This film begins with a brief overview of the career of a local Sicilian hood named Salvatore Giordano. As a child, he killed Nazi soldiers and soon he's the local mob boss--but he' strictly local. Then, out of the blue, he appears to have been killed by soldiers. End of story, right? Nope...it's just the beginning. It seems that the old Giordano is dead and he's now been re-christened 'Johnny Cool'. Johnny was saved from death by a big-time hood named Colini--an ex-mob boss who has been forced into exile in the old country. His purpose for Johnny is to send him to America to be a one man killing machine--to kill all the mobsters Colini blames for the exile. And, he's been promised that he'll one day be Colini's successor.
When Johnny (Henry Silva) arrives in America, he is a cool character--and the American mob (headed by Telly Savalas) notices him. However, despite various attempts to kill Cool, he manages to use his wits to not only evade death but carry out his various contracts. The closest they come is to beat up Johnny's new lady friend (Elizabeth Montgomery). Soon, the American mob is leaderless and guess who is ready to step into the void. Colini thinks it's him, but by now Johnny realizes that Colini intends to kill him too and perhaps he can now be the big boss-man. Will Cool make it all the way to the top or will his meteoric rise come to just as swift an end? While this is not a great film, Silva is very slick in the lead--very cool, so to speak. His style is smooth as well as very cold--and it makes this average movie just a bit better than it should be. Worth watching, though it was quite inexplicable how Montgomery's character fell so hard for a man she hardly knew--particularly when she is supposedly well-educated and bright.
When Johnny (Henry Silva) arrives in America, he is a cool character--and the American mob (headed by Telly Savalas) notices him. However, despite various attempts to kill Cool, he manages to use his wits to not only evade death but carry out his various contracts. The closest they come is to beat up Johnny's new lady friend (Elizabeth Montgomery). Soon, the American mob is leaderless and guess who is ready to step into the void. Colini thinks it's him, but by now Johnny realizes that Colini intends to kill him too and perhaps he can now be the big boss-man. Will Cool make it all the way to the top or will his meteoric rise come to just as swift an end? While this is not a great film, Silva is very slick in the lead--very cool, so to speak. His style is smooth as well as very cold--and it makes this average movie just a bit better than it should be. Worth watching, though it was quite inexplicable how Montgomery's character fell so hard for a man she hardly knew--particularly when she is supposedly well-educated and bright.