- The Execution of Private Slovik
Infobox Film
name = The Execution of Private Slovik
image_size =
caption =
director = Lamont Johnson
producer = Richard Dubleman
writer =William Bradford Huie
Lamont JohnsonRichard Levinson |William Link
narrator =
starring =Martin Sheen
Mariclare CostelloNed Beatty
music =Hal Mooney
cinematography =Bill Butler
editing =Frank Morriss
distributor =NBC MCA/Universal Home Video
released = 1974
runtime = 120 Mins
country = U.S.
language = English
budget = $180000
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
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imdb_id = 0071477"The Execution of Private Slovik" is a nonfiction book by
William Bradford Huie , published in 1954 ["The Execution of Private Slovik" by William Bradford Huie, ISBN 1594160031] , and an American made-for-television movie that aired onNBC onMarch 13 ,1974 . The film was written for the screen byRichard Levinson ,William Link and byLamont Johnson who also served asfilm director .Plot
The book and the film tell the story of Private Eddie Slovik, the only American soldier to be executed for desertion since the
American Civil War . The film starredMartin Sheen as Private Slovik for which he received anEmmy Award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama. Many critics and viewers consider this to be one of Sheen's finest performances, noting in particular thefiring squad execution scene when Slovik recites theRoman Catholic prayer, "Hail Mary ". This film was also the debut film of actorCharlie Sheen .Among the other Emmy Award nominations, the film was named for "Outstanding Special."
Development
In
1960 Frank Sinatra announced that he would produce a movie entitledThe Execution of Private Slovik to be written byblacklisted Hollywood 10 screenwriter Albert Maltz . This announcement evoked tremendous outrage, accusing Sinatra of being aCommunist sympathizer . As Sinatra was campaigning forJohn F. Kennedy forPresident , the Kennedycampaign became concerned and ultimately prevailed upon Sinatra to cancel the project. [ His way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra by Kitty Kelly, pp. 296-301 ISBN 0-553-26515-6 ]In
Kurt Vonnegut 'sSlaughterhouse-Five ,Billy Pilgrim finds an abandoned copy of William Bradford Huie's book and reads through it while in a waiting room.Historical Accuracy
The military
service record of Eddie Slovik, which is now a public archival record available from theMilitary Personnel Records Center , provides a detailed account of the actual execution of Slovik which took place in 1945 and it was upon this that most of the film was based. The execution in the film, including the missed shots by the firing squad which led to Slovik dying slowly on the firing post over a course of five minutes, are deemed totally accurate as compared to the actual execution. A slight dramatic license does occur in the final scene, as there is no evidence that the priest attending Slovik's execution shouted "give it another volley if you like it so much" after the doctor indicated Slovik was still alive.References
External links
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