Executive Action (1973)

40% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(284 ratings)

If you think that Oliver Stone invented the "political paranoia" movie, take a glance at Executive Action sometime. Based on Mark Lane's Rush to Judgment, the conspiracy theorist's bible, Executive Action perpetuates the popular urban legend that John F. Kennedy was assassinated at the behest of a… More If you think that Oliver Stone invented the "political paranoia" movie, take a glance at Executive Action sometime. Based on Mark Lane's Rush to Judgment, the conspiracy theorist's bible, Executive Action perpetuates the popular urban legend that John F. Kennedy was assassinated at the behest of a right-wing cartel with military and industrial interests. The film further hypothesizes that Lee Harvey Oswald not only didn't pull the trigger, but was also set up as a disposable dupe (this notion wasn't even new in 1973). Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan and Will Geer play the sinister conspirators. In the film's coda, still photos of 18 witnesses to the assassination are shown, while the accompanying text informs us that all of these people had died between 1963 and 1973. We are further told that the odds against this coincidence are one in a trillion. When Oliver Stone's thematically similar JFK came out in 1991, viewers with long memories were quick to notice the eerie similarities between the Stone film and Executive Action -- right down to choice of camera angles. Hmmm....a conspiracy, perhaps? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: David Miller
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Nov 7, 1973 Wide
On DVD: Oct 23, 2007

Critic Reviews

Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Corajoso para sua época, traz um roteiro incomodamente plausível (e extremamente bem pesquisado) de Dalton Trumbo e uma montagem didática e tensa.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Borderline interesting, conspiracy-based Kennedy assassination stuff.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Burger S

This was really the first mass media piece to put out a conspiracy theory about the Kennedy Assassination. Unfortunetly it was banned and shunned almost right away. The film admits from the start that it blurs some facts and details with Dalton Trumbo's imaginative non-fiction.… More
This was really the first mass media piece to put out a conspiracy theory about the Kennedy Assassination. Unfortunetly it was banned and shunned almost right away. The film admits from the start that it blurs some facts and details with Dalton Trumbo's imaginative non-fiction. It's hard to believe that this came out only 10 years after said watershed event, considering how much attention Oliver Stones "JFK" got for being contraversial almost another 20 years later.

Cast

            Burt Lancaster as Farrington

            Robert Ryan as Foster

            Will Geer as Ferguson

            Gilbert Green as Paulitz

            John Anderson as Halliday

            Paul Carr as Gunman Chris

            John Brascia as Riflemen Team B

            Walter Brooke as Smythe

            Richard Bull as Gunman-Team A

            Colby Chester as Tim

            Sidney Clute as Depository Clerk

            Lee Delano as Gunmen Team A

            Lloyd Gough as McCadden

            Richard D. Hurst as Used Car Salesman

            Robert Karnes as Man At Rifle Range

            Ed Kemmer
            
            Ed Lauter as Operation Chief Team A

            Joaquín Martínez as Art Mendoza

            Dick Miller as Rifleman-Team B

            Tom Peters as Sergeant

            Paul Sorenson as Officer Brown

            Sandy Ward as Policeman

            William Watson as Technician-Team B

            Hunter von Leer as Rifleman-Team B

            Deanna Darrin as Stripper

            James MacColl as Oswald Imposter
See full cast

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Executive Action (1973)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Burger S

Cast

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