CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : THE EXECUTIONER .. COLUMBIA PICTURES .. UK 1970 ..

 

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Presents

THE EXECUTIONER

STARRING

GEORGE PEPPARD as John Shay

JOAN COLLINS as Sarah Booth

JUDY GEESON as Polly Bendel

OSCAR HOMOLKA as Racovsky

CHARLES GRAY as Vaughan Jones

NIGEL PATRICK as Colonel Scott

KEITH MICHELL as Adam Booth

GEORGE BAKER as Philip Crawford

ALEXANDER SCOURBY as Professor Parker

PETER BULL as Butterfield

ERNEST CLARK as Roper

PETER DYNELEY  as Balkov

GISELA DALI as Anna

Assistant Director - Peter Price  Director of Photography - Denys Coop  Art Director - E.W Marshall

      Music by Ron Goodwin  Screenplay by Jack Pulman  From a Story by Gordon McDonnell

            Edited by Roy Watts  Produced by Charles H Schneer  Directed by Sam Wanamaker

(c) 1970  COLLUMBIA  111MINS   COLOR

When John Shay's latest British Intelligence operation fails as a result of Communist counter espionage, he is recalled to London. Shay then meets up with girlfriend Polly, who helps him in his mission to unmask the traitor who is working as a double agent! But when he meets an old lover, Sarah whose husband is a fellow agent, John risks losing his job, if not his life! From London to Athens, to the Isle of Corfu, Shay is travelling a fine line between death, in the shadow of The Executioner!!

This 1970 production had all the hallmarks for a great film and Joan had a major role in it, compared to her previous films like "Warning Shot" and "If It's Tuesday". She did however have reservations about it's star George Peppard who was known to be fond of the drink and a womaniser. Her fears were founded when he propositioned her after a party, she turned him down and he did not speak to her for most of the film shoot. He did not seem to mind the fact he had his wife and family with him in England as they had rented a Queen Anne house in Victoria in London. Peppard was the typical tough guy, he even worked as a rancher on his 13,500 acre spread in Northern California. He also learned to fly and got his license so that he could fly himself in the film "The Blue Max", in which he co-starred with Ursula Andress. Coincidently some years later he would be cast as Blake Carrington in a pilot for a series called "Oil".Of course that went on to be retitled "Dynasty" and after shooting much of the pilot, Peppard was replaced by John Forsythe, due to been difficult to work with. Lucky for Joan that he was!

"The Executioner" was shot on location in Athens, Greece, Corfu and London. While in Athens, for the first time in it's 2000 year history, the Acropolis was bathed in brilliant light from 

unset to sunrise, so that it could be used as a background in some scenes. Joan also had some difficulty with director Sam Wanamaker, as he wanted her to do a nude scene, that she was reluctant to do. However she did fare better in her clothed scenes as all her wardrobe was designed by Christian Dior! Other concessions the film received were in London, permission had been given by the Board of Trade to film in the Whitehall vaults, which were originally part of New Scotland Yard. The films other female star Judy Geeson was just getting back into films, as two years before she almost died! While on holiday in the West Indies, she became ill and lay in a coma for two weeks, before making a full recovery. Judy went on to work again with Joan in 1972's "Fear In The Night". Joan's marriage to Anthony Newley had ended and she was just forming a relationship with Ronald Kass, president of Apple Records. She would eventually marry him and find happiness for the next few years! 

 

While not a box office hit, it does have a great cast and wonderful locations, the critics were not too kind.

DAILY MIRROR .. Dick Richards..

" The Executioner is just another dreary reminder that espionage is a dull, dodgy and dirty
business.This film just hasn't got the bite, pep and ingenuity to keep people nibbling at their nails. Joan Collins and Judy Geeson are the girls, but I doubt if either of them could have turned on Peppard, who is too busy suspecting people, going through secret files, being beaten up and looking knowing!

Joan on set in make up

Spanish dvd release

Still the film is worth a look and Joan looks sensational in it..
A Spanish dvd release is available with a wonderful sleeve as shown above, however the print of the film on the disc is awful and fullscreen with the English audio out of sync..However a release available from Sony on demand features a wonderful widescreen release with an excellent print.. Both these releases are not currently available, but you can have a look at the sleeves!

USA release ..