Poliziottesco with Telly Savalas and Antonio Sabato
Attention: risk of confusion! This film has nothing to do with the great Italo classic "La mala ordina / The Italian Connection", which also came out in 1972 and in which EUROPEAN FILM AWARD nominee Mario Adorf delivered a brilliant acting performance
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In this film by Alberto De Martino (1929-2015) we see GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Antonio Sabato as Sicilian farm boy Antonio Mancuso, who becomes the confidant of mafia boss Don Vincenzo (Telly Savalas) as a killer. He even sets up the smart young gangster with his lovely niece Monica (Paola Tedesco), which of course brings jealousy (Guido Lollobrigida) to the scene. Antonio's loyal brother (Giuliano Persico) also has to get involved. Fierce turf wars in the gangster milieu would follow, if there weren't still a shadow from the past...
Experienced mafia thriller from Italy, which has some plus points with the good cast, surprising locations (in addition to Palermo, Milan and Rome, it was also shot in Hamburg) and the camera work of the later dirty filmmaker Joe D'Amato, but not at the level of classic Poliziottesci like "La polizia ringrazia / Execution Squad" or "Il Boss / The Boss" achieved.
Alberto De Martino had previously directed the war film "Dirty Heroes" and the Giallo-Poliziottesco mix "The Man with Icy Eyes". The latter also starred Antonio Sabato (1943-2021).
In the documentary "EuroCrime" (2012), which was a monument to the Italian gangster films of the 1970s, super macho Antonio Sabato complained even after 40 years that the then 20-year-old actress Paola Tedesco had dared to do it , keeping her underwear on during a sex scene with him. People were used to something different in Italian cinema in the 1970s! But a courageous woman didn't let everything happen to her. Respect!
Before his great success as "Kojak", ACADEMY AWARD nominee Telly Savalas (1922-1994) appeared in several Cinecitta films, including alongside the enchanting GOLDEN GLOBE winner Elke Sommer in the Mario Bava classic "Lisa and the Devil" .
