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Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura, Jill Ireland, Joseph Wiseman, Walter Chiari ... see more see more... , Amedeo Nazzari , Maria Baxa , Frank Gio , Angelo Infanti , Syl Lamont , Guido Leontini , Pupella Maggio , Gerald S. O'Loughlin , Mario Pilar , Sabine Sun , Fausto Tozzi , Saro Urzì , Don Koll , Arny Freeman , Alessandro Sperli , Anthony Dawson , Franco Borelli , Fred Valleca

This crime action movie is based on Peter Maas' best-selling book The Valachi Papers. That book, in turn, is based on prison conversations and the actual U.S. Senate testimony of Joseph Valachi, a hig... read more read more...h-ranking figure in the Mafia. The book, which tells precisely who did what to whom, when and why, electrified the nation. This film had to be made in Italy, because attempts to shoot in the U.S. were stymied by mob-arranged "accidents" and protests. The story is told in flashback as Valachi (Charles Bronson) tells a Federal agent about his activities from 1929 to 1961, when he worked for the Capo of Capos, Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura). Though his tale necessarily takes place in a number of episodes, it never fails to have lots of drama and action. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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53% liked it

987 ratings

PG, 2 hr. 3 min.

Directed by: Terence Young

Release Date: January 1, 1972

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DVD Release Date: January 3, 2006

Stats: 36 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (36)

  • flixsterman
    October 11, 2009
    flixsterman
    As a mob history lesson, The Valachi Papers gets a B minus, as a film it rates a solid C. The characters, especially the Italians, are reduced to thin characterizations. At times, its as though the Super Mario Brothers are recreating scenes from The Godfather or <... read morei>Goodfellas. The accents, and the mustaches, are just that cheesy. Still, Bronson presents an intriguing, albeit romanticized, representation of real-life mob hitman Joseph Valachi.

    It's interesting to note that the film's production had to be halted in the U.S. because it became too dangerous to continue. Apparently certain powerful entities didn't want the story told. It was completed in Europe.
  • rayman0071
    February 5, 2007
    rayman0071
    Classic Charles Bronson. It doesn't get any better than this. In other words,don't fuck with Chuck.
  • PinkMinkPrincess
    June 14, 2011
    PinkMinkPrincess
    Mafia from the Inside, from Actual Testimony of a Imprisoned Mobster turned States Evidence.This was a Big Deal at the Time, as there was no Goodfella's or Joseph Bananno Testimonies to feed our curiousity about the Mafia Families

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