Crime Boss (1972) Cinema Shares International Distribution/Action-Drama RT: 93 minutes Rated R (language, violence) Director: Alberto De Martino Screenplay: Lucio Manlio Battistrada and Luigi Mordini Music: Francesco De Masi Cinematography: Aristide Massaccesi Release date: December 1974 (US) Cast: Telly Savalas, Antonio Sabato, Paola Tedesco, Giuliano Persico, Guido Lollobrigida, Nino Dal Fabbro, Sergio Rossi, Sergio Tramonti, Piero Morgia, Carlo Gaddi, Rosita Torosh. Box Office: N/A
Rating: *
I give a lot of latitude to exploitation movies because they’re a breed all their own. They don’t follow the traditional rules of cinema assuming they follow any rules at all. Sometimes it’s a cinematic free-for-all. But even with that label, Crime Boss is still a bad movie.
The Italian-made crime drama stars Antonio Sabato (Grand Prix) as Antonio Mancuso, a low-level mob mechanic- i.e. hitman- looking for advancement in a do-or-die (mostly die) profession. After a successful hit, he and his brother Nicola (Persico) steal a bag of drugs which Antonio promptly returns to its rightful owner, Mafia boss Don Vincenzo (Savalas, Kojak). An action like this takes serious palle (Italian for “cojones”). Although logic tells him to kill Antonio, instinct tells him to keep him around. He adds, “My instincts are never wrong.” Was there ever a more subtly prophetic statement? You see, Antonio is an ambitious sort with a thirst for power. He begins secretly plotting with other dons to “unseat” Vincenzo and take over his position as the big boss.
That, of course, is just a basic overview of Crime Boss. There’s some other drama wedged in. Antonio’s late father is frequently mentioned. He was also involved with the Mafia. He did some unspecified thing to be labeled a traitor. The same assumption is made of Antonio. The young man has something to prove with his determination to rise to the top. He also becomes romantically involved with Vincenzo’s daughter Monica (Tedesco, Battle of the Amazons), a strong-willed type looking to get out from under her protective father’s thumb. What better way to rebel than screw one of your dad’s “employees”?
Italian exploitation movies aren’t exactly the height of the art of cinema, but they should still meet a few basic standards like competent editing, decent pacing and a coherent narrative. Crime Boss is choppily edited and I’m wondering if it’s a result of being readied for American release. According to Wikipedia, the original Italian cut I Familiari Delle Vittime Non Saranno Avvertiti (The Victims’ Families Won’t Be Told) runs 103 minutes. The American version, the one I saw, is only 93. I don’t mind the bad dubbing; it’s part of the appeal of Italian exploitation. I do mind when the story is rendered incomprehensible by poor filmmaking skills.
Crime Boss is a mess made worse by being boring. I could not get into it for the life of me. It has a few okay action scenes, but that’s just it, they’re only okay. Making matters worse is the bad acting. Sabato is completely wooden as the protagonist. The makers could have put a cigar store wooden Indian in the lead and gotten the same results for all the life Sabato puts into his performance. Savalas is completely miscast as a Sicilian mob boss. He tries but it’s all for naught. He played a more convincing mob boss in Cannonball Run II. Tedesco makes no impression whatsoever.
Exploitation movies are usually made to capitalize on the success of more popular films. Crime Boss is no different. Obviously, director Alberto De Martino (Holocaust 2000) intended to profit from the success of The Godfather. Although there aren’t any significant story similarities, the whole Mafia angle is supposed to make potential audiences think of Coppola’s award-winning film. HOWEVER, De Martino does copy the closing scene of The Godfather near the end of his film with a shot of Antonio closing the door on Monica while he meets with associates. HA! He wishes Crime Boss was even a fraction as good.
As much as I enjoy trashy exploitation movies from all countries, I cannot recommend Crime Boss. It’s more badly made than most movies of its kind. Even the violence is boring. I wouldn’t mind checking out the uncut version someday assuming it even exists. This cut of Crime Boss is a failed hit.
