The Valachi Papers
Tags: neo noir, murder

Plot synopsis:
The movie begins in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, where an aging prisoner named Joseph Valachi (Charles Bronson) is imprisoned for smuggling heroin. The boss of his crime family, Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura), is imprisoned there as well. Genovese is certain that Valachi is an informant, and gives him the "kiss of death," whereupon Valachi kisses him back.
Valachi mistakenly kills a fellow prisoner whom he wrongly thinks is a mob assassin. Told of the mistake by federal agents, Valachi becomes an informant, mistakenly recognized as the first in the history of the American mafia. He tells his life story in flashbacks.
The movie traces Valachi from a young punk to a gangster associating with bosses like Salvatore Maranzano (Joseph Wiseman). Maranzano tells a mourner at a funeral, "I cannot bring back the dead. I can only kill the living." Valachi marries a boss's daughter, played by Bronson's real-life wife Jill Ireland.
Valachi's rise in the Mafia is hampered by his poor relations with his capo, Tony Bender (Guido Leontini). Bender is portrayed castrating a mobster for having relations with another mobster's wife. Valachi shoots the victim to put him out of his misery.
The mayhem and murder continue to the present, with Valachi shown testifying before a Senate committee. He is upset with having to testify and attempts suicide, but in the end (according to information superimposed on the screen) outlives Genovese, who dies in prison.

Review: it's a smaller film, and should be compared to, say, Mobsters (1991), which deals with the same period and some of the same characters as V.P. Charles Bronson's Valachi is adequate.
When I compare the casting of the incomparable Joseph Wiseman in this role as opposed to, say, Michael Gambon in the same role in Mobsters, or Anthony Quinn as an equally old-school rival in the same film, I wonder: None of these actors are Italian -American or even simply Italian; why do some of them work, and the others don't?
"The Valachi Papers" in contrast was a much more straight forward story based on real mob figures--and it's a dandy film.The film begins in the early 1960s.
It seems that someone in the organization has talked--and the mob of bosses, Genovese (Lino Ventura) believes it was Valachi.
What follows is a very long story about Valachi's earliest days in the mob (about 1930) up to the arrest that brought him to prison--and a bit beyond.The story is helped a lot by the films's length--a little over two hours.
I've seen him in many French films (mostly Pierre Melville productions) and have LOVED his acting--he plays a great mobster--cold and tough.
This totally under-rated mob film is right up there with the best mob movies (Godfathers 1 and 2, Scarface, Once Upon A Time In America, Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale, Capone, Casino, Untouchables, etc).
Charles Bronson, although not italian, plays a very convincing role as mobster turned "rat" Joe Valachi.
The movie " The Valachi Papers " is the direct result of that investigation and brought to the forefront of public awareness the vast network of the underworld's crime bosses and their families.
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.
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.
A steadfast Bronson perfectly nailed down the lead with excellently respectable support by the likes of Lino Ventura, Joseph Wiseman, Walter Chiari, Gerald S.
Charles Bronson starts to break out of spaghetti westerns and good character roles and becomes a leading man around the time The Valachi Papers came out.
Not that they didn't get it and didn't appreciate the side benefits of those famous televised hearings, but eventually what came out of the Valachi hearings was the RICO law which has in fact put quite a dent into organized crime.The Valachi Papers has Charles Bronson telling FBI man Gerald S.
O'Loughlin about his life and times in organized crime with La Cosa Nostra from the days of the Marranzano-Masseria wars until the present which would have been 1962.
But with some hard documentation now, new laws are created to meet the problem.Bronson does his best with Valachi, but the story has him pretty one dimensional.
In fact the only reason he turns informer is that Vito Genovese already mistakenly has him down as one.Fans of the gangster genre and Charles Bronson should give this one a look.
The flick deals with tough Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) , he has a price put on his head by Don Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura) who is in prison and from there, he still runs his criminal empire .
Valachi's criminal career began with a small gang known as "The Minutemen," so-called for carrying out smash and grab burglaries and escaping within a minute and subsequently as a chauffeur.I n the early 1930s, through mob contact Dominick "The Gap" Petrilli (Walter Chiari) , Valachi was introduced to the Cosa Nostra or Mafia, and soon became a soldier in the Reina Family (now known as the Lucchese Family) during the height of the Castellammarese War. Valachi fought on the side of Salvatore Maranzano, who eventually defeated the faction headed by rival Joseph Masseria (Sperli) .
Valachi then became a soldier in the family headed by Charles "Lucky" Luciano (eventually known as the Genovese Family), in the crew headed by Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo (Leontini) .This landmark gangster movie is strong stuff , being dominated by the tenacious acting of Charles Bronson as the gangster of the title who follows his way venomously since a simple gangster , chauffeur until his prison as he breaks the sacred code of silence , the Omertá .
Director Yerence Young's body-strewn look at the feud between Maranzano , Genovese , Masseria , Gaetano Reina , Lucky Luciano and other famous mobsters , but especially concerns about the informer Joe Valachi .
The notorious gangster Vito Genovese being splendidly played by Lino Ventura who makes a good character study of one of the most colorful mobsters of the history .In the film appears famous gangsters such as Salvatore Maranzano played by Joseph Wiseman , Gaetano Reina acted by Amedeo Nazzari , Albert Anastasia by Fausto Tozzi , Letizia Reina played by Pupella Maggio and Lucky Luciano performed by Angelo Infanti .
Jill Ireland , Bronson's real wife , makes an appealing heroine , providing an elegant touch amid the 'macho'machine gun mayhem of the rest of the film .
The motion picture is based on the book ¨Joe Valachi papers¨ and on real events , these are the following : ¨In October 1963, Valachi had testified before Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations that the Mafia did exist.Although Valachi's disclosures never led directly to the prosecution of many Mafia leaders, he was able to provide many details of its history, operations and rituals, aiding in the solution of several uncleared murders, as well as naming many members and the major crime families.
While in prison, Valachi feared that mob boss Vito Genovese had ordered his death as a traitor.
The gangster Joseph "Joe" Valachi (Charles Bronson) has worked for the Mafia for more than thirty years in New York.
When he has been imprisoned for fifteen years, he learns that the mobster Don Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura) is offering a reward for his life.
In return, he has to disclose the secrets of the Cosa Nostra."The Valachi Papers" is based on a true story and tells the rise and fall of a gangster from the Mafia.
The role of Joseph Valachi is tailored for Charles Bronson and fans of gangster movie will certainly enjoy this film.
(Minor Spoilers) Facing the death penalty for the murder of a fellow inmate Joe Saupp, whom he mistakenly thought was assigned to murder him, Mafia button man or soldier Joe Valachi, Charles Bronson, is now facing death from both the federal government and his boss Mafia Kingpin and fellow convict Vito Genovese, Lino Ventura, who put a $50,000.00, later $100,000.00, contract on his head.Don Vito the boss of bosses of the five New York Mafia families has been suspicious of his friend and mob associate Joe Valachi for some time of rating him out and setting him up in a government sting on a narcotic rap and has decided to have Valachi who had nothing to do with it hit.
The final straw for Joe Valachi was when Don Vito gave him the "kiss of death" after he had a friendly talk with him in his prison cell.The movie "The Valachi Papers" is no where as good as movies about the Mafia like "The Godfather" or "Goodfellows" but has the distinction of being the very first Hollywood-made movie,as far as I know, to show the inner workings of the Mafia and it's secretive and shadow-like organization La Cosa Nosra; roughly meaning "our thing" in Italian.In protective custody and being prepped for the upcoming 1963 Sen. McClellan/Kennedy hearings on Organized Crime we and federal agent Ryan, Gerald S.O'Loughlin, get the truth about the Mafia/Cosa Nostra straight from the horses mouth Joe Valachi himself.
In a long flashback Valachi takes us through the turbulent 1930's 40's and 50's when the mob went from a group of petty and unimaginative crime bosses to the powerful and well oiled crime machine that it eventually became.There are those who feel that Joe Valachi's claims of his being somehow involved with almost every major Mafia figurer over those 30 some years is a bit overdone and boastful on his part in order to give himself much more credit then he really deserves.
All that will always have his name, Joe Valachi, as a major force in exposing the Mafia to the unaware public despite his low standing, he never rose above a button man, in that crime organization.Charles Bronson did a better then average job as the Mafia thug Joe Valachi with him acting more then using his fists and his real-life.
Bronson's wife Jill Ireland was more or less window dressing playing Valachi's wife in the movie Maria the daughter of Joe's boss Gaetano Reina, Amedeo Nazzani.
There was also the rest of the legendary "murderers row" of the mob in the movie that included Albert Anastasia Lucky Luciano & Joe "The Boss" Masseria played by Fausto Tozzi Angelo Infanti and Alessandro Sperll.Valachi a good soldier almost to the end broke from tradition and the Mafia code of "Morte" or silence.
It's then that Valachi spelled the end of the powerful mob organization that took the likes of Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky, incidentally a non-Italian, over thirty years to build.
If Joe Valachi was only treated with more respect and understanding by the paranoid and homicidal Vito Genovese things may well have been different for all those represented in the movie.P.S Joe Valachi did in the end get his wish from the Federal Government by outliving his boss and the person who put a price on his head, for $100,000.00, Vito Genovese by almost two years.
It rode in on the coat-tails of the Godfather and though Charles Bronson is good and Lino Ventura isn't too bad either, it's really the same old rehash of a typical mob story.
It's really unbelievable that this beauty never achieved international fame.So, unless you're really a fan of Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura or the beautiful Maria Baxa, The Valachi Papers is only an above average rehashing of your typical mob movie..
Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) is a marked man.
This movie didn't have a chance even with a good performance from Charles Bronson..
But I am writing one anyway.BRONSON plays this small time hood who is being hunted by the mafioso after his former boss (played by LINO VENTURA) puts out a contract on his head, fearing that he might spill the beans about their operations, for a deal with the police.
Much of the film is told in flashbacks as Bronson's character narrates the story of his life to a man of the law.
Charles Bronson looks tough and cool but he's no Joe Valachi.
Second, as memorable as Joseph Wiseman was as Dr. No, his performance as Marranzo is astonishingly bad.Given these points, I nearly turned off Valachi Papers about 20-minutes into the film, fearing I was in for a two-hour Ed Wood version of a mobster movie.
As the film progresses in time, the continuity issues disappear, and Charles Bronson's understated performance helps to sustain a modicum of credibility.One can appreciate how, for a 1972 audience, the film's relative realism breaks some new ground; however, when you consider that The Godfather, one of the best films ever made, was released that year, it's easy to understand why the Valachi Papers has been largely forgotten over the years..
Joseph Wiseman and Lino Ventura are very good as godfathers of the old school, but with different methods.
I watched the movie on demand on cable and its amazing that the Valachi Papers was released nearly within a 6 month time span of the Godfather; both films could not be further apart in the spectrum.
I mean before Joe Valachis testimony, very few people knew the workings of La Cosa Nostra and it was years before J Edgar Hoover even admitted there was organized crime..
When l'd watched this movie for the first time in 1986, l found it's good, after more twenty years revisiting this picture again in full restoration DVD with original audio (UGH!)...l still find a fine work from Terence Young,but have two things that could explain the movie didn't get a proper respect from the viewer, firstly was released in same time with Godfather, second the producer was Dino de Laurentiis and he is foreign and didn't has a usual critic treatment like the American has....this is absolutely a naked true, foreign producers didn't have any respect from Americans and critical, but the movie is quite good,the casting is fine, Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura,Joseph Wiseman,among others...the movie is based in a true events and has a remarkable job from Charles Bronson as Joseph Valachi who actually died in prison.Resume: First Watch: 1986 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5.
I wish this film is remade, a good real life story.
Another cliche ridden gangster film that could have been worth watching if available factual information (Peter Maas' book) was played out about the life of Mafia informer Joseph Valachi.
Bronson is competent as Valachi, but the rest of the performances are as mediocre as the rest of this violent movie..
First of all, Charles Bronson bears absolutely no resemblance to Joe Valachi whatsoever.
In its overall structure it resembles an "Apologia" in the original sense, not an apology but a defense of what the accused has done and the explanations for it.Joe Valachi was, as I understand it, one of the first members of the Mafia (which is mentioned by name) to spill the beans about initiation rites and about the workings of the organization itself.
When Valachi, played by Charles Bronson in what may be his best performance, tries to hang himself in his cell, it could easily be because of guilt.The organization of the Mafia seems to fit into a hierarchy of allegiances.
Except for his final confession, he's never treacherous or particularly clever.In these -- and in other ways -- "The Valachi Papers" differ from the first two Godfather movies.
As a fan of Charles Bronson it was one of the few films of his I hadn't seen in some time.
Until Joe Valachi, after an attempt was made on his life in prison, came forward willing to tell all.
The movie opens with an older Valachi in prison where he is given the "kiss of death" by mob boss Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura).
Sentenced to life with no hope of parole and fearing another attempt on his life, Valachi agrees to inform on the mob and contacts federal agent Ryan (Gerald O'Loughlin) to tell his tale.The movie progresses in flashbacks to the early days of Valachi as a young man on the streets committing crimes like burglary.
He survives this battle but comes out of it in the bad side of his boss, Tony Bender.The film shows various crimes Valachi was involved in, his romance and marriage to the daughter of his boss (played by Bronson's real life wife Jill Ireland) and how things in the mob itself changed over time.
Low budgeted and filled with a number of Italian actors since this was a film made in Italy, the movie is more of a glossed over slice of history rather than a dead on depiction.That doesn't mean it isn't an entertaining film with plenty of story to tell.
For example, Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) becomes a Mafia made man on November 5th, 1930, and a subsequent scene when his sponsor Gaetano Reina (Amadeo Nazzari) is whacked is dated February 26th of the same year.I also thought the picture could have done a better job of putting the Apalachin Meeting of the Mafia hierarchy in context.
Bronson gets little help in the film from the other performers.
"The Valachi Papers" tells, through flashback, the true-life story of mafia driver Joseph Valachi, who became a government informant and was the first to reveal the secrets of the cosa nostra and crime syndicate to the outside world.
It is a great premise for a film, rich with possibilities of "Godfather"-like drama and excitement, but is directed so poorly and lifelessly that it fails on almost every level.Charles Bronson is Joe Valachi, and he is farthest here from his tough-guy persona than in any other of his movies.
Bronson may be stretching the limits of his acting range, but his performance would have been passable if the direction was competent."The Valachi Papers" actually beat "The Godfather" to the theaters by a matter of months, but otherwise the two films don't belong in the same sentence.
The almighty Charles Bronson is aces in the title role in this gangster saga that had the misfortune to be released the same year as the much more well known "The Godfather".
Joe Valachi joins the Cosa Nostra crime organization as an impressionable young man during the Great Depression, ultimately working his way up the organization.
Notable exceptions include Italian icon Lino Ventura as mob boss Vito Genovese, Canadian-born Joseph Wiseman, whom Young had directed in "Dr. No", as the hearty Salvatore Maranzano, and Gerald S.
Unsurprisingly, Bronsons' real-life companion Jill Ireland is on hand to play Valachis' wife, but the script doesn't give her much to do.
Most eyes will be on Bronson, in any event, who shines in a real character role, and gets to play him at different ages.Joe Valachi is portrayed in a humble, eager to please, uneducated but street smart way, and becomes an interesting enough person to follow as we watch his journey move from its fateful beginnings to its bittersweet finish.Seven out of 10.