Violent City/Fun Facts

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< Violent City
Revision as of 18:55, 4 December 2018 by Pete (talk | contribs)
  • This movie had two major American releases in the United States. The first run was distributed by International Co-Productions whilst the second, a wide release, was distributed by United Artists. The film was known as "Violent City" for the first of these releases but was retitled "The Family" for the second. The film's second release in February 1973 had the film's "The Family" title-logo set in white text on black background and in a display font - all similar to The Godfather (1972)'s title logo, that movie having had been released around just a year beforehand. This was to cash-in on that film's success as this Italian movie also involved the mob and family: the inter-relationship between a hit-man, a mob boss and their shared love interest. This movie's title has reverted to "Violent City" for its DVD release in English speaking territories. The "Violent City" title of this picture is a literal English translation of its original Italian title which is "Città Violenta".
  • According to the DVD sleeve notes, this movie was inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï (1967).
  • Actor Charles Bronson and actress Jill Ireland were married.
  • The picture is one of the favorite Italian genre movies of Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn.
  • The music score composed by Ennio Morricone was sampled for the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's later picture Django Unchained (2012).
  • The hard sell trailer, which is included as a special feature on the DVD, shows several scenes shot in more dramatic close-up, or from different angles, than in the movie - in fact, quite better than in the movie itself.
  • United Artists cut about eight minutes from the Italian version of this film for its American release. These scenes are re-inserted in the DVD but are heard in the Italian language with English subtitles. The complete and uncut version of this film on DVD restores all scenes which had been omitted from all earlier English language prints. As these scenes were never looped in English, they appear on the DVD in Italian language with English subtitles, while the rest of the film is in English.
  • Sharon Tate was considered for the role of Vanessa Sheldon which was played in the film by Jill Ireland.
  • This movie was co-written by Italian auteur director/writer Lina Wertmüller.
  • Tony Musante and Florinda Bolkan were originally attached to star in the lead roles.
  • Jon Voight was considered for the role of Jeff Heston which was played in the film by Charles Bronson.
  • One of this movie's main English titles is "The Family" but the film is also known as "Violent City". Star Charles Bronson would later star in three other "Family" titled filmed productions. These were made for television and were the "Family of Cops" series of tele-movies [See: Family of Cops (1995), Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops II (1997), and Family of Cops III: Under Suspicion (1999)].
  • Telly Savalas was considered for the role of Edgar Millen in the later Charles Bronson movie Death Hunt (1981) but in the end the part went to Lee Marvin. All three actors had starred in The Dirty Dozen (1967) which was directed by Robert Aldrich who was the original director on Death Hunt (1981) before being replaced by Peter R. Hunt.
  • One of sixteen cinema movie collaborations of actor Charles Bronson with actress Jill Ireland.
  • Charles Bronson received top / first billing, Telly Savalas received second billing and Jill Ireland received third billing.
  • Telly Savalas, despite receiving second billing, does not appear in the movie until about one hour in [uncut version].
  • Third and final cinema movie collaboration of actors Charles Bronson and Telly Savalas. The two earlier pictures were Battle of the Bulge (1965) and The Dirty Dozen (1967).
  • The DVD includes a special feature called Shooting Violent City (2001) which is a 15-minute interview with the film's director Sergio Sollima.
  • The movie stars one Academy Award nominee - Telly Savalas - who was Oscar nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Birdman of Alcatraz (1962).
  • One of the first major star teamings of action star Charles Bronson with his actress wife Jill Ireland.
  • According to the DVD sleeve notes, this film on DVD "has been transferred from the original camera negative and is presented complete and uncut".
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