Execution Squad

Cast

Style

Italian film historian Roberto Curti stated that many critics have consider Execution Squad to be the initiator of the "poliziottesco" film genre. Curti opined that Execution Squad was just a logical continuation of Damiano Damiani's Confessions of a Police Captain. The film is credited to Stefano Vanzina, the first time in his career that Vanzina had abandoned his usual credit of Steno which he had used since 1949. The film is also a drastic change from Steno's usual output which consisted primarily of comedy films.

Production

The script and story were written by Lucio De Caro and Steno. Steno stated that the script was originally written for a different director, but "back then my colleagues were afraid to speak ill of the police". The lead role in the film was given to Enrico Maria Salerno, but was originally offered to Lando Buzzanca, one of Italy's most famous comedians at the time. The film was shot at Centro Incom in Rome and on location in Rome.

Release

Execution Squad was released in Italy on 25 February 1972 where it was distributed by P.A.C. It grossed a total of 1,696,360,000 Italian lire on its domestic release. Curti described the film as an unexpected box office hit in Italy. It was released in West Germany on 17 November 1972 as Das Dyndikat.