Wynn), who was a former friend of his father, Arthur meets his son Steve McKenna (Jan- Michael Vincent) asking money to Harry at home. Later in Harry's funeral, Steve asks for a ride to Arthur and they become very close. Arthur finds potential in the twenty-four year old Steve to become a professional killer and he invites the youngster to form a partnership with him. However his attitude displeases the Powers that Be and Arthur is sent to Naples to kill a mobster. Arthur finds a file about him in a drawer at Steve's house but he invites Steve to travel with him to Italy. Sooner they learn that someone wants them to see Naples and die.

"The Mechanic" is an engaging film by Michael Winner with another great performance of Charles Bronson in the role of a "mechanic", meaning a hired hit-man that kills his victims without leaving a trace. One of the best lines in this film is when he tells to Steve that murder is only killing without a license. Jan-Michael Vincent has one of his best performances in the role of a youngster that believe that he has learned how to lure an experienced man. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Assassino a Preço Fixo" ("Killer at a Fixed Price")

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 1972 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Killer of Killers

Filming Locations:

Amalfi, Campania, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Carlino Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1